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1 and 2. What Human activities did you find? What were the most common ones? Where did you observe the most people?
The most common human activities we observed were exercise-related activities such as cycling and jogging, and tourist-related activities such as site-seeing, touring, and photographing. Also common sights were musicians performing and people walking their dogs. We also observed people taking leisurely strolls (these were often couples), resting on benches or other types of seating (sometimes observing other people themselves), rowing on the lake, carriage-riding, eating, and musician-watching. We saw very few children since this was in the middle of the day, but we did see one large group of young students playing ball close to the entrance of the park at 67th St.
The places in which we saw the most people were the entrance to the park at East 67th St., the Bethesda fountain and terrace, and the Mall. Around the entrance we mainly observed dog-walkers, which makes sense, because they probably would not want to venture too far into the park, wanting to keep relatively close to home. Right next to the entrance is where we saw the school children, and one reason their teachers could have chosen to keep so close to the exit is that they were running on the school’s schedule, and to move farther into the park would mean spending more time travelling and less time playing.
There were many reasons that the Mall was such a popular spot. First of all, it leads to the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, so it is probably a common road for tour guides to take. Second of all, there is a fair amount of “commerce” on this road, compared to the smaller, narrower roads that lead into it. There were at least three painting/caricature/photography stands, and there was also a hot dog stand. If Owen’s theory that people are attracted to other human activity, including commercial stands, then this should have been another important element affecting the amount of people in the area. Finally, there were musicians, which could have served to attract people, but may have been there in the first place because of all the people that were already there.
The Bethesda terrace had a road leading out of the park, so there was a lot of movement in that area, mostly consisting of people riding their bicycles or tourists riding in horse-drawn carriages. However, there were also tourists sitting or taking photos of the scenic view, and there was a man playing a dulcimer right by the steps, who in turn attracted his own crowd. It should also be noted that there was a hot dog stand on the terrace.
Finally, around the Bethesda fountain itself, we mainly saw tourists, in groups large and small alike, sitting on the edges of the fountain or on the benches around it, snapping photographs of one another, or simply walking around the fountain and eyeing their maps to figure out their next destination. We also saw a good deal of couples around the fountain, probably because it of the romantic appeal of it, although they could have also been tourists that wanted to see the fountain either way. Apart from being a physically attractive site, the Bethesda fountain area could have also been appealing because it contained plenty of seating room, not only by the fountain itself, but also by the lake right next to it.
3. Looking at your data on the map, are there any geographic patterns of social use you observe?
Gathered from the data on our map, we observe most people at around either the main entrance / exits, such as the one on East 67th Street, or the main attractions of the park, such as Bethesda Fountain. Many people, be it New Yorkers or tourists, have a reason to be in the park – be it to walk the dog, relax during one’s lunch break or explore the city – in other words, people know their location of interest. Plus, we noticed that, the path from the East 67th Street entrance to the Mall was surprisingly empty, as well as the path from the Fountain to the Boat House Café – one would think that the connections between two populated areas would be more populated. Also, it appears as though, in their social use, people tend to stick to geographic locations with other people. For example, when passing the Mall for the first time, the area further away from the Bethesda Fountain was more populated. However, on our way back, as a number of musicians began to perform on the other side, the crowd shifted the side closer to the Fountain. By the same token, large roads and intersections were more populated than small paths – even when there were only benches. This should not come as a surprise however, as to quote Whyte, “the number one activity is people watching other people.”
4. Based on your data, which human activities correspond with particular park features or amenities (open field, trees, benches etc…)?
According to the data we collected, the park amenities seem to influence the activities that go on in certain locations as well as the amount of people that are present in the surrounding areas. There is an open field right near the 69th street entrance. When we entered the park, young school kids were using it for a soccer game. As we were leaving the park, another group of school kids was using this field for the same purpose. This field seems to attract school groups because of its convenience. It is close to the entrance and does not require walking deep into the park. Roads were obviously used by people walking, jogging, biking, rollerblading, and riding in horse carriages. Benches were used for reading, talking on cell phones, or just relaxing. The large rock formation we passed by also seemed to attract children who wanted to climb it.
The Mall had a lot of activity going on around it. Many people, particularly tourists, seem to be drawn to this area as well as to the Fountain, which is nearby. This is a popular place for taking photographs and just strolling around. Food and art vendors also seemed to take advantage of this. The majority of these vendors set up around the Mall. Both the Mall and the Fountain also had several musicians performing around them. Once again, these musicians most likely chose these locations because of the large crowds they could attract. The Fountain is a very scenic location and it seemed to be popular among families eating lunch, people who seemed to be relaxing on their lunch breaks, and couples on walks. “The Special Event Tent Company” was setting up for an event near the Fountain as well, probably because of the attractive view the Fountain provides. The Boathouse was a popular place to have lunch and as expected, people were taking rides on the boats. Taking all of this data into account, we can see that the specific locations of the park really influence what activities people do there.
5. Based on Whyte’s analysis and your data, how could Central Park be improved?
One of the major uses of the park that we found was performance by musicians. Most of these took place around Bethesda Terrace, in opposition to its “Quiet Zone” designation by the Parks Department. It seems as though park regulations should match public use, and therefore the ban on musical performances should be lifted. Otherwise, the park as we saw it seems to be at least similar to Whyte’s original analysis. There is ample sitting space – both on the periphery and in the core of the park – particularly on walking paths, where they would get the most use. Even on a somewhat cold day teetering towards rain, there were people walking and running through the park, conversing, and sitting on benches, steps, and the edge of Bethesda Fountain.
6. Based on your data about where in the park you see people (and what they are doing), does Owen’s argument about Central Park as barrier hold up?
Based on our group’s data, Owen’s argument about Central Park being a “barrier to the overall human flow” of New York City is not entirely true. There was plenty of visible human activity in the center of the park, even on the chilly, wet day that we observed it. For instance, on The Mall path, there were countless inquisitive tourists strolling, people jogging or biking, people reading on benches, and even a history class on a trip. By the Bethesda Fountain, we noticed many couples either strolling or relaxing by the fountain, men and women reading, families and coworkers eating lunch on the benches, many passers-by listening to musicians playing various instruments for entertainment, and even an event being set up under a bridge. By the Boat House, we observed people boating or eating in the café/restaurant nearby. Owen suggested that Central Park should contain more “artificial attractions,” while the attractions that it already possesses draw an abundance of people: food carts, musicians, romantic fountains, bridges, rowboats, restaurants, horse carriages, cafes, etc. These attractions are what keep Central Park from being a barrier between the Upper East and Upper West Sides, because they actually give life to the city and its residents. Furthermore, these features of the park refute Owen’s claim that “the most heavily used features…have always been the ones situated along the park’s outmost edges.” Although there is still a noticeable amount of activity in the outskirts of the park, such as people jogging, strolling, walking their dogs, and young children playing sports, that is not where the majority of the activity necessarily occurs in Central Park.
Works Cited
Owen, David. Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less Are Keys to Sustainability. New York: Riverhead, 2009. Print.
