Study Guide Ch. 8 Plants, Parks, and Sports

Question 1

Questions related to vegetation will simply address how evergreen and deciduous plants are used in different applications (e.g., evergreen plants are superior for blocking wind, and deciduous trees will allow areas to receive sunlight in the winter), as well as the scalar differences between grass, shrubs and trees (e.g., trees can block sight lines, whereas low shrubs will not)

Answer 1

Will require you to pay attention to the placement of trees on a site, specifically as it relates to safety and climate

Question 2

Ecological benefits

Answer 2

Vegetation sequesters CO2, filters air, removes pollutants, reduces erosion and improves water quality while also providing habitat and food opportunities for wildlife

Question 3

Human benefits

Answer 3

Plant materials can be used to mitigate the negative effects of wind, harsh light, temperature and humidity on site, thereby increasing comfort for human users.

Question 4

Heat island effect

Answer 4

Vegetation can reduced the heat island effect when it replaces hardscape surfaces, or shades hardscape from the sun

Question 5

Scale

Answer 5

Larger, taller, and wider tree canopies produce more shade than those with lesser dimensions

Question 6

Seasonal impact

Answer 6

Deciduous trees provide shade in the summer when the sun is most intense, and (by dropping their leaves) allow beneficial heating from the sun in the winter

Question 7

North

Answer 7

Windbreaks should be located on the north side of a site given that northwestern slopes receive cold winter winds and northern slope are coldest in the winter

Question 8

South

Answer 8

Southern slopes receive the most sun in winter months, and buildings are often oriented toward the south to take advantage of passive heating. If trees are located to the south of a building, deciduous trees should be selected given that they do not produce shade in the winter months

Question 9

East

Answer 9

Vegetation placed to the east of site features generally had little impact on the site microclimate

Question 10

West

Answer 10

West-facing site features receive the most heat during the summer. Trees should therefore be located to the west of any feature or building that requires shade in the summer.

Question 11

Windbreaks
Vegetation for windbreaks

Answer 11

Woody, evergreen vegetation is best suited for windbreaks and air funneling, and various sources state that evergreen windbreaks should be at least three plants deep to be effective (and deciduous windbreaks ten plants deep).
Note that taller herbaceous plantings such as grasses have little impact on wind, and deciduous plants do not block wind during the winter.

Question 12

Windbreak location

Answer 12

Vegetation should be placed in the direct path of the prevailing wind, with adequate spacing from a structure to provide insulating “dead air”. Windbreaks should be placed at least half of their height away from the face of the structure to provide sufficient dead-air space.

Question 13

Windbreak scale

Answer 13

All other things being equal, taller and thicker windbreaks provide superior protection from wind

Question 14

Be familiar with general characteristics and programming requirements of parks, as well as the differences between parks and parkways

Question 15

Neighborhood parks

Answer 15

Should be centrally located in the neighborhood that they serve and connect to broader circulation networks (especially sidewalks) to facilitate ease of access and encourage use.
Can range in size from 1 acre (typically existing parks in urban areas) to up to 10 acres, but - as a general rule - neighborhood parks will be around 5 acres in size and should be at least 3 acres in size if possible.
Should be contiguous and uninterrupted by roads or other barriers, including wetlands, rivers and lakes
Sites not suitable for other forms of development are also not suitable for use as neighborhood parks

Question 16

Neighborhood parks typically contain the following amenities

Answer 16

- play areas for multiple age groups
- ADA-accessible circulation loop that connects to adjacent pedestrian circulation, including sidewalks and regional trails
- well-maintained open space for informal uses
- sports features such as a basketball half-court, volleyball court, multi-use paved area and/or tennis court
- general site amenities, such as benches, picnic areas, trash containers, and security lighting
- ornamental features to enhance aesthetic appeal, including landscape planting and well-detailed site furnishings
- “natural” areas that also accommodate stormwater infiltration
- limited parking, given that most users can walk to the site or use on-street parking

