Rejuvenating Neighborhoods and Communities Through Parks—A Guide To Success www.NRPA.org National Recreation and Park Association © 2011 All Rights Reserved 46 A recently improved master plan went through four concept models before being accepted by all stakeholders The summer of 2010 witnessed the opening of a spray park, which further increased the popularity of the park The Trust for Public Land and New York City Parks and Playgrounds Program The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has cooperated with New York City to revitalize places for children to play and be more physically active and healthier This partnership will eventually result in 151 playgrounds and community parks, 380,000 smiling faces of children and family members, and 200 acres of new city parkland In partnership with Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC 2030 program, TPL has been working to create safe, accessible play areas where children in New York City can exercise their mind and muscle The focus is on existing space at schools in underserved neighborhoods A key objective of the approach is the involvement of stakeholders in the design process: students, school staff, and community members This video link features one such design process in a Bronx neighborhood http://www tpl org/tier3_cd cfm?content_item_id=22208&folder_id=631 Lou Walker Park – Community Involvement and Sustainability Listening to the community is essential, and transforming that input into ideas that result in the best uses for a park is an accomplishment Lou Walker Park in DeKalb County, Georgia, is one of those success stories Listening to the Community Lou Walker Park was a three-acre park next to a major stormwater drainage ditch The open park provided adequate space for flooding without damage to the homes near the park Residents told the elected officials that the renovation of the park was one of its top priorities for enhancing the livability of their community This resulted in funds to create a master plan that included public participation The Community Responds Three public meetings were held to solicit comments and recommendations Emerging as the top priorities were play opportunities for children, the needs of teenagers, and community events The consensus was that the final renovation plan met the goals of the community After approximately one year, however, prostitution and drug sales took over the park, and vandalism to the park increased as well So the community leadership convened a meeting in the park with the police, parks, and other county departments The purpose was to develop an action plan to save the park and their community from the rise of criminal behavior and the destruction of the park As a result, each government agency, the school system, and the Greater Towers Neighborhood Association committed to a comprehensive action plan that addressed the concerns expressed at the meeting in the park Community and Department Partnership The parks department provided a supervised summer playground program for the children and youth The program consisted of the summer food program, arts and crafts, swimming, and trips The community committed to providing community festivals and to participate in the National Night Out, with the park becoming the host site for neighborhood events The school system opened the doors of the local high school to house the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program during the summer months Important Outcomes • The summer playground program is in its third year and continues to average 60 campers per day • Children from the playground program have graduated into the STEM program at the high school • The park has become a place where families can get breakfast, lunch, and a snack during the summer months, thereby ensuring that children who might well go unfed during the day are not hungry
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