Rejuvenating Neighborhoods and Communities Through Parks—A Guide To Success www.NRPA.org National Recreation and Park Association © 2011 All Rights Reserved 39 Social advance depends as much upon the process through which it is secured as upon the result itself. – JANE ADDAMS The Connect Phase The connect phase advanced the process of park restoration and community revitalization by focusing on connecting the concerns, goals, and resources of the people living in these neighborhoods to the development of park sites Partnerships for Parks brought together various community stakeholders: residents, community leaders, other public and nonprofit representatives, and business owners The staff of the partnership was able to mobilize people around their shared interests and potential group power (The partnership describes “power” as access to decisionmaking and fund-raising ) The techniques for building connections among people, interests, and power included: • Communication. There was support for creating posters, brochures, and event calendars as a means for uniting groups by highlighting their shared interests Building mailing lists and creating databases were also part of this support • Resource development. Workshops were held on a variety of useful topics including group formation and dynamics, organizational development, partnerships, and advocacy From within the groups of advocates, Partnerships grew group organization and facilitation • Coalition building. By engaging people in collaborative undertakings, the partnership’s staff facilitated identifying shared issues and connecting them to overall community goals • Vision planning. Few activities bring people and resources together like a shared and powerful vision This vision planning was the foundation for engaging partners—leading to long-term investments in the park project The Sustain Phase A third and final phase in the process was sustainability However, it could be argued that sustainability is less a phase in the process than a requirement for ensuring future support for the long-term the success of individual projects When referring to the Catalyst project, Partnerships for Parks defines “sustainability” as “the ability of a group to have a continued positive impact on their community ” When referring to the Catalyst project, Partnerships for Parks defines “sustainability” as “the ability of a group to have a continued positive impact on their community.” How, then, did the partnership support sustainability? Three principles apply: • The whole is greater than the sum of its parts Although a group effort takes more time and effort to bring together the eventual collaborators on the renovation, it has a far greater impact than individuals working independently of one another • Give credit where credit is due While staff are essential to the success of any undertaking, long-term success hinges on providing ample opportunity for individuals and groups working on the project to be recognized for their contributions and successes
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