Garden and Park in the Formation of Urban Space (Comparative Analysis of Current Trends)

Abstract

This paper presents the fidings of the academic analysis of some modern trends aimed at the formation of urban space, its signifiant phenomena being the garden and the park. The article provides the examples of socio-cultural situations in Russian cities, identifying some issues in their development. The author conducts the comparative analysis of Nizhny Novgorod and Lyon in terms of the trends in the formation of modern urban space. It is noted that the current situation in Russian cities is characterized by the problem of population decrease, caused by the inconsistency of administrative decisions to the current socio-cultural transformations. The issues of uneven development of urban space, the degradation of existing plantations, the development of free biotopes have been widely addressed. The author considers the conceptual basis of the urban garden and the park as the holistic phenomena, with the emphasis on their aesthetic and socio-cultural interpretation. The paper analyses their role in the spatial expression of the essence of the city. The author concludes that applying the culturological approach to the design of urban landscapes has been relevant nowadays, since the cultural component of the demo-ecological system of the city has not been suffiiently covered. Positive examples have also been presented, when the art objects, appealing to the nature and Russian history, contribute to the formation of the image of the settlement, thus increasing its prestige. In conclusion the author states that some innovative trends in park construction represent a new world outlook. Despite the positive tendency to enhance the improvement of public spaces, the problem of their conceptual foundations and reliance on the Russian traditional values remains unsolved. Gardens and parks should be part of the city’s original image, its ecological pillar, and a multifunctional magnet, effectively carrying aesthetic, educational, recreational and educational functions.