The Pre-Professional ’ s View
OBSERVATIONS
The Pre-Professional ’ s View
COOPER SCHUTZ , AGE 11
/ BSLA
My name is Cooper and my mom is a Landscape Architect . Sometimes I have to go with her to community meetings where she asks people what they want to see in their parks . This past summer , I went to two of them , one in Framingham at Mary Dennison Park and one in South Boston at Moakley Park . They were on Saturdays and in the parks . They set up tents , had surveys for people to fill out and stuff for kids to do like games , sports , outdoor toys , and things to make stuff with like cardboard boxes , and tape , and string . It seems like these types of events are good because it gives people a chance to be heard and , in places where the parks aren ’ t so great , it shows that there is opportunity to make it better . This gives people hope .
I think I liked the time in Framingham the best out of all of the ones I ’ ve been to because kids were allowed to talk at the meeting . My mom says kids are always allowed to talk at these meetings but I hardly ever see it happen . Maybe in this one it was more like they felt like they had the freedom to speak out . I ’ m not sure . But this time they did and it was cool . They had lots of good ideas and once , one kid had an idea , the other kids all joined in . They all filled out surveys just like their parents , and turned them in at the end . It really felt like their opinion mattered , and that meant a lot to them . I could tell . They really liked sharing their thoughts , their big ideas .
Afterwards , my mom asked why that was the part I liked the best and I had to think about it for a minute . I think it ’ s because it is powerful for kids to know that they can change their parks and their environment for the better . Kids don ’ t really think about things like that in the rest of their lives , so this was a special chance for them . The kids definitely seemed excited about it .
When my mom designed the park at my school , she came into the classroom and taught us about landscape architecture , and we did park designs and got to draw them . It was really fun . I remember feeling excited that maybe some of our ideas would be in the new park , so these kids must have felt that way too .
I think all community meetings should have kids at them because it makes people remember what the parks are about and the good they can do . Donuts or pizza are good too .
Boston Society of Landscape Architects Fieldbook
29