Landscaping of City Parks
In city there may be parks of several sizes from very large to medium size and also squares or small gardens are generally found at street inter sections. The small gardens or squares are planted with a view to relieving the eyes of the people passing by them or for a short resting period for those who care to use them. Therefore, these may be planted with a path of grass, few flower beds, one or two shades or flowering trees or a group of shrubs and trees. The medium to large parks are meant for a place of recreation and these are considered as lungs of the cities. These should be a place of beauty as well as utility.
Most of the cities in India have developed unplanned and hence there is hardly any space for a large park. But to give the citizens of such cities a breathing place garden or large parks may be laid out in the nearest vicinity of the countryside easily approachable by car or bus or even by bicycle. But in the present day conditions in a developing country like India, it may not be possible to take up such ventures in the immediate furore.
The prospect park as (1) a long meadow, which is a park like open space; (2) an undulated and rising hilly section with woodland scenery (3) a lake and its surroundings (4) a number of sceneries of objects of beauty.
The Bud ha Jayanti Park in New Delhi falls in to this category. The vast park called "Rabin dr a Kan an" in South Calcutta with large grassy open spaces, a huge lake with islands, stadium, lily pool garden with a miniature zoo, flowering trees, shrubs, and a hanging bridge may come into this category.
The small city park may be an area any thing between 5 and 100 hectares or little more. A large rural park gives a degree of scolusion from the city but the small city park, as it is situated within the city, has no such characteristic although the features may be the same as that of a large rural park. In the small parks, the scenery created ill not look so natural as those of a large rural park, because of the limitation of space.
Good flowering and shade trees should be planted in groups or singly in some comers or other suitable places for creating beauty as well as a place for resting. Garden benches should be constructed at regular intervals especially under the shade of the trees. Few interesting and are shrubs should also be included. Besides these, some garden adornments such as statues and fountains can ajso be planned in appropriate parts of such parks.
The third category of city parks may be called as ‘pleasure grounds’ which have large reserve areas for playing games, and often" this is the main feature of these parks. A restricted swimming pool is also often a feature of a pleasure ground. If it is meant for the children, features such as swings, see-saw, sliding chute, meny-go round, etc. should form part of the park: