Open Sacredness

Each month in our Open Voices blog we share insight from leaders in our communities who are advancing what it means to have sacred, open green spaces in our cities. This December we introduce sacred spaces that serve as centers for community; spaces to experience the “civic sacred”.

In a classic American sacred experience, we are suddenly aware of the grandness around us. The visceral attachment to a natural space is perhaps one way for people to experience a sense of connection to their community, or perhaps identity at the community scale. – Conversation with a friend of the TKF Foundation

As we end the year, take a moment to self-reflect on what sacredness means to you.

Hamilton Garden
Hamilton Garden

 

Perhaps we do not explicitly create sacredness,  nor can we create Nature with a big ‘N’. But, experiencing sacredness can arise within us in response to our surroundings and our awareness. An urban, sacred green space could be a space intentionally designed to invite multiple possibilities of sacred experiences. History and theory tend toward the claim that people likely experience sacredness differently. Research supports the claim that humans benefit from nature experiences cross-culturally but that we may also seek out different “types” of nature experiences. Nature likely provides a space where one is able to benefit from the healing and development known to occur when the brain is allowed to rest and our thoughts can be still. A sacred experience of nature is something we all desire and need, but how we approach, benefit, and interact in that space can vary from person to person, group to group.

We need urban, public spaces to be a community-centered, open, green invitation to sacredness. These spaces perhaps provide nature as a “starting point” where people can experience sacredness as it happens for them. When considering the availability and use of public spaces, consider that the United States has a storied history of privileged access to desirable spaces and resources that linger today in our city planning codes and infrastructure. And, consider that outside of cities people may experience sacredness when they are fishing or hunting. Children in urban cities may initially want to visit a nearby natural space with their friends or family in a way that is familiar and comfortable. We must plan for multiple experiences of sacred.