When General William Jackson Palmer founded the city of Colorado Springs in 1871, he envisioned a spacious and inviting urban park system for the city's residents, modeled on the magnificent urban parks being built across the nation in the late nineteenth century. The Parks of Colorado Springs describes the evolution of that system over the next 140 years. This book details the remarkable challenges, difficulties, growth, successes, setbacks, and progress of the Colorado Springs parks systemfrom the city's inception to 2010, a year of severe financial crises for the community. Throughout, the voices of the people and their individual stories are heard. Featuring hundreds of images, many neverbefore published, The Parks of Colorado Springs delineates the policies and politics of one American city, rooted in the western frontier, that has grown to a major metropolitan area in the twenty-first century. This historical overview of Colorado Springs, expressed through its parks, tells a story of civic commitment, community aspiration, and the challenges of growth and change. It is a tale that mirrors similar growth in urban parks across the country. How the people of Colorado Springs have addressed questions of public policy and urban design is a story from which all can learn. Nancy Lewis, former director of the Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation Department, has made a lifetime commitment to community service and community development. Her personal insight into the story of the Colorado Springs parks, drawn from over forty-five years of service to her city, offers an exciting and inspiring perspective on the possibilities for the community of Colorado Springs.