Public parks are commonly viewed as tranquil oases of calm in the midst of metropolitan life—havens in which one can unwind, play, and bond with the natural world. But behind their idyllic facades, parks have always been the scenes of political conflict, social movements, and struggles over urban development. From protest marches to battles about gentrification and exclusionary planning, urban parks are far more political than they seem. In many respects, parks expose the deeper conflicts of cities, illustrating who wields power, who is included, and who gets excluded.

Parks as Sites of Protest and Resistance
Throughout history, parks have spearheaded political movements. As accessible, public areas, they have offered the stage upon which to stage demonstrations, resist, and demand change.

  • Tahrir Square, Cairo – In the Egyptian revolution of 2011, Tahrir Square (a central city plaza featuring areas of greenery) became the epicentre of mass protests which resulted in the removal of President Hosni Mubarak. It provided a space in which people could congregate in numbers, representing both public disobedience and the demand for participating in the political process.
  • Hyde Park, London – Dating back to the beginning of the last century, Hyde Park's Speaker's Corner has been a historical site of political debate, featuring activists, suffragettes, and civil rights movements. It's become the byword of free speech and people's activism.
  • Zuccotti Park, New York City – Seized by the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011, this small city park became a worldwide icon of protest calling for greater distribution of wealth. Its public status made it a centre of activism, but its disputed ownership (privately-owned public space) resulted in forced evictions.

The Gentrification of Green Spaces
While parks are hailed as public benefits, their redevelopment can result in displacement and social exclusion. Gentrification of city green spaces—alternatively referred to as "green gentrification"—takes place when improvements in parks increase property values, ultimately displacing longtime residents.

  • The High Line, Manhattan, NYC – Once an abandoned railroad line, the High Line was repurposed as a green elevated park, and millions of visitors come to marvel at it. Although highly lauded as a renewal of the area, the project also led to increased rent costs and the displacement of low-income residents.
  • Park Renewal in Berlin – Berlin's efforts to upgrade neglected parks have also created controversies of whether the change serves residents or benefits more affluent new arrivals as they turn green spaces into prime real estate. As a result, some residents fear being priced out of their home areas.

Who Has Access to Public Parks?
Not every park is open equally to everyone. Design elements—whether deliberate or inadvertent—are subtly exclusive, and they reinforce social distinctions.

  • Defensive Architecture – Urban parks use practices like anti-homeless benches, limited seating, and excessive policing to deter marginalized populations from using public parks.
  • Gendered Public Spaces – Many public parks contain sporting facilities (such as basketball courts and skate parks) that cater largely to young men, leaving fewer areas available for women, elderly, or less sporty residents to feel safe.
  • The Privatization of Urban Spaces – Several cities experienced a growing presence of “privately-owned public spaces” in which corporate concerns control access, policing, and approved activities—typically prohibiting protests and assemblies.

Reclaiming Green Spaces for Everyone
To produce completely inclusive city parks, city planners need to resolve these political conflicts and give priority to equitable use of the parks. This includes:

  • Creating parks with diverse activities catering to multiple age and gender populations.
  • Engaging the public in the decision of park renewal.
  • Safeguarding parks against becoming too commercial and private.
  • Identifying green space as fundamental to environmental justice and public welfare.

Parks are not just oases of green—they are about power, inclusion, and city politics. The issue isn’t whether parks are political, but rather, do they serve the public equally, or do they perpetuate the inequalities we already have in our cities?

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Image credits: Face Paint by Francisco Osorio CC, Wall Street by David Shankbone CC