Rejuvenating Neighborhoods and Communities Through Parks—A Guide To Success www.NRPA.org National Recreation and Park Association © 2011 All Rights Reserved 42 Strategy #2 The Memories of the Elderly and the Dreams of the Children WPP makes a point of spending time with two particular groups in a neighborhood—the elderly and the children Using the WPP model, these two groups are critical for the start of any successful project The elderly are likely to recall the times when the park was well-maintained, heavily used by residents, and a real mainstay of the neighborhood This information provides a basis for “what was” The children and youth of the neighborhood are consulted and asked to describe what a “park” should look like through their eyes, which forms the “what can be” Strategy #3 Focus on Assets Not Liabilities Every neighborhood has its positive and negative aspects The strategy employed consistently by WPP is a focus upon the assets within a community rather than the list of liabilities that have likely long been associated with an area WPP takes the Assets Mapping approach cited previously in this tool kit and raises it to an entirely enhanced level of effectiveness Strategy #4: Use of Existing Resources A unique aspect of the approach utilized by WPP is to make use of the existing resources within the community at the very start of a project This does not mean that WPP and the neighbors don’t eventually look for partnership and seek funding for their project, but it essentially means that lack of funding does not serve as a barrier for moving a community revitalization project/process forward Strategy #5: Capture the Attention and the Imagination Coleman in his role at WPP is well-known for being bold and capturing the attention, imagination, and subsequent interest and involvement of people living in the neighborhood as well as media outlets These bold, attention-gathering actions are usually very simple and low cost, but highly effective Strategy #6: Engage Others Very often WPP does not start with the more “formal officials” or decision-makers in this process, a practice that seems somewhat out of the ordinary Rather, WPP pulls together the preferences and involvement of the community members It is these efforts on the part of the local residents first that empowers the residents to take the results of their efforts and plans for the future to local decision-makers and other potential partners Examples of the WPP Model: The Marvin Gaye Park Story Similar to many successful leaders of our time, Steve Coleman believes in the power of stories that resonate with people serving as a basis for their interest and involvement Keeping that in mind, the Marvin Gaye Park story incorporates the WPP strategies and most often shares those strategies and successes through the power of stories Some of the short stories about the actions and activities associated with the restoration of Marvin Gaye Park and the revitalization of this neighborhood are revealed in the following: Memories and Dreams The staff of WPP responded to a request for help with this neighborhood park that was at that time referred to as ‘needle park’ reflecting its heavy usage by drug dealers WPP initiated the model by interviewing the elderly and the children of the neighborhood The older residents recalled with fondness a time when the park was the gathering and social center of their neighborhood Some of these long-time residents had recollections of a then much younger Marvin Gaye writing his songs along the stream bank and trying out his music in an after-hours club that has now been converted to a community center The children were buoyed by the visions of music and a place where usable play equipment similar to what they had seen at other parks could become their dream park It was the integration of these memories and dreams that served as the foundation for the renovation of the park and the revitalization of the community
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