The Conversation - A park that puts out the welcome mat

+ brace for a highly active Atlantic hurricane season ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Public parks are for everyone, by definition, but they don’t always feel that way. For example, women might avoid densely wooded trails if they’re worried about safety. Elderly visitors could feel uneasy on paths shared with skaters and cyclists. And people of color could choose to avoid parks where visitors are overwhelmingly white.

Macalester College geographer Dan Trudeau and his students are studying Phalen Regional Park in St. Paul, Minnesota, to understand how this heavily used oasis attracts visitors who reflect the city’s racial and ethnic diversity. Offering a wide range of facilities and activities, including events that reflect different cultures and traditions, is an important draw. So are clean bathrooms and ample signage.

“Parks are like a city’s living room,” Trudeau observes. “Designing, building and managing them well makes people more likely to go there and stay a while.”

This week we also liked articles about the loose change travelers leave at airport security checkpoints, Iranian succession, and Detroit techno music.

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Jennifer Weeks

Senior Environment + Cities Editor

‘Meditation,’ by Lei Yixin, near the picnic pavilion in Lake Phalen Regional Park. City of Saint Paul

Successful city parks make diverse communities feel safe and welcome − this Minnesota park is an example

Dan Trudeau, Macalester College

City parks are like outdoor living rooms: If people feel welcome and relaxed, they will settle in.

In 2022, passengers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport left behind $29,320.40 at security checkpoints. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

Americans leave a huge chunk of change at airport security checkpoints − here’s what it means for the debate over getting rid of pennies

Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University

Air travelers left nearly $1 million behind at TSA checkpoints in 2023.

The U.S. is in for another busy hurricane season. Here are hurricanes Irma, Jose and Katia in 2017. NOAA

Hurricane forecast points to a dangerous 2024 Atlantic season, with La Niña and a persistently warm ocean teaming up to power fierce storms

Jhordanne Jones, Purdue University

NOAA issued its busiest preseason hurricane forecast yet, with the second highest accumulated cyclone energy. An atmospheric scientist explains what’s behind the numbers.

How Detroit techno is preserving the city’s beating heart in the face of gentrification

Carla Vecchiola, University of Michigan-Dearborn

Detroit has a rich music tradition and is known for its role in the development of house.
How Iran selects its supreme leader − a political scientist and Iran expert explains

Eric Lob, Florida International University

The late President Ebrahim Raisi was supposedly being groomed to succeed an aging Ali Khamenei. The succession is a complex process, more dependent on politics than religion.
Why the US government is trying to break up Live Nation Entertainment – a music industry scholar explains

David Arditi, University of Texas at Arlington

The government has been investigating Live Nation Entertainment for years. But a presale ticketing debacle for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour heightened scrutiny from politicians and the public.

The Conversation News Quiz 🧠

The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz

Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation

Here’s the first question of this week’s edition:

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died on May 19, 2024, under the same circumstances as guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, actor Vic Morrow and NBA star Kobe Bryant. What was it?
1. A. Car crash
2. B. Helicopter accident
3. C. Israeli missile
4. D. Heart attack
Test your knowledge

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The Conversation - A park that puts out the welcome mat

Successful city parks make diverse communities feel safe and welcome − this Minnesota park is an example

Americans leave a huge chunk of change at airport security checkpoints − here’s what it means for the debate over getting rid of pennies

Hurricane forecast points to a dangerous 2024 Atlantic season, with La Niña and a persistently warm ocean teaming up to power fierce storms

How Detroit techno is preserving the city’s beating heart in the face of gentrification

How Iran selects its supreme leader − a political scientist and Iran expert explains

Why the US government is trying to break up Live Nation Entertainment – a music industry scholar explains

Louisiana set to reclassify abortion pills as controlled, dangerous substances – here's what that means

Biden and Trump will fight for Michigan’s votes county by county in a state where little things matter a lot

Campus protests are part of an enduring legacy of civil disobedience improving American democracy

Expansion of Asian American studies fueled by racial attacks and activism

Phone cameras can take in more light than the human eye − that’s why low-light events like the northern lights often look better through your phone camera

More military veterans and active duty service members are dying by suicide than in battle – understanding why can help with prevention

How opioid treatment centers can overcome bipartisan NIMBYism to build local support

AI chatbots are intruding into online communities where people are trying to connect with other humans

Was Beethoven truly the greatest?

The Conversation News Quiz 🧠

The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz

More of The Conversation

About The Conversation

Donate now to support research-based journalism

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