parks movement: USA

Living Conditions in Cities: 19th Century

In 19th century america, living conditions in cities were no different from England

Infectious diseases were rife and have been attributed to unsafe water (miasma theory)
Improper waste management especially with poor drainage
Unpaved streets
Poor food handling
Over-crowded unventilated housing
Women and children working 6 days a week
Street cars pulled by animals
Pollution, animal death, disease, overall horrible living conditions (The Devil in the white city)

Beginning of Change

The situation in the US started to change due to the following strong influences:

Romantic Period

Inclination towards the Naturalistic style in the Early National Period became popular across English-Speaking North America
Influence of Transcendentalism as a philosophy interested in the Stewardship of the land, natural life, and animal life
The natural landscape of America generating admiration for the natural rural scenery

Transcendentalism

“A philosophical movement which asserts the existence of an ideal spiritual reality that transcends empirical and scientific knowledge”

Rural Cemetery Movement

Yellow Fever and Smallpox claiming up to 75,000 lives a years in the US in the 19th century
Dr. Jacob Bigelow was convinced that churchyards used as burial grounds was a menace to public health
His advocacy resulted in State Legislature dedicated real estate for a “rural cemetery”
Thus, the building of Mount Auburn Cemetery and the movement
Cemeteries used for strolling, solitude and families’ picnics
Completely America invention- - - Influence on the Parks Movement in the US

Mount Auburn Cambridge, MA 1931

Rural Romantic Cemetery was an American invention of the 19th century
Out of cities— out of churchyards— into the rural landscape
Chosen sites usually had natural features like landforms, existing wods, water bodies, or impressive distant views

Design Characteristics of Mt. Auburn

- Plan composed of roads and paths fitted into the landform

- Trees & shrubs planted in masses to increase its beauty

- Asymmetrical curvilinear perimeter

Characteristics of Romantic Period

Romantics statuary, urns and landmarks
Small ponds
Romantic style pavilions and structures
Classical and rustic site furniture
Rolling ground planes covered in meadow-like grasses and natural vegetation
Areas given descriptive names like “Laurel Hill” and “Oak Grove”
Paths and roads named after trees like Elm, Oak, and Juniper
Design characteristics of Mt. Auburn prevailed in the US— Mt. Auburn became popular
Improved effect on public health and creating healthful burial places
Within 7 years, major cities had established similar cemeteries

Andrew Jackson Downing

First AMerican writer on landscape arch topics
Editor ; Publisher of The Horticulturist magazine in 1846-52
From a horticulturist family: Father- nurseryman; brother educated him in plant propagation and the use of plants
Passion for scenery and persuasive writing
Contribution to Horticulture, Architecture and Larc

A treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening Adapted to North America (1841)

Stimulated American’ Interest in home properties and landscape
Downing’s conviction that human behavior is greatly affected by the environment (Environmental Psychology)
Downing explained and revised the Naturalistic Style to the American environment and residents
Two significant conclusions of the book are:
- The “Beautiful” and the Picturesque” are not opposite but points along a visual continuum from simplified naturalistic to real naturalism
- It is important to frame distant views of majestic American landscape and make them part of the design composition

Downing and the Parks Movement

In 1850, he found and brought Calvert Vaux to America
Journalism campaign, along with William Cullen Bryant, for a public park in New York. His writing in 1851 was responsible for passing the first Park-Act Legislation that brought the FIRST “country park” to the New World