A VISION FOR GRIFFITH PARK Urban Wilderness Identity from LA Recreation and Parks.
Originally conceived as a “Master Plan,” then changed to a “Vision Plan” and finally adopted as “A Vision for Griffith Park” by the Los Angeles Recreation and Park Commission on January 8, 2014. The front cover was subsequently edited.
Dodder Demystified
Griffith Park is home to a strange plant by the common name of California Dodder (Cuscusta californica). Dodder can be found on every slope of the Park. Many people describe it as spaghetti or noodles that become entangled and twisted as it climbs onto the...
Hello,
This message is in regards to Griffith Park’s vision and one citizen’s (me) hopes in it’s transformation.
Instead of Los Angeles “looking for a place to build it’s big park” It would be nice to replace Wilson Golf Course into a park space. It’s a perfect location to match other metro city with nice park space. Los angeles has Griffith, but it’s dissected into sections. Angelenos do not see Griffith park to enjoy a “park” feeling. They go to Griffith for 1) Exercising 2) go to it’s attractions (Zoo, Tiny Trains, Horseback, etc.) But rarely do people default Griffith as a park to simply sit down and relax. San Francisco’s Golden Gate and New York’s central park enables it’s natives to relax at the park because people have space to simple walk and roam around.
The golf course could be transformed into something similar.
I have many friends that feel this way.
I hope there will be an initiative to start this process.
Both parks you reference (Golden Gate, SF and Central Park in NY) are “built” urban parks… meaning, they were created to accommodate the needs of city residents.
The difference… Griffith Park is still considered an urban wilderness since it still retains flora/fauna biodiversity, although the golf courses and other amenities are built on the flats of the Parkland. Unfortunately, the emphasis on this and other Parks in LA has changed over the course of time as they’re controlled by LA RAP (Recreation and Parks) department. In other words, the emphasis is on recreation.
But the other traits that identify a urban wilderness are:
~Biodiversity – a wide range of species, both of plants and animals
~Minimal maintenance required for viability – native plants that can survive without frequent watering, can withstand local pollution levels, and do not depend on infusions of fertilizers or other periodic soil amendments (see xeriscaping)
~Deep beds – deep soil allowing the creation of mature root growth, protection from drought and destructive temperature changes, and the development of a healthy colony of microorganisms, worms, and other beneficial small lifeforms
~Native species – use of local plant varieties rather than exotic species
~Unstructured aesthetic – plants are allowed to grow as they wish, where they wish, with minimal space devoted to paved walkways, trimmed grass, or other artificial environments
~Tolerance of ground cover and thick undergrowth – healthy ecosystems depend on “messy” micro-environments like decaying logs, thick brush, and muddy ground.
(the urban wilderness explanation comes from Wikipedia)