J U N E 2020 N R PA .O RG
THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS ISSUE COVID-19: Path to Recovery Is P&R’s Role Changing? A New Green Revolution
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contentsjune 2020
PHOTO COURTESY OF AP DIAZ
volume 55 | number 6 | parksandrecreation.org
FEATURES
36 Homelessness and the Global Pandemic Anthony-Paul Diaz
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Los Angeles in early March, the city declared a state of emergency. Faced with a daunting crisis on how to best serve and protect all residents and the most vulnerable people from contracting the coronavirus, the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks closed parks spaces, housed people experiencing homelessness and prepared open parkland for mobile emergency operations.
42 An Agent of Public Health Allison Colman
It’s at this time, amid a global pandemic and other public health issues, that the unmatched ability of the park and recreation profession to promote, protect and improve the health of people and communities is so critically important. Parks and recreation remains a key part of a connected public health system, but there is an even greater role that agencies can play — as community wellness hubs. 2
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46 A New Green Revolution Beth Jacob
Park and recreation facilities have long been recognized for their role in building safer, healthier communities. But when cities prioritize these improvements in neighborhoods that have historically faced discrimination and neglect, the value goes even deeper. Learn from local leaders across the country who are paving the path forward through collaboration and by forging new connections, formal and informal, among government, residents and the private sector alike.
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contents june
columns 6
departments 10 For the Record 12 We Are Parks & Recreation Community Engagement: The Key to Understanding Local Perspectives 12 Engaging Youth Through Mentorship 13 Industry Mourns the Passing of Pugsley Award Winner Maxwell D. Ramsey 13 Path to Recovery 14 Transforming Citizens into Pollinator Lovers 16 Reimagining Parks, Health and an Entire Small Town 17 Managing Up 18 Member Benefit: Learning, Training and Professional Development 19
20 Research NRPA Surveys Track COVID-19’s Impact on P&R Kevin Roth
21 Park Pulse Park and Recreation Professionals Deliver Critical Virtual Health Resources
51 Operations
Perspectives Reimagining a New Parks Normal Jack Kardys
8
Editor’s Letter Maintaining a Healthy Outlook Vitisia Paynich
22 Finance for the Field How Much Does Living Close to a Golf Course Add to Property Values? John L. Crompton, Ph.D.
24 Advocacy Parks and Recreation and SNAP Maureen Neumann
26 Conservation COVID-19 Crisis Highlights Need for Greener Parks Wende David and Jenny Cox
28 Social Equity Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community Through Parks and Recreation Jared Mummert
30 Law Review First Amendment Challenge to City Festival Ordinances James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.
Providing Shade Protection in Public Areas Alan Bayman
52 Park Essentials 55 Advertiser Index 56 Park Bench Parks and Recreation Plays a Huge Role in Community Meals Maureen Neumann
Cover image: Photograph by Meinzahn, Dreamstime.com
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Page 26
JUNE 13, 2020
FAMILY HEALTH & FITNESS DAY IS JUNE 13! Learn how you can safely celebrate all the ways Parks Build Healthy Communities at nrpa.org/FamilyFitnessDay
#NRPAFAMILYFITDAY
P E R S P E C T I V E S A M E S S A G E F R O M N R P A’ S L E A D E R S
Reimagining a New Parks Normal There is an old adage that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” And, sometimes, it takes a global crisis, like the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, for people to truly appreciate the value of their parks and open spaces. While the medical community and first responders have enjoyed the recognition they rightly deserve, it will be the orderly reopening of park systems throughout the country that commands the headlines over the coming months — especially with the looming fear of a second wave of infections that may set us back and further slow the economy. All eyes in the national media will be on the park systems, especially in large urban areas, that take the first leap. It is up to us as park professionals to get it right the first time by ensuring the proper multidisciplinary planning and flawless execution of our respective reopenings. Looking forward, there are a host of lessons and best practices that NRPA has gathered through regular outreach to its members during the crisis — practices that will be incorporated into our future professional