Rose Park: Individual Post

I began our walkabout to Rose Park with some preconceived notions about the area. I had heard others describe Rose Park as a dangerous area with high crime rates and gang activity. After spending time walking around the area, I was surprised by how inaccurate these claims were. On the contrary, Rose Park was a charming neighborhood that felt very safe. Yet Rose Park does possess certain characteristics that make it unique. Unlike some areas in Utah, Rose Park is religiously and ethnically diverse. The large Hispanic influence is especially noticeable. There were several authentic Mexican restaurants and many stores featured signs in both Spanish and English.



In the 1940's, Rose Park gave young veterans the opportunity to purchase a home at a low price and start a family. Although the ethnic makeup of the area has changed slightly since then, the Rose Park neighborhood still gives young couples an opportunity to own a home and raise a family. Most of the houses in the area were small in size. The neighborhood was also covered by large trees. It was evident that the trees, and many of the houses and buildings, had been there for a long time.

In The Image of the City, Kevin Lynch identifies five elements contributing to a city's image: paths, nodes, edges, districts, and landmarks. I noticed that Rose Park, though not a city, had some of these characteristics, albeit on a smaller scale. The public library represents a community landmark, the Jordan River Parkway that runs through qualifies as a path, and a distinct boundary is formed by the I-15 highway. These characteristics give Rose Park what Lynch describes as "imageability."