Central Park as a Representative of American Democracy

Looking through the history of Central Park, it becomes apparent the construction and preservation of the park stood as a long battle between commoner and government to prove that public spaces are needed not just in the 19th century when the park was constructed, but even today. The creation of central park stands as a testimony that picturesque landscapes and the preservation of natural landscapes need to be fought for in the age of rapid industrialism and capitalism. Central Park then stands as a memorial to a time before the conquest of land by humans even if the park is artificial. Through the city’s official website, centralparknyc.org, the park is framed as a piece of art that everyone can come and enjoy, so long as they obey the rules set by Vaux and Olmsted (the park's creators). Think of Central Park as an art gallery, if you will. Each little section, such as the Bethesda Terrace, the Shakespeare Theatre, and the great lawn are all places people can go and enjoy by traveling down the "four or more" transverse roads which weave the park and all its little cultural huds together. As the article writes, "Central Park was also designed as a vital cultural resource, offering flexible spaces for music and the visual arts, passive recreation such as sketching and birding, and active sports such as boating, ice skating, baseball, tennis, and croquet, and an outdoor classroom for the appreciation and study of botany." Of course, Olmsted and Vaux never intended for the park to be an interactive exhibit, but I believe they would've enjoyed seeing how so many different types of people enjoy the park today. Or perhaps maybe they wouldn't.

The Peter Pan Tour article states that many designers believed the park to be essential to American democracy itself. simply stated, "Other than appearances, this park would not be like the royal parks and gardens of Europe where the affluent of society were preferred while lower classes were relegated to gather in other spaces. This park would be open to all who called the United States of America and New York city home. A defining monument to the idea of American democracy. A place where “one may truly pursue life, liberty and happiness freely. A place where all men are equal, from the robber barons and the politicians all the way down to the dock workers and newsies. Everyone in this park would be equal."

Indeed, the park became somewhere many different types of New Yorkers could come to escape the bustling bee hive that is New York City. The park's design, although elegant and aristocratic in nature, contains the essence of American liberty and individuality in its vast variety, something the article is keen to point out. "The overall design of the park was magnificent, with large spaces and malls closed in with rows of matching trees and other plant life. Large terraces with beautiful fountains. Fields designated for sport, paths made for either drives or strolls." The variety of the design demonstrates the versatility of the park and how it was crafted for the sole purpose of every type of New Yorker. In fact, in Central Park each bridge is crafted with it's own unique design, and each crafted--though not all--with a different material to create a different feel for those strolling along. Even the ambitious project, which took sixteen years to complete, demonstrates America's manifest destiny philosophy--to explore the unknown, conquer it, and shape it.