ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION



Gendered Landscapes:



Women, Men, and the Spatial Transformation of

Urban Parks in the United States, 1850-1920



by JULIE A. TUASON



Dissertation Director:



Professor H. Briavel Holcomb



In the 1890s, a major shift occurred in the location, design, and use of urban parks in the United States.  The earlier type (the large landscape park) was several hundred acres in size and was located at or near the city's edge.  It emphasized passive forms of recreation, especially the quiet contemplation of nature.  The new type (the small playground park) was only a few acres in size and was located in densely populated neighborhoods within the city.  The small playground park was designed for active recreation-equipped with ball fields, gymnasiums, and playgrounds for young children.



This study is based upon the premise that gender issues play an important role in the creation and transformation of the urban landscape.  Specifically, it the hypothesis that park-making is not a gender-neutral activity.  Three major questions are raised:  (1) What contributions did women make to the urban park movement in the United States?  (2) What role did prevailing beliefs regarding masculinity and femininity play in the design, location, and use of urban parks?  (3) To what extent were changes in the landscape of urban parks linked to broader changes in the social relationship between the sexes?



Although other factors may have influenced the spatial transformation of urban parks in the 1890s, this study finds that it was largely the result of a shift in gender relations that occurred around the turn of the century.  Based on a critical reading of historical documents (with emphasis on the city of Chicago), the roots of the small playground park can be traced to women-led initiatives to create safe play spaces for children.  The earliest public playgrounds were organized by women who belonged either to social settlements

(e.g., Chicago's Hull-House) or to women's civic organizations (e.g., the Chicago Woman's Club).  Playground initiatives were part of a larger movement known as "municipal housekeeping"--an urban-reform vehicle through which women challenged the Victorian doctrine of separate spheres, gained a more powerful role in urban affairs, and made a lasting imprint on the landscape of American cities.