10 • Community colleges and technical schools can work with parks to establish a green jobs training program for green infrastructure design, installation, and maintenance. • Public health agencies might want to see underperforming parks revitalized or have new parks created in underserved neighborhoods. • Planning agencies might seek to maximize the use of open space that is vacant or dilapidated. Or they could want to connect systems of parks and open space to capitalize on the environmental and social benefits gained by adding green infrastructure elements. • Sustainability agencies might want to incorporate green infrastructure into economic development plans and achieve green infrastructure targets through park improvements or park creation (e.g., converting brownfields). Partnerships with parks can achieve sustainability goals in a number of ways, including providing minimum per capita areas of green space, park access within a maximum distance, or tree canopy coverage. Business Improvement Districts Business improvement districts (BIDs) can offer a unique funding source to maintain and improve parks. A BID is a group of businesses in a given area that pay a fee to fund local projects. In some areas, businesses have been shown to benefit from the proximity to park space, and those businesses have organized to collect fees from members to invest in local improvement. For example, in the Washington, DC area, the Capitol Riverfront BID manages 10 acres of park space that attracts both residents and nonresident visitors to enjoy the park areas and local events. These parks, located in urban areas that were formerly underdeveloped, are attractions for a growing community of new residents and businesses. In New York City, the Friends of Hudson Park are seeking to create a similar model with the Hudson River Park BID. This BID would collect fees from for residents of neighborhoods bordering Hudson River Park, rather than from local businesses. A recent study of the area found that residential property values have increased since the park had been restored with open green space, bike lanes, and commercial areas. Advocates say that the BID could raise $5 million dollars per year of the $14 million dollars needed to run and maintain the park annually. Community Partners Community groups can be important partners who serve as advocates for park improvements, the use of green infrastructure, and the creative use of interdepartmental funds. For example: • Neighborhood and community associations can lend public support for park enhancements and recruit volunteers to help construct and maintain the features. • Business improvement districts can be a funding source for park development, improvements, or maintenance. Funding generally comes from financial assessments on businesses and property owners who might benefit from their proximity to the park. • Watershed groups recognize the need to mitigate stormwater impacts from developed areas to protect water resources. These groups can apply for or allocate grant funding for green infrastructure projects and mobilize volunteers to assist with construction and maintenance. • Friends of parks and other recreation, conservation, or environmental groups can recruit volunteer labor for help with project implementation and maintenance. • Urban forestry advocates and Arbor Day groups could support tree-planting to enhance the urban tree canopy. • Local businesses and garden clubs could provide plants and volunteers for green infrastructure features. There are many real-life examples of how park agencies and stormwater agencies collaborated to identify green infrastructure opportunities, build better relationships, leverage funding opportunities, and solve a diverse set of other challenges through the use of green infrastructure in parks. The case study examples featured on the following pages highlight successful collaborative efforts to incorporate green infrastructure into the design of parks to improve stormwater management, enhance park aesthetics, and foster community access and use of park space, while lowering operating costs using green infrastructure practices in lieu of gray infrastructure.
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