Parks, man-made green areas with a mainly recreational function, offer something for everyone and are there for everyone, young or old, from all walks of life. At the same time, it gives every visitor an exclusive experience.' Bums sip on Aldi beer and mothers suckle their babies. Businessmen have lunch and fit girls burn their calories there. You can socialize or actively play and play sports, but you can also read on your own or just enjoy nature.'
That was different for a long time. In the 17th century, the parks were there for the wealthy, people who had enough money for a country estate. Around 1900 this changed and city canals were used by the well-to-do bourgeoisie to take a walk or ride in a carriage. Parks have always been a place where painters liked to be because of the liveliness and diversity of the visitors, elegant ladies chatting on a bench, walkers, horse riders, children playing, a stall on the corner where a drink or ice cream could be bought and all this in a beautiful green and colorful environment.
In Europe, city parks have been around for about a century and have been the green lungs of a city since the emergence of rapidly expanding urban development. People come there to refuel or to relax, to go for a walk or to practice sports and games. Usually there is a fishing pond, sunbathing area, a tearoom and a petting zoo. The largest city park of the twentieth century is the Amsterdamse Bos with a size of 935 hectares, of which the municipality of Amsterdam is the owner and manager. The construction was started in 1934, during the crisis, and provided many unemployed Amsterdammers with work. When designing the forest, one thing was certain: it had to become a forest for all Amsterdammers. Until then, the Dutch parks were mainly intended for a Sunday walk. That in London, for example, Hyde Park parks allowed people to sit on the grass or have a picnic, and in Germany people were given space for sports and recreation in parks. The Amsterdamse Bos had to be an ideal mix of natural park landscape and opportunities for recreation and relaxation. With its 1000 ha of forest, playground, polders, ponds and waterways, this park is 3 times Central Park and 22 times Het Vondelpark. It has a rowing course - the Bosbaan - a visitor center, 200 km of cycling, walking and riding trails, 14 km of canoe water, 7 kiosks, an open-air theater, children's pools and 53 bridges by the Amsterdam School designer Piet Kramer.
Today, greenery gives an increasing quality boost to the environment and our parks are increasingly loaded with functions. Sports, music concerts and even living, it all has to be in a green environment. Agriculture will also become part of our parks and eventually we may soon live here in one large park.'