Graduation Semester and Year

2023

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Landscape Architecture

Department

Landscape Architecture

First Advisor

Diane Allen Jones

Abstract

The city of Fort Worth, Texas has strived to ensure high-quality recreational water activities, which resulted in the closure or demolitions of several demolished aquatic parks in 2009. With many parks exceeding their lifespan, depicting functional and physical obsoleteness, and presenting health and safety risk to swimmers; the city, following the audit report, demolished famous aquatic parks, such as: Sycamore Pool, Hillside Park Lake, Como Park, Sylvania Park, Marine Creek Park, and Kellis Park, etc. In July 2008, Counsilman-Hunsaker conducted a city-wide Aquatic Master Plan to determine the future of the city's aquatic parks (Counsilman-Hunsaker, Inc.,2012). Implementation strategies included replacing the city's aging and obsolete pools. All these parks have lasted for more than 50 years, while the lifespan of Class B pools should have been 30-35 years. Although the demolition targeted parks above 40 years, Forest Park survived the 2009 demolition but suffered a reduction in government funding, which crippled the aquatic park, inhibiting it from guaranteeing quality, health, and safety of swimmers and other visitors. The pool's aesthetic appearance degraded tremendously, while the machines, equipment, and different element stopped functioning. This resulted in the temporary closure of the park only one year after the demolition of six aquatic parks in the region. This design master thesis aimed at investigating obsoleteness and unsafe public pools in Fort Worth, Texas, and proposed park improvements to inform park planners and landscape architects. It also proposed the implementation of a design to enhance Forest Park's aging community public pool. The study focused on the qualitative research method in which the research and data are majority non-numerical, capturing concepts and suggestions from the literature review, primary, and secondary (Marcus, C. C., & Francis, C. (1998) It culminated the primary data collection on the local site, examined case studies, while the secondary data collection was attained from precedent studies and literature review. , the study found that Forest Park depicted physical and functional obsoleteness, and many elements were not working properly. It remained unattractive due to insufficient maintenance and repair. All these problems were contributed by the lack of funds to facilitate the advancement of the facility. In conclusion, this research not only examines the conditions impacting Fort Worth public pools but also introduces design vision for Forest Park. It is recommended that the city seek partnership with the private stakeholders to raise funds for renovations, cooperate, and engage the community. Finally, expatiate pool construction to enable the park to accommodate the increasing demand for pools in the city.

Keywords

Public City Pools

Disciplines

Architecture | Landscape Architecture

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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