Question 17

Large urban parks

Answer 17

Provide a broader range of uses to a larger population than neighborhood parks
At least 20 acres in size, with 40 acres considered to be ideal
They are designed to serve multiple neighborhoods and are often framed as regional destinations depending upon the specific amenities that they offer
Should connect to existing circulation networks and - due to their size and importance - they are often used as the start or terminus of important regional trail systems and greenways

Question 18

Large urban parks typically contain

Answer 18

- all of the amenities found at a neighborhood park, albeit in larger quantities/scale
- group picnic facilities
- extensive networks of looped internal trails designed for a variety of users
- large, well-maintained open spaces for passive and active use
- some formal athletic facilities (e.g., swimming pool) that can blend into the character of the park
- special-use facilities that to serve a specific cross-section of the public (e.g., campgrounds, dog parks, skateboard parks)
- dedicated parking lots to prevent spillover into on-street parking of adjacent neighborhoods

Question 19

Regional Parks

Answer 19

Designed to service multiple municipalities and will generally be several thousand acres in area.
Typically cross multiple political boundaries, and a regional park authority is typically created to oversee and manage all of the regional parks in a given area.
Note that regional parks are typically oriented around significant natural resources or areas with a distinct character, and the amenities of the park will typically correspond to the assets within that park (e.g., a boathouse and swimming areas if there is a lake).

Question 20

No definitive rules for what activities and features are characteristics of regional parks, but they will generally have:

Answer 20

- connections to major transportation networks
- integration into regional multi-user trail networks
- amenities necessary for day use, including seating areas, restrooms, water fountains and interpretive signage

Question 21

Parkways

Answer 21

Essentially linear parks that also serve as transportation corridors between specific features within a city, including public parks, important historical or cultural sites, as well as key commercial areas, and they often follow linear natural features such as rivers.
Parkway length varies dramatically depending upon context: some parkways will encircle an entire metropolitan area, whereas others may be one to two miles in length.
Given their linear nature, however, all parkways will generally be between 200 ft. to 1,000 ft. in width, and landscape features (including trees, lighting, signage and site furnishings) are usually placed at regular intervals along the parkway to delineate it from surrounding areas.

Question 22

Greenways

Answer 22

Should not be confused with parkways, primarily because greenways are created to protect and buffer key ecological resources, including sensitive natural areas and wildlife corridors.
However - like parkways - greenways often follow a linear configuration intended to connect key resources to one another, with greenways providing connections between lakes, wetlands and remnant landscapes, among others.
Typically designed such that their boundaries preserve and/or connect the highest quality and most unique natural resources found in an area. As such, greenways may intersect with existing parks or other outdoor recreational assets, and therefore also provide passive-use recreational opportunities, including trails, interpretive signage and rest areas. In these instances, recreational infrastructure should be designed such that it facilitates human use without detracting from the ecological value of a site

Question 23

Candidates should consider how programming can activate or otherwise augment public space.

Answer 23

Studies on public space have shown that the availability of food and the activity of eating are strong stimuli that attracts users to a space.
An underperforming public space could therefore be revitalized simply through the addition of programming, but - under the same example - consideration should be given to the hours of operation associated with additional programming.
A farmer’s market may attract large amounts of people on a specific day and would likely be a seasonal use, whereas a “pod” of food trucks may attract fewer users, but do so on a daily basis throughout the year.

Question 24

Athletic Complexes

Answer 24

Real world - Often located inside the footprint of a large urban or community park
LARE - should be designed as stand-alone facilities, given that they detract from the character of large park settings
Will generally be located on sites in excess of 20 acres (with 40-80 acres being considered optimal)
Typically designed to serve entire communities
Should be well integrated into existing circulation networks with access from main vehicular routes being particularly important
Require large expanses of relatively flat topography to accommodate playing fields, and supporting amenities such as restrooms, bleacher seating, picnic areas and concession areas are critical to the success of the site

Question 25

Athletic complexes
Key points

Answer 25

Most important piece of information is that they tend to generate noise, traffic and other negative impacts, with sport field lighting being perhaps the greatest concern to any nearby residential areas
Must remember that athletic complexes should never be sited adjacent to residential areas and that any space between an athletic complex and a residential use requires some form of buffering (e.g., walls, tall trees)

