Rejuvenating Neighborhoods and Communities Through Parks—A Guide To Success www.NRPA.org National Recreation and Park Association © 2011 All Rights Reserved 19 Section 4: Neighborhood Insights and Ideas The information and insights in this section are intended to: • Remind the reader of the unique and powerful results that come from garnering ideas and input from stakeholders—especially those whose lives will be most improved by the park project • Identify traditional alternatives for garnering insight with suggestions for usage • Identify newer models for garnering insight with guidelines for usage Moving Beyond Information to Insight Data and information can provide a useful framework for a park project, but the foundation of genuine rejuvenation is the ideas and insights secured from the people who live, work, learn, and play in the neighborhood of the proposed park or renovation What links a park project to community revitalization and improvement is the involvement of people living in the area When an incident occurs in a neighborhood or a small group of residents requests a meeting with leaders of the park agency, an immediate response is expected Naturally, an emergency situation or safety concern requires immediate action In undertaking a plan to build or renovate a park, stakeholders should understand that it will take time for the park to result in the revitalization of the neighborhood The time requirement reflects the need to seek and receive input from community stakeholders: a process that both engages residents in this revitalization and supports access to resources This section includes techniques for meeting with the various publics and stakeholders to garner their perceptions and preferences The process at one time relied primarily on the traditional methods involving public meetings and surveys, and these are included here, along with suggestions for increasing successful outcomes However, we will present a new approach, participatory action research, for interacting with stakeholders and obtaining valuable information Traditional Approaches to Public Input Meetings and surveys are two common approaches to soliciting public input In both cases, the ideas, suggestions, comments, and insights generated are only as good as the questions asked, the people responding, and the genuineness of responses Meetings While the types of information being sought may be somewhat similar, the number of people participating and the role or interest of people participating at meetings can vary Meeting types appropriate for generating community insight include public meetings, stakeholder meetings, and focus groups • Public meetings. Open to the general public, these widely publicized forums disseminate information and capture feedback from attendees These meetings are usually held at the beginning of the process and again when the process has reached a series of potential recommendations
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