The Wild Regent
-competition entry for 'London’s Parks: the London Society Ideas Competition 2020'-
Yes… I drew cliffs in the middle of Regent’s Park. But hear me out!
‘The Wild Regent’ is a concept proposal envisioning ‘a’ future for city parks.
A park is an extraordinary oasis of peace and tranquility in our cities. This is a place where we can escape our daily stress, the hustle and bustle of the busy city, and where we can recharge our batteries with fresh air and sunlight.
And that must not change.
-42cm x 59.4 cm / pencil on paper-
It has been proven again and again that green spaces help reduce stress, improve our mental and physical state, boost mindfulness, productivity and creativity, and even help better build social connections throughout our communities.
We desperately need the health benefits these spaces provide, especially while we live in a world that deals daily with pollution and overcrowding.
We need a place to escape the city.
And we should not have to leave the city to find it.
In a sea of serene central parks, could we still be missing that natural element that truly makes us forget we are in a city?
For generations we have designed beautifully polished parks to populate our inner cities, and while the urban environment evolves and expands, finding a piece of untamed land becomes a luxury.
In my proposal I chose to keep the wilderness at the heart of the design and place the polished elements at the border of the park … as well as below it.
Our subconscious needs the wilderness element from time to time. It is programmed for it. We need to walk on grass not on asphalt; we need to run amongst trees, not on a perfectly designed route; we need to climb some rocks, not just stairs.
When it comes to technology, I understand that it will continue to advance, and certain aspects of it will undoubtedly be incorporated into the green spaces within the city.
Let us welcome the changes, and design it so it makes our experiences better.
I am sure we will be able to design and build the ultimate park that can combine everything. A park that has both the serenity one searches, and the wilderness one craves.
Go wild!
by Iza Iacinschi
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