Parks Rankings (Phoenix: appointed, neighborhood, statistics)

[exit2lef]

I'm not much into rankings because I think that statistics can always be manipulated to prove any point desired. Still, a lot of naysayers on this board, in the local media, and elsewhere harp on negative rankings about the Phoenix area, so I like to share positive rankings as I become aware of them.

The Republic featured a story (buried on page A15) this morning about Phoenix being ranked 4th among cities of comparable density for acres of parkland per capita. I went right to the source, the Trust for Public Land, and confirmed the ranking here:

http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/ccpe_TotalAcresperResident.pdf (broken link)

There are a lot of other interesting rankings here:

Center for City Park Excellence, City Park Facts: The Trust for Public Land (http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=20531&folder_id=3208 - broken link)

Like any rankings, these can be interpreted a variety of ways. I'm sure someone can find a way to use these numbers against Phoenix, but I'm generally pleased at what I see here. It confirms the impression I've always had that Phoenix has unique and wonderful parks.

[artyst]

where are these unique and wonderful parks that you speak of silverbear? have you ever seen real parks??

[Steve-o]

I went to Encanto (sp) once, very disappointed in what I saw. I was told that was a premiere park in PHX? The best park there is the PMP IMO.

[lola8822]

I always liked sahuaro park......maybe because i was like 6 and there were peacock's running arouned who knows

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by artyst

where are these unique and wonderful parks that you speak of silverbear? have you ever seen real parks??

I'll answer the first question and ignore the second.

Unique and wonderful:

• Phoenix Mountains Preserve (Piestewa Peak, Dreamy Draw, North Mountain, Shaw Butte, etc.)
  
• South Mountain
  
• Papago Park

Encanto is nice, but it's hardly unique and definitely not the city's premier park.

[artyst]

phoenix mtn preserves - if you've seen one you've seen them all....dirt, rocks, desert....yawn
south mountain.....not too impressive, similar to the mtn preserves except you can drive to the top too.
papago park - small, quaint, not too interesting except for the hole in the mtn.
the second question was rhetorical.

[HX_Guy]

The problem with Phoenix's parks is that they may be parks by the Parks Board's definition of whatever the institution's name is, but to most people...when you think of park, you think lots of mature shade trees, walking trails lined with sitting benches, lakes and ponds, grassy fields...etc.

That is, at least, what I think of when I think park. Now it might be different for some, but I think a lot of people look at it in the same sense.

[Boatdrinks]

Originally Posted by artyst

where are these unique and wonderful parks that you speak of silverbear? have you ever seen real parks??

I'm curious what an expert park connoseur such as yourself would consider a unique and wonderful park?????

[HX_Guy]

I must of missed the part where artyst said that Phoenix's parks aren't "unique". If there is one thing that they are...is unique.

The sort of park I described earlier really doesn't have much uniqueness about it...they mostly all look the same, with the walking paths, benches, tall trees, ponds, etc. Arizona parks ARE unique.

[exit2lef]

I think Phoenix actually has a lot of nice traditional parks, but they're of the small, neighborhood variety. That's probably for the best since traditional parks in this climate use a lot of water.

As for the Mountain Preserves, they may not conform to certain stereotypes of what a park should look like, but they preserve countless acres of nature and provide opportunities for recreation, thereby fulfilling many basic park functions. I think that learning to appreciate the Mountain Preserves is an important step for residents to take in learning to enjoy Phoenix on its own terms.