Urban National Parks: The Evolution of National Parks and Equitable Conservation into the Urban Landscape

Abstract

Urban National Parks are uniquely situated not only to provide ecological refuge within the human-dominated built environment, but also to provide a space to reconcile our collective relationship with nature. If these spaces are not protected in equitable ways, with fair access and opportunity grounded in community placemaking, they might merely represent another form of NIMBYism (not in my back yard). In the context of dynamic changes and unprecedented threats to the stability of the natural world, we should look to Urban National Parks as spaces for reconciliation between utilitarian needs and the conservation of nature. What guidelines might urban planners, landscape architects, and ecological designers use to ensure this process is conducted in an equitable way? This paper seeks to put forth a framework for understanding and addressing these problems in the face of climatic and sociopolitical change.