When you think of city parks, Central Park in New York City probably comes to mind; At over 800 acres, it is quite large and also quite beautiful. Nevertheless, Central Park is not America's largest wilderness park. Oregon, Forest Park in Portland holds the honor. - Its 5,000 acres include 74 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
- It also is home to 100 bird species, plus many other animals to see and enjoy.
- A park of this size has a lot to offer, from summer concerts to picnics to jogging.
Landscape architects are the people to thank for parks like Forest Park and Central Park. - Landscape architects design outdoor areas, and decide what kind of plants, walkways, and other items to include. Also they decide exactly where each item should be planted or built. So, their overall goal is to make sure public spaces are both beautiful and functional. - Landscape architects usually begin their projects by meeting with clients. Next, they discuss how the land will be used and how clients would like it to appear. Also they consider the client’s budget. Then, landscape architects observe the physical makeup of the site. For instance, they analyze soil, water flow, slope of the land, and sunlight at different times of day. Also they observe roads and surrounding buildings. They may use a computer mapping program for large projects to show the layout of the land. And this type of program is called a Geographic Information System (GIS).
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