Image Credit: LIBERTIESDUBLIN.IE

Few urban parks are better known than Central Park. Central Park is a much-loved oasis in the midst of New York City’s urban sprawl and fast-paced life. But did you know that part of Central Park was once home to Seneca Village, a predominantly free African-American community?

Seneca Village was located between 82nd and 89th streets on what is known as the west side of Central Park today. Founded in 1825, it served as a safe haven from the unhealthy conditions in downtown Manhattan. In 1857, just 32 years after Seneca Village was founded, the city of New York evicted all 1,600 residents and forced them to relocate elsewhere. The reason? New York wanted to create a 750-acre public park for recreation.

This legacy of dispossession makes Central Park’s history bittersweet. Although Central Park was created with good intentions, it came at a grave cost to a unique community. Today, a small outdoor exhibit honors Seneca Village. But it is hardly enough.

Things have not changed much since then. Urban parks still impose burdens on low-income communities. A major factor is gentrification, when influxes of wealthy people and businesses renovate low-income neighborhoods, forcing residents out as rents soar. In this study, Baltimore and New York City were identified as two cities with the highest rates of gentrification around large urban parks as they attracted waves of wealthier newcomers drawn to the parks’ amenities.

Is it possible to make a space for everyone, where everyone’s voices are heard and no one’s rights are violated? In Washington, D.C., Building Bridges Across the River actively sought feedback from Capitol Hill and Anacostia residents to design a park that reflects their needs and interests. In Lower Manhattan, New York City, the city government allowed residents to redevelop abandoned lots into “pocket parks,” small communal parks. One example is the Creative Little Garden, where members all collaborate on the landscaping of the whole garden. Residents have full ownership of these parks and determine the park use. As these examples show, parks can help shape local identity when place-based strategies are implemented.

For my beat, I will be examining how parks can both create and erase identities. I want to know who gets to have a voice in this process. Who truly benefits from public parks? What approaches are currently being used to prevent or reduce gentrification?