Machotka, Danielle.

The purpose of this research was to determine what water means to people and how they view its presence and absence in urban parks. In particular, this thesis explores how the presence or absence of water influences opinions of water features, the relative importance of water features in urban parks, and how responses to these issues differ between children and adults.

The research for this thesis was conducted by showing slides of water features with and without water to children and adults. The viewers were then asked to write stories that they would place in those settings. By having people write stories about these places, it was possible to draw conclusions about the meanings they attached to water in urban parks.

The results of the research showed that adults were much more definite in their preference for water features with water over those without water. Their stories were markedly positive for slides showing water and markedly negative for slides without water. The children, on the other hand, wrote stories that were influenced very little by the presence or absence of water in the water features.