Parks of the 21st century : reinvented landscapes reclaimed territories Presentation of 52 parks in the U.S. Mexico Canada Europe and China that have repurposed damaged contaminated derelict land (including former factories railroads industrial waterfronts airports quarries) and created productive new public landscapes. This may be considered adaptive reuse of land ( adaptive reuse is typically applied to buildings). Heavily illustrated with photographs and drawings. Among the subthemes: Development of parks in Asia and Europe; historical precedent for parks from the 19th and 20th centuries built on former infrastructure. Environmental contribution of parks how park features (including constructed wetlands or porous edges) can filter pollutants rehabilitating remediating the damaged land and contributing to a cleaner environment. How parks can mitigate major storms and protect against flooding by collecting water and releasing back into the environment only slowly. Social impact of new parks: they increase real estate values and thus often lead to gentrification but can also improve traditionally underserved neglected areas and neighborhoods