Pondhawk Natural Area as a Commons for Boca

 I feel very lucky to live immediately next to the Pondhawk Natural Area, maintained by Palm Beach County Environmental Resource Management. It will be the subject of many of my posts.

Usually we think of cities as where nature is not, and of nature as where cities are not. But this doesn't necessarily have to be the case. Some of the best areas of cities are where natural areas are integrated within the city. The Pondhawk Natural Area is the best case I can think of this locally. There are seamless connections between the Spanish River Library and the natural area, and between the Centra housing complex and the natural area.


 
 
I can't think of another major natural area like this in south Florida, though I am sure there must be some. Having a natural area integrated into the city fabric gives people excellent access to the benefits of nature. It helps educate people about the nature around them so they can be more sensitive to their impact upon it. I don't know why we don't plan for the greater integration of natural areas and parks with the built environment. Somehow there is a pervasive thinking, especially here in south Florida, that everything should be separated from everything else.

The Pondhawk Natural Area is not just a great example of the integration of nature with the city, it is also a great commons for Boca. That is, it's a place where people from all walks of life gather, use the space, and share the space peaceably. 

You come across all kinds of users of this natural area. Not just walkers and bikers, but also people walking their dog and kids riding electric scooters. Fathers fishing with their kids and people taking photographs of their family. Lots of people pushing around small dogs in strollers. People of all colors and shapes, the young and the old.


In other words, Pondhawk Natural Area is one of the few places in Boca to serve as a true commons. A place open to all and shared by people of different types and of different speeds.

We know that social relationships are important for mental and physical well being, but my guess it that sharing public spaces with strangers has important functions as well. By exposing us to different people doing different activities we learn tolerance for diversity. We learn that we can share the same space without getting in each other's way too much. We also are able to explore new ideas and new activities. Watching someone else ride an electric scooter may make me want to try one, too. Or I may decide that I want to try my hand at fishing or photography after seeing others enjoy such pastimes. Seeing many kinds of people sharing and using the same commons together is a kind of model for a peaceable democracy. It's the social functions of the city at work.


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