Abstracts Geography

Planning and design of the urban park: A study of use patterns at Fort Lowell Park and the creation of new design guidelines for park development in Tucson, Arizona

by Robert George Longaker

This thesis will study Fort Lowell Park, a typical district park in Tucson, Arizona. Through a survey of park users, the park itself will be assessed according to its positive and negative aspects. The survey itself will seek to capture the thoughts, beliefs, and recreational needs of the typical park user in Tucson. Through the compilation and interpretation of survey results, and with the assistance of case studies involving cities investing in parks and open spaces, the author of this thesis expects to produce new guidelines not only for the improvement of Fort Lowell Park, but also for the planning and design of new urban parks in the Tucson metropolitan area. These new guidelines will not only improve the quality of recreational experiences in the City of Tucson, but will also contribute to the economic, social, and quality of life variables which make a city an attractive place in which to live.