Final answer:
The claim that Central Park was the first urban park in the world is false, as urban parks existed before its creation in 1858, like the Tiergarten in Berlin, which became public in 1881.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Central Park in NYC was the first urban park in the world is False. Central Park, built in 1858, was indeed one of the earliest large-scale urban parks designed in the United States and a model for many urban parks across the country. However, it was not the first in the world nor the first in America. The idea of setting aside large urban spaces as parks was adopted earlier in various parts of the world, including the public grounds in European cities such as the English Commons or the Parisian Champs de Mars. Additionally, the government of Japan decreed in 1873 that parks be built, and the Tiergarten in Berlin was a royal hunting ground before it was made a public park in 1881, demonstrating that the concept of urban parks existed prior to Central Park's creation.