When I lived in Denver, visiting city parks were a big part of my life – having picnics near the Pavilion at Cheesman, jogging around Wash Park, and listening to jazz at City Park. People who visited me frequently commented that Denver has the most beautiful parks, and wished their city would have such nice parks. Growing up near Boston, my park experiences were equally exceptional but different. I recall the experience of ascending from the Boylston T stop into the Public Gardens and Boston Commons, among the oldest public spaces in the nation. When I got older I began biking around the Charles River, stopping at Harvard Square in Cambridge for lunch followed by a ride around Fenway Park. My park experiences in the two cities were so drastically different that I question why. Was it the density of buildings and people? Was it the location of the parks…