Parks III: Zoning for Audiences?

I did a little bit of reflection on parks earlier in the month, both about Commissioner Benepe's apparent moves against artists in parks, and on his interview regarding noise. The question that the parks really is facing, which they also faced during the planning for the Washington Square Park "renovations", a problem which we face in the theater too: the question of audience.

Would parks be better served by not trying to make each park all things for all people? What if the local community boards would sit, look at the history and use of each park, and decide, "Okay, Washington Square Park is a park for artists and public congregation. East River Park is a serene and quiet sanctuary." Mark them as such, make the difference in rules clear, and allow people who have different expectations of parks find the parks that they want.

Parks II: On The Other Hand

So, continuing with my musing along the lines of public spaces, I wanted to highlight this little gem I found in the Williamsburg Courier, titled "Retiring Park boss admits: 'I don't like parks'":

Spiegel was appointed Brooklyn Borough Commissioner — the first and only person to occupy the post — 29 years ago when he was 34-years-old.

But he won’t be spending his golden years relaxing in the parks he oversaw.

“I don’t know how much I’m going to use them,” Spiegel said. “I never did — I’d see too many things that pissed me off.”

(...)

And even though he spent close to 30 years with the Parks Department, Spiegel said he could have easily oversaw some other city agency.

“If I had been appointed someplace else I hope I would have done just as well,” he said.

Moral of the story: if nobody cares about something, people like Spiegel will wind up running them.