The Public Park as Liminal Space: A Study of Spontaneous and Intentional Behavior and the Impact on Community

dc.contributor.advisorRathje, Lisa
dc.contributor.advisorForloney, Rob
dc.contributor.advisorGerhart, Heather
dc.contributor.authorMillin, Amy S.
dc.contributor.programMA in Cultural Sustainabilityen_US
dc.date.accessioned2020-12-15T18:19:21Z
dc.date.available2020-12-15T18:19:21Z
dc.date.issued2020-12
dc.description.abstractPublic spaces, such as parks, provide a space and time that exists outside of the familiar. They are set apart from the everyday, thus providing opportunity for engagement in activities, exploration of behaviors, and interactions with others. They are temporal spaces - ones that are intentionally entered and left. I posit that parks are liminal spaces which provide opportunities – expected and the unexpected. Felix Rosch states that “it is in these liminal spaces that societal changes are being triggered and new collective identities can emerge” (Rosch 2017, 290). The thesis strives to answer the question “how do we encourage cultural health and equity in a diverse and unequal world through the use of public space?” Furthermore, I begin to explore what this means for surrounding communities. Field documentation in Patterson Park (Baltimore, MD) provides current data to augment academic research. The data will be used to support academic research and conclusions. An historical overview of the intended purpose and actual use of public parks is included. Observing happenchance intersections, or avoidance, of park participants begins to inform and answer questions related to whether public parks fulfill their missions, hints to how they could adapt, and provide information about the impact on communities. The Capstone Project serves to further my growth as an academic researcher and strengthen my skills in the application of theory. Extending my skills of being a thoughtful listener and ability to lean into silence is especially important for this project. I envision the outcomes of the Capstone Project to be considered for multiple types of public spaces. This is not an ethnographic report of Patterson Park. Instead, it uses data observed in Patterson Park in partnership with conclusions drawn from academic research. The thesis may be used to inform future programming and approaches of engaging community. Academically, the research will support the development of the field of cultural sustainability by striving to build understanding within and among cultural groups in public spaces. The research will further support the study of whether public spaces, which provide opportunity for spontaneous and intentional intersection, ultimately fulfill their stated missions.en_US
dc.format.extent246 pagesen_US
dc.genrecapstonesen_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/m2lmua-vmmb
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/20264
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.relation.isAvailableAtGoucher College, Baltimore, MD
dc.rightsThis work may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. To obtain information or permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Goucher Special Collections & Archives at 410-337-6347 or email archives@goucher.edu.
dc.rightsAttribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/*
dc.subjectCultural healthen_US
dc.subjectCultural sustainabilityen_US
dc.subjectThe commonsen_US
dc.subjectLiminalen_US
dc.subjectAccessen_US
dc.subjectPublic spaceen_US
dc.subjectParksen_US
dc.subjectConnectivityen_US
dc.subjectPatterson Parken_US
dc.subjectBaltimore, MDen_US
dc.subject.lcshCultural sustainability -- Capstone (Graduate)
dc.titleThe Public Park as Liminal Space: A Study of Spontaneous and Intentional Behavior and the Impact on Communityen_US
dc.typeTexten_US

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