By Collin Manns, PLA
Parks have always had an impact on my life. As far back as I can remember, they have been the setting for some of my earliest memories. I can remember climbing on the playground, rolling through the dirt, and then racing my parents back to the car.
I loved going to the community park in our neighborhood. It had a ballfield where my dad and I would play catch and a community building where people gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July. It had access to the nearby river and plenty of open space for me to run around or ride my bike. It was a place where people could enjoy different activities, spend time with family, and connect with others in the neighborhood.
As a kid, I noticed certain things whenever I visited a park. I would scope out the playground and evaluate how high it would allow me to climb, or I would look for a ballfield where I could run around or play catch with my dad and siblings. I didn’t realize it then, but even as a kid I was taking inventory of what made parks and public spaces so great. I appreciated having a space dedicated to a wide range of activities that anyone could enjoy with family and friends, even if I didn’t yet understand why those places were so meaningful.
Looking back, I can see how those experiences shaped the way I think about public spaces and ultimately influenced my career. What drew me to landscape architecture was that it allows me to take all the little things I’ve experienced over the years, both as a child and now as an adult, and use them to help create spaces that encourage people to go outside and be with one another. Each community has its own needs, and part of the landscape architect’s role is to understand those needs and determine how a space can best serve the people who will use it.
As I’ve grown in the profession, I’ve also come to appreciate how important parks and public gathering places are to a community. These places are sometimes referred to as “third places,” meaning the casual places outside of work and home where people can relax, socialize, and connect with each other. Third places are important because they serve as the meeting grounds that facilitate the human connections and interactions that help create a sense of community and healthy living.
Creating those opportunities for connection requires thoughtful planning. When designing and conceptualizing a public space, we need to consider how people will move through it as well as what might encourage them to stop and stay for a while. A successful gathering place should feel neutral and welcoming, allowing people to linger without feeling like they need to keep moving or make a purchase.
Seating is one element that can help create that feeling. A mixture of semi-fixed tables and movable chairs gives visitors choices based on how they want to use the space, while open green areas can accommodate families or community gatherings. Providing shade and viewpoints can also make a space more comfortable and encourage people to stay longer. Accessibility must be considered throughout the design so that people of different ages and abilities can feel welcome and participate in the space.
That’s one of the things I enjoy most about projects like the City of Whitehall’s West Colby Promenade, which is currently under construction. It’s exciting to help create a space designed to bring people together, whether they are stopping for lunch, attending a community event, or simply enjoying time near the waterfront. The project includes gathering areas and amenities intended to strengthen the connection between downtown Whitehall and the waterfront while giving residents and visitors another reason to spend time in the area.
Projects like this show how landscape architecture can help turn an area people might otherwise pass through into a place where they want to stay. The goal is to consider how each element works together and how the completed space will fit into the community’s daily life. When a public space is comfortable and connected to its surroundings, it can support both planned events and the small, everyday moments that happen naturally.
As I’ve gotten older, my own priorities have shifted, and new things have started to stand out when I visit a park. Occasionally, I still look for ballfields to run around on, but now with my toddler, I also notice practical details like how far away the restrooms are or whether there is enough parking. My wife and I have always enjoyed visiting parks to unwind, but now we especially seek out places with the defining features of a good third place. We look for places that allow us to engage together as a family and play with our son. Play equipment for our toddler is important, but we also value open green space where we can run around together and a shaded place where we can sit down for a snack.
These experiences have given me a better understanding of how one park can serve people differently depending on where they are in life. A child might be focused entirely on the playground or the nearest ballfield, while a parent may be thinking about seating and restrooms. Someone else might visit for a walk, a community celebration, or a quiet place to spend time outdoors. A thoughtful design makes room for those different experiences without making any one group feel like the space was not created for them.
As a child, I looked at parks as an outlet to play sports and associated them with being active. As I got older, I realized that parks encompass so much more and can serve many different purposes within our lives. They provide space for people to gather and spend time outdoors, but they also become part of how we experience our communities and remember different stages of our lives.
That is what continues to inspire me as a landscape architect. The spaces we design may eventually become the setting for someone’s family outing or neighborhood tradition. They may be where a child learns to ride a bike, where friends meet after work, or where a family simply slows down together for an afternoon. Knowing that the places we help create can become part of someone else’s memories makes the work especially meaningful to me.
