10 parks that changed America The unique Gas Works Park in Seattle, WA, one of the parks featured in "10 Parks That Changed America

Put in your calendar the date for a new PBS documentary called, "10 Parks That Changed America."

The landmarks followed in the documentary represent an eclectic look at the different styles and influences of these parks in American history.

The "10 Parks that Changed America" are:

  1. The Squares of Savannah, GA
  2. Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA
  3. Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, MA
  4. Central Park, New York City, NY
  5. Chicago's Neighborhood Parks, Chicago, IL
  6. The River Walk, San Antonio, TX
  7. Overton Park, Memphis, TN
  8. Freeway Park, Seattle, WA
  9. Gas Works Park, Seattle, WA
  10. The High Line, New York City, NY

Each of these 10 parks has a unique story to tell.

For example, as we wrote in a previous blog, Central Park has 9,000 benches. Many of them contain messages from sponsors that cover a gamut of proposals, memorials and just witty sayings.

This massive park surrounded by a sea of concrete and steel is one of the most famous oases in the world. As the narrator in a promo for "10 Parks that Changed America" says, "The whole point of Central Park is to forget you were in a city."

River Walk in San Antonio River Walk in San Antonio, Texas US

Then there's the Gas Works Park in Seattle - known as possibly one of the strangest parks in the world. The rolling verdant green landscape includes a mixture of several rusty structures from an old coal gasification plant - towers, tanks, pipes, nozzles and everything else.

Or take the San Antonio River Walk, a series of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River. The trails drop down one-story from the busy streets above and creates a pleasant refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. This walk weaves and loops under bridges along the river and takes people to prominent landmarks or mouth-watering restaurants.

The High Line park in NYC is certainly unique - city planners were able to resurrect an elevated space taken up by an abandoned rail line and transformed it into a linear park - now one of the most popular parks in NYC and a landmark that attracts tourists from around the globe. Drive by (under) the High Line on a Saturday and you will see it is packed with people.

Another notable park featured in the PBS documentary is actually a collection of "squares." The city of Savannah, GA, has a unique geography where pockets or "squares" of open land were organized within a maze of residential streets.

These squares were originally set aside for military exercises but soon became a unique trademark of this city. Now they are green and wooded jewels of open space filled with stately trees, foliage and grass. Certainly unique for urban areas.

the high line park in new york city The High Line park in New York Cit

During a press conference announcing the documentary, Nancy Somerville, HON ASLA, executive vice president and CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects said, "Most urban park bonds pass. While Americans seem to be anti-government and hate spending these days, they are happy to put money into parks because they know how much they do for communities."

Check your local PBS station to see if this special airs on a different date.

Note: The Park and Facilities Catalog is an advocate for parks and a national park site furnishings  and park equipment company that sells park benches, picnic tables, bike racks, trash receptacles and thousands of other outdoor site furnishings.