development initiatives. Perhaps the most significant of these will be our embrace of the digital realm as a format for bringing park experiences to the public, especially when outdoor activity and travel are limited. And if we are smart, we will use these virtual park opportunities to not only encourage and influence healthy physical activity in living rooms across the nation, but, more importantly, to talk directly with our customers, teaching them to cherish the social, environmental and economic benefits of parks and recreational programs in their communities. There is a fundamental knowledge gap for the average citizen that if filled by careful, accurate and articulate messaging, has the potential of elevating parks to the “essential” level we have fought so hard for decades to convey. And, the timing is right for
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building the messaging campaign for a park movement that does not require reinventing our profession, only reimagining it in what will likely become a new digital normal. NRPA is working with our state associations, allied park nonprofits and World Urban Parks to ensure the strategies for our profession’s pandemic recovery and the projected budgetary impacts are mitigated to every extent possible through durable and coordinated advocacy that focuses on revenue stabilization and infrastructure stimulus. Preventing a repeat of the precipitous drop in funding we experienced during the 2008– 2013 recessionary period will require a full-court press with elected officials and agency heads at the federal, state and local levels. We can ill afford another period of dependence on privately financed park development and third-party programming whose business models limit equitable access and lower participation rates. Perhaps the hardest decision we have had to make has been the reimagining of our annual conference. Like many of our state and partner professions’ conferences, this decision considered the public health risk for mass gatherings, projected budget impacts and travel restrictions for member agencies, and growing conference financial liabilities during a time of uncertain economic impact. With proper digital design, NRPA may open a whole new market of allied professional interest. And, conference will be back bigger and better than ever in 2021! Parks and recreation is resilient, and NRPA’s leadership will continue to serve as the beacon for best practices in our profession. Stay safe and healthy, and remain connected to NRPA’s website to share and learn from your fellow professionals as we navigate these troubled waters and reimagine our new normal together.
JACK K ARDYS Chair, NRPA Board of Directors
2377 Belmont Ridge Rd. | Ashburn, VA 20148 2 703.858.0784 | nrpa.org
NRPA’S MISSION: To advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair of the Board of Directors Jack Kardys J. Kardys Strategies Miami, Florida
Joanna Lombard University of Miami School of Architecture; Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences Miami, Florida
Chair-Elect Michael P. Kelly Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois Treasurer Jesús Aguirre, CPRE
Carolyn McKnight-Fredd, CPRP
Seattle Parks and Recreation Seattle, Washington
Herman Parker
Previously with BREC Dallas, Texas
Joshua Medeiros, Ed.D., CPRP, AFO City of Bristol Parks & Recreation Bristol, Connecticut
Secretary Carolyn McKnight-Fredd, CPRP
Formerly of City of San Diego, California, Parks and Recreation Department San Diego, California
Previously with BREC Dallas, Texas
Ian Proud
President and CEO Kristine Stratton, Ex Officio National Recreation and Park Association Ashburn, Virginia
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Abbaté, FASLA, LEED AP Abbaté Designs Portland, Oregon
Jesús Aguirre, CPRE Seattle Parks and Recreation Seattle, Washington
Hayden Brooks American Realty Corporation Austin, Texas
Kong Chang City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Saint Paul, Minnesota
Kevin Coyle, J.D.
Playworld Systems Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Nonet T. Sykes Atlanta Beltline, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia
Xavier D. Urrutia Alamo Colleges District San Antonio, Texas
Greg A. Weitzel, M.S., CPRP City of Las Vegas Parks and Recreation Las Vegas, Nevada
Philip Wu, M.D. Formerly of Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region Portland, Oregon
LIFE TRUSTEES Beverly D. Chrisman Lexington, South Carolina
National Wildlife Federation Reston, Virginia
Anne S. Close
Jose Felix Diaz
James H. Evans
Ballard Partners Miami, Florida
New York, New York
Victor Dover
Sugar Hill, New Hampshire
Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning Miami, Florida
Earl T. Groves
Richard Gulley
Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D.