Question 26

Grading

Answer 26

Sports fields should generally be graded at between 1-2% (with 1% being preferred) or dead level (0%) with substantial under-drainage.
Note that a 2% slope is typically cited as the minimum slope necessary for a site to shed water and have proper drainage, and 2% slopes appear to be flat to the general site user.
Note that although horses are capable of traversing a variety of topography, equestrian facilities should be located on flat ground for safety and ease of use

Question 27

Orientation

Answer 27

Nearly every outdoor sports field is best sited along a north-south orientation (with orientation determined by the longer axis) - track and field, basketball, soccer, football, tennis
Baseball is the one exception to this rule, given that baseball fields require a northeastern orientation to keep sun out of batter’s eyes

Question 28

Playgrounds
Overview

Answer 28

Critical component to parks and other public recreational areas
Must be designed to very specific criteria to ensure children are safe both as they play and as they enter and exit the site
Provide a safe and nurturing environment for children of all ages

Question 29

Fall zone

Answer 29

Refers to the area around play equipment where protective surfacing is required to prevent injury from falls.
Will vary in size depending upon the size and nature of the play equipment.

Question 30

Playgrounds should provide play areas that are segregated according to age

Answer 30

Familiarize yourself with criteria for airing playgrounds as these best practices can also be applied to other similar uses (e.g., schools, daycare centers)

Question 31

Playgrounds and play areas should always be located in areas that have the following characteristics

Answer 31

- protection from circulation
- clear entries and exits
- substantial buffering
- safe and easy access to associated buildings and activities
- open views
- variety of microclimates
- account for wind

Question 32

Protection from circulation

Answer 32

Must be located an adequate distance away from roads and vehicles and the designer should ensure that roads, bike paths and multi-user trails do not intersect with play areas

Question 33

Clear entries and exits

Answer 33

Should typically be enclosed and have clearly marked entry and exit points that can be monitored by adults.
These entries and exits should be located along pedestrian-only circulation paths

Question 34

Substantial buffering

Answer 34

Provide buffering from nuisances (e.g., noise) and site the playground away from incompatible uses.
Note that industrial areas, railroad tracks, water features (including streams and lakes), busy roads and prominent intersections pose significant safety threats to young children and playgrounds (and similar uses) should not be located near them

Question 35

Safe and easy access to associated buildings and activities

Answer 35

Ensure that any uses and facilities associated with the playground (eg., if the playground is part of a school, or if there is an adjacent soccer field) are not cut off from the play area by roads, bike paths and multi-user trails

Question 36

Open views

Answer 36

Ensure that there is a clear line of sight between playground and adjacent adult activity areas to facilitate supervision, especially in locations where water or water features are present

Question 37

Variety of microclimates

Answer 37

Design the playground such that it has both sunny and shaded spaces.
This allows users to take refuge during hot weather or warm themselves in the winter months.
In addition, specific uses and users may prefer areas with a strong degree of spatial enclosure, whereas other uses or users may require large open spaces.
Both should be provided, noting that spatial enclosure is typically associated with a more intimate, comfortable environment

Question 38

Account for wind

Answer 38

Using walls or vegetation, provide protection from cold winter winds (blowing from the north/northwest) and exposure to cooling summer breezes (blowing from the southwest)

Question 39

Playgrounds should contain the following design features

Answer 39

- fencing with easily controllable access and entry to the play areas to prevent children from wandering off and preventing off-site intrusion
- signage that indicates entry points, hours of operation, age restrictions and other rules
- seating in both shaded and sunny areas
- play areas that are segregated according to age, and that allow for group and solitary play
- safe surfacing, including poured-in-place rubber, hardwood wooden fiber, shredded rubber, sand and pea gravel. Safe surfacing is especially critical in areas surrounding play equipment fall zones.
- hard surface used sparingly and as needed (e.g., basketball courts, walkways)
- comfort amenities, including restrooms, tables and water fountains
- service amenities, including trash receptacles, bike/car parking and storage
- substantial lighting, but only if it is needed to extend hours of operation. Otherwise, lighting should not be used.
- emergency call box