{"id":28058,"date":"2026-03-25T15:55:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T21:55:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/interventions\/6-design-errors-that-turn-a-park-into-a-non-place\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T15:55:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T21:55:15","slug":"6-design-errors-that-turn-a-park-into-a-non-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/en\/history-and-culture\/6-design-errors-that-turn-a-park-into-a-non-place\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Design errors that turn a park into a Non-Place"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the article <\/span><b>\u201c6 design errors that turn a park into a Non-Place\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Sof\u00eda Medrano offers a guide to identifying when a park is uninhabitable, proposing suggestions based on native biodiversity and plant stratification to turn parks into true urban oases of permanence and life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The urgency to urbanise has resulted in public spaces that, in many cases, are uninhabitable, as they stem from residual spaces of architectural projects: green fragments intended for recreational use, designed without analysing social and environmental dynamics. Thus, a park can comply with the required green surface and, even so, fail in its main purposes: providing ecosystem services and improving the quality of life of its users.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are the critical errors that turn a park into a forgotten place:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Design oriented toward transit rather than permanence<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A common error is projecting the park as a transit zone rather than a destination. As Jan Gehl points out in Life Between Buildings, the success of a place is measured by its permanence.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Error 1: The lack of \u201cpause places\u201d (ergonomic seating, wind protection, or natural shade).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Error 2: An excess of impermeable surfaces, mostly covered in asphalt or concrete.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consequences: It increases local temperatures, creating \u201cnon-places\u201d that push citizens away rather than inviting them to coexist and inhabit the space.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_28052\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28052\" class=\"size-large wp-image-28043\" src=\"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2.-PLANCHA-DE-CONCRETO-400-KB--1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2.-PLANCHA-DE-CONCRETO-400-KB--1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2.-PLANCHA-DE-CONCRETO-400-KB--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2.-PLANCHA-DE-CONCRETO-400-KB--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2.-PLANCHA-DE-CONCRETO-400-KB--1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2.-PLANCHA-DE-CONCRETO-400-KB--600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2.-PLANCHA-DE-CONCRETO-400-KB-.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-28052\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Plancha de concreto\/Hardscape plaza<br \/>Fotograf\u00eda\/Photography: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>Insecurity and the creation of \u201cblind spots\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following Jane Jacobs&#8217; concept of \u201ceyes on the street,\u201d safety is an intrinsic component of design.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Error 3: Deficient lighting.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Error 4: Precarious maintenance of vegetation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consequence: This generates blind spots and visual disconnection, turning a public space into an unsafe location. If citizens cannot transit peacefully, the park dies before it can flourish.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_28053\" style=\"width: 693px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28053\" class=\"size-large wp-image-28044\" src=\"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3.-PARQUE-CON-PUNTOS-CIEGOS-400-KB--683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3.-PARQUE-CON-PUNTOS-CIEGOS-400-KB--683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3.-PARQUE-CON-PUNTOS-CIEGOS-400-KB--200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3.-PARQUE-CON-PUNTOS-CIEGOS-400-KB--768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3.-PARQUE-CON-PUNTOS-CIEGOS-400-KB--1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3.-PARQUE-CON-PUNTOS-CIEGOS-400-KB--300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3.-PARQUE-CON-PUNTOS-CIEGOS-400-KB--600x900.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3.-PARQUE-CON-PUNTOS-CIEGOS-400-KB-.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-28053\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Parque con puntos ciegos\/Park with blind spots<br \/>Fotograf\u00eda\/Photography: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>The \u201cgreen mirage\u201d: Aesthetics vs. biodiversity<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The excessive use of turfgrass and exotic ornamental species creates what entomologist Douglas W. Tallamy defines it as \u201cfood deserts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Error 5: Designing contemplative landscapes that ignore their function as urban green infrastructure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consequence: Visually attractive but biologically sterile areas that offer no ecosystem services, causing the fragmentation of the city&#8217;s biological corridors (vegetation routes that allow local fauna to move).<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_28054\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28054\" class=\"size-large wp-image-28045\" src=\"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4.-ESPACIO-PUBLICO-CON-CESPED-Y-SIN-SOMBRA-400-KB--1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4.-ESPACIO-PUBLICO-CON-CESPED-Y-SIN-SOMBRA-400-KB--1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4.