Accidental Follies: The Historical Structures of New York City’s Parks and the Stories They Tell
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2017
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Bryn Mawr College. Department of Growth and Structure of Cities
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eng
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Open Access
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Abstract
A large portion of New York City consists of parkland, and as such, the narratives contained within these parks affect the city as a whole. The historical structure is one narrative vector that can be found in many different parks. In addition to preserving knowledge of the location’s functionality prior to its becoming a park, these structures can often be fit into larger social narratives. I argue that through the selective preservation of vestigial structures, New York City park designers have preserved and by extension normalized a narrative of social, technological, and military progress and achievement, while erasing any aberration or challenge to said account. Using a theoretical framework developed from the works historical, social, aesthetic, and urban writers such as David E. Nye, William Cronon, Ellen Stroud, Galen Cranz, and Luke Morgan, I analyze historical structures in several different parks and unpack their visual and historical qualities. The second and third chapters will be devoted to developing the analytical framework for the paper as well as providing some background information. The fourth, fifth, and sixth chapters will focus on case studies. I draw the conclusion that the narratives support a hegemony that legitimizes the balance of power in New York society.