Three Words for PARK(ing) Day - M.Jackman

http://www.innovationcanada.ca/en/articles/recreating-nature

The words that come to my mind when I think about PARK(ing) Day are Recreate, Play, and Recess.

I like "recreate" because it is the root word of recreation, but taken in its root form it is easy to see the origin of “to re-create” as in to recreate ones psyche by taking a break from work or study to exercise or simply relax, or in our case to take a space normally used solely for the storage of personal vehicles and recreate a park where one can exercise or relax.

The word “play” fits into this analogy because that is what the act of relaxation through exercise was called when we were children and is, in my mind, the main reason for having parks and green spaces in urban areas.

http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/lists/stormtroopers-theyre-just-us

"Recess" is of course the designated time for children to take a break from their studies and recreate through play, something I think could still be useful to students at the college level.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/nyregion/02ritual.html?_r=1

Passage of time

I chose these images because I heard about this park that was right next to my house that I had never seen. I was able to find it but it was such an odd set up. The first picture is from the side walk entrance. The second is of this path that leads to nowhere, and the third is of this huge slide in the park. That can not be up to code in anyway. I loved it!


I chose the phrase the “Passage of time” because it symbolizes movement. Trying to understand the value of this project, I reflected on my time spent in parks. I also wondered about my future time spent in parks. I realized that the meaning of going to a park has changed for me; as a kid it was a place to play, as a teenager it was a place to escape my house and kick it with friends, as an adult it is a place to go to with a partner or significant other to feel more connected, and as a senior I suspect I will see parks as a social gathering place. All I know is I have spent so much time in and around parks that they have become a significant part of my memories. I hope that some how in this project we are able to emphasize the importance and the human need for green space.