-ESPACIO-PUBLICO-CON-CESPED-Y-SIN-SOMBRA-400-KB--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4.-ESPACIO-PUBLICO-CON-CESPED-Y-SIN-SOMBRA-400-KB--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4.-ESPACIO-PUBLICO-CON-CESPED-Y-SIN-SOMBRA-400-KB--1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4.-ESPACIO-PUBLICO-CON-CESPED-Y-SIN-SOMBRA-400-KB--600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4.-ESPACIO-PUBLICO-CON-CESPED-Y-SIN-SOMBRA-400-KB-.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-28054\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Espacio p\u00fablico con c\u00e9sped y sin sombra\/Public space with turfgrass and no shade<br \/>Fotograf\u00eda\/Photography: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>The absence of plant stratification and thermal comfort<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a park to fulfil its environmental function, it must also operate as a complex habitat.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Error 6: Proposing a plant palette without stratification (isolated trees), thus ignoring the natural structure of ecosystems. (plant stratification refers to the presence of different heights and types of plants, such as trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consequence: The ability to generate a cool microclimate is lost, resulting in spaces with high thermal stress and reduced biodiversity refugia.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_28055\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28055\" class=\"size-large wp-image-28046\" src=\"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5.-Espacio-publico-con-arboles-y-cesped-aislados-400-KB--1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5.-Espacio-publico-con-arboles-y-cesped-aislados-400-KB--1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5.-Espacio-publico-con-arboles-y-cesped-aislados-400-KB--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5.-Espacio-publico-con-arboles-y-cesped-aislados-400-KB--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5.-Espacio-publico-con-arboles-y-cesped-aislados-400-KB--1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5.-Espacio-publico-con-arboles-y-cesped-aislados-400-KB--600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5.-Espacio-publico-con-arboles-y-cesped-aislados-400-KB-.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-28055\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Espacio p\u00fablico con \u00e1rboles y c\u00e9sped aislados\/Public space with isolated trees and turfgrass<br \/>Fotograf\u00eda\/Photography: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>The Proposal<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To reverse this, following Gilles Cl\u00e9ment\u2019s premises in his Manifesto of the Third Landscape, landscape design should always include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Native plants: They are the foundation of the local food chain.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stratification: A plant palette that includes different layers\u2014trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and groundcovers\u2014to create ecological niches.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staggered blooming: To provide refuge and food for pollinators throughout the year.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_28056\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28056\" class=\"size-large wp-image-28047\" src=\"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6.-PARQUE-FUNCIONAL-Y-BIODIVERSO-400-KB--1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6.-PARQUE-FUNCIONAL-Y-BIODIVERSO-400-KB--1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6.-PARQUE-FUNCIONAL-Y-BIODIVERSO-400-KB--300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6.-PARQUE-FUNCIONAL-Y-BIODIVERSO-400-KB--768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6.-PARQUE-FUNCIONAL-Y-BIODIVERSO-400-KB--600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6.-PARQUE-FUNCIONAL-Y-BIODIVERSO-400-KB-.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-28056\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Parque funcional y biodiverso\/Functional and biodiverse park.<br \/>Fotograf\u00eda\/Photography: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b>Toward a culture of functional landscape<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A park that is uninhabited and fails to sustain local life is, in essence, a failed project. The great challenge of contemporary planning is understanding that the quality of public space is not measured in square meters, but in the synergy between human comfort and ecosystem health. By correcting these errors, we return the city\u2019s ability to breathe, allowing the urban landscape to flourish as an essential meeting point between the community and its natural environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Bibliograf\u00eda \/ Bibliography:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Cl\u00e9ment, Gilles.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Manifesto of the Third Landscape. Barcelona: Editorial Gustavo Gili, 2004.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Gehl, Jan.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space. Barcelona: Editorial Revert\u00e9, 2006.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jacobs, Jane.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Madrid: Capit\u00e1n Swing, 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Tallamy, Douglas W.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants. Portland: Timber Press, 2007.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the article \u201c6 design errors that turn a park into a Non-Place\u201d, Sof\u00eda Medrano offers a guide to identifying when a park is uninhabitable, proposing suggestions based on native biodiversity and plant stratification to turn parks into true urban oases of permanence and life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":407,"featured_media":28057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-culture"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/407"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28058"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28058\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.landuum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}