PodParks

Thank you for listening to a new episode of Podparks!

In this episode you will listen to a segment of "Building Communities where All Life can Thrive", a keynote speech delivered by Dror Benshetrit at last year’s World Urban Parks Congress. 

Dror is the founder of StudioDror and Supernature Labs, the latter which focuses on the future of cities and the role of urbanism in the climate crisis. Dror has an award-winning career in product design, interiors, architecture, master planning, and city planning spanning over 20 years.

He recognizes the tremendous amount of resources and wealth being invested in enabling billions of people to live in an environment that ultimately lead to their demise. This realization led him to establish Supernature Labs, whose mission is to shift urban planning towards “Bioplanning” – a more efficient, healthier and harmonious engagement between the natural and built world.

Listen to the full keynote speech and view the accompanying slides by becoming a member of the WUP Platform at https://wup.connectedcommunity.org/viewdocument/building-communities-where-all-life-1 

Check the full notes here https://worldurbanparks.org/blog/podparks/

This podcast is only one of the many resources available inside the WUP member platform. Discover more resources and connect with park professionals around the world at www.worldurbanparks.org 

New Wednesday, New Podparks!

Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at https://worldurbanparks.org/blog/podparks/

This week on Podparks, Alice interviews Tim Geyer, Deputy Chair of World Urban Parks.

Tim is an experienced Parks and Recreation Manager and has worked in parks and horticulture for over 40 years.  His passion for creating green spaces for his communities is evident as he highlights the relationship between parks and health and wellbeing. He emphasizes the importance of scientific research to explore these connections and shares his work in the Aging, Wellbeing and Parks committee at WUP, where he has found that older adults are often underrepresented in park design and policy. Tim discusses some of  the policy suggestions the committee has made to promote safe and accessible parks for all.

If you want to read the complete notes for this episode check our blog section on our website. This podcast is only one of the many resources available inside the WUP member platform. Discover more resources and connect with park professionals around the world at www.worldurbanparks.org

Welcome back to podparks!

Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at https://worldurbanparks.org/blog/podparks/

This week on Podparks, Alice discusses the evolution of parks in the 20th century with guests Paul Rabbitts, author and park historian, and , Dr. Catharine Ward Thompson, Digby White, Christy Boylan and Jayne Miller. 

Paul highlights how the first and second world wars influenced park design by promoting physical activities and sports, but the rise of suburban life and individualistic principles, as Dr. Ward Thompson discusses, deprioritized parks, leading to a sharp decline in their upkeep and visitors. 

With this new park boom, The International Federation of Parks and Recreation Administration (IFPRA) was created to help expand the park industry. We get to hear from Digby White, former CEO of IFPRA, and Christy Boylan, former Chair of the World Parks Academy, who share their experiences in the creation and first years of IFPRA. IFPRA eventually became World Urban Parks, which Chair Jayne Miller discusses and emphasizes the need to continue advocating for parks today. 

If you want to read the complete notes for this episode check our blog section on our website. This podcast is only one of the many resources available inside the WUP member platform. Discover more resources and connect with park professionals around the world at www.worldurbanparks.org​​

Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at www.worldurbanparks.org

In this week’s episode of PodParks, Alice is joined by Leticia Lozano, play specialist and co-founder/director of MACIA studio. Leticia is a trained architect who has worked on a variety of multidisciplinary projects focused on urban design and public space creation. Her interest in cities for play began during her work with the European Art Led Regeneration Project, where she led play-centered city transformations across various European cities. Following this, she headed the Playful City Area for Mexico City’s Lab for the City, where she positioned childhood and play at the center stage of public policy, design and decision-making.

Leticia explains that play is crucial in the early development of children since different experiences influence their growth. Play helps children develop their personalities, understand their place in their environment, and develop skills that they will use throughout their lives. But designing cities for children has even more benefits for the wider community.

If you want to read the complete notes for this episode check our blog section in our website. This podcast is only one of the many resources available inside the WUP member platform. Discover more resources and connect with park professionals around the world at www.worldurbanparks.org

Welcome to the first episode of PodParks!

Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at www.worldurbanparks.org.

Although they feel like they have been here forever, public parks are a rather modern invention. In this episode, Alice Landin takes us through the early history of parks and the struggles of control and power that have come with them. 

Throughout history, parks have undergone many changes. The earliest parks can be traced back to ancient Persia, where enclosed gardens were built alongside palaces and used as hunting grounds and sanctuaries for the wealthy. These gardens became models for Renaissance villas in Europe and were used for hunting, gardening, and entertaining by the European elite.  It wasn't until the 19th century, when cities were rapidly growing due to industrialization and overcrowding, that public parks became a reality. 

The creation of iconic parks like Central Park came about with the displacement of local communities, and at times, violence. We hear new perspectives from Michael Boland, Director of the Presidio Trust, on the nuances of historic public parks.

Join Alice on a journey through time as she uncovers the evolution of urban green spaces and the people and organizations that continue to maintain and improve them today.

If you want to read the complete notes for this episode check our blog section in our website. This podcast is only one of the many resources available inside the WUP member platform. Discover more resources and connect with park professionals around the world at www.worldurbanparks.org

Podparks aims to bring parks to life. A podcast for parks professionals, parks enthusiasts, travelers, historians, conservationists, and anybody with an interest in learning about the green spaces they occupy and enjoy.

This educational podcast will combine interviews and narrative-driven episodes to create compelling stories about parks, the people who create them and their role in the past, present and future of our communities.

Tune in on Wednesday March 22nd!