Parks and Public Places

URPL 6365: Parks and Public Spaces Spring 2026 | University of Colorado Denver Professor Jeremy Németh This graduate seminar examined the design, management, maintenance, and social meaning of parks and public spaces. The course emphasized how race, class, culture, democracy, diversity, and equity shaped access to public space and influenced who felt welcomed, included, excluded, or controlled within urban environments. Through discussions, case studies, guest lectures, and site visits throughout Denver, I explored how public spaces were not neutral settings, but reflections of broader social values, planning decisions, and power structures. The course strengthened my understanding of parks and public spaces as essential components of urban life, environmental justice, community identity, and inclusive planning practice. In my portfolio, this course connects directly to my interests in environmental planning, green infrastructure, equitable park access, placemaking, and climate-resilient urban design. It helped me think critically about how planners can create public spaces that are not only functional and well-maintained, but also welcoming, accessible, culturally responsive, and socially just.