City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department San Diego, California
Jack Kardys J. Kardys Strategies Miami, Florida
Fort Mill, South Carolina
Rosemary Hall Evans
Gastonia, North Carolina Richmond, Virginia
Harry G. Haskell, Jr. Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Kathryn A. Porter Mendham, New Jersey
Michael P. Kelly
Perry J. Segura
Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois
New Iberia, Louisiana
R. Dean Tice
Karen Bates Kress
Round Hill, Virginia
Park Advocate Emigrant, Montana
Eugene A. Young, CPRP
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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EDITOR’S LET TER
Maintaining a Healthy Outlook For more than three years, I had the distinct pleasure of freelance writing for Parks & Recreation magazine. During that time, I interviewed some pretty amazing people in the field — from young agency staffers just beginning their P&R careers to seasoned professionals at the very top of their game. The common thread running through each of their stories is simply: loving a job that allows you to make a real, substantive difference in people’s lives by focusing on their health and well-being. Their energy and enthusiasm for their work proved not only inspiring, but also compelling. And, I wanted to continue to tell their stories — even the challenging ones — the ones that uncovered the harsh realities of the opioid and vaping epidemics impacting their communities across the country, along with the proposed solutions for ensuring positive health outcomes for the most vulnerable. The biggest take-away from covering both these crises is that park and recreation professionals never run from a challenge — they forge ahead. The field of parks and recreation, along with the rest of the world, is facing an even greater challenge: the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. All throughout the United States, park and recreation professionals are stepping up to assist healthcare workers and emergency responders. In fact, some city officials are even reclassifying P&R professionals as emergency or disaster relief workers, as is the case in cities like Los Angeles and San Diego. In this month’s cover story on page 36, titled “Homelessness and the Global Pandemic,” contributor Anthony-Paul (AP) Diaz of Los Angeles City Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) shares how his agency is heeding the call by quickly transforming 24 recreation centers into temporary shelters for people experiencing homelessness. What’s more, he and the RAP staff are helping to assemble 15 childcare centers for the children of first responders. “Today, while we all experience the ‘Great Pause,’ our parkland is being repurposed in unimaginable ways,” Diaz states. Given the current state of affairs, one could easily forget it’s a new decade — yet one that brings a new role for parks and recreation in public health. In the feature, “An Agent of Public Health,” on page 42, NRPA’s Allison Colman discusses how the power of the profession is “bringing communities together, creating safer neighborhoods, and connecting people with different lived experiences and backgrounds.” She further points out that as “we invest in a bigger, broader role for parks and recreation serving as community wellness hubs and connecting people to comprehensive health and social services, we must train up our existing staff and bring new and diverse expertise into the field.” Introducing green infrastructure can also improve people’s health and well-being, as contributor Beth Jacob illustrates in the article, “A New Green Revolution,” on page 46. What’s more, communities that invest in new green infrastructure, like bioswales, ponds and permeable pavement, are addressing the effects of climate change head on while enhancing people’s overall quality of life. Lastly, if you’re currently developing your strategy for reopening your park and recreation operations, I highly recommend reading NRPA’s “Path to Recovery” guidelines on page 14. As Parks & Recreation magazine’s new executive editor, I look forward to telling more of your stories and supporting your efforts in navigating through these extraordinary times. Please stay safe and maintain a healthy outlook, because we will get through this together.
VITISIA “VI” PAYNICH Executive Editor Print and Online Content 8
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PRESIDENT AND CEO Kristine Stratton VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Gina Mullins-Cohen gcohen@nrpa.org EXECUTIVE EDITOR, PRINT AND ONLINE CONTENT Vitisia Paynich vpaynich@nrpa.org ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lindsay Collins lcollins@nrpa.org PUBLICATION DESIGN Kim Mabon/Creative By Design CreativeByDesign.net SENIOR SALES MANAGER EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE Kip Ongstad 703.858.2174 kongstad@nrpa.org SENIOR SALES MANAGER WESTERN REGION AND ASIA Michelle Dellner 949.248.1057 mdellner@nrpa.org SALES COORDINATOR Meghan Fredriksen 703.858.2190 mfredriksen@nrpa.org PHOTOGRAPHY Dreamstime.com or NRPA (unless otherwise noted) MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Anthony-Paul Diaz, Chair Michael Abbaté, FASLA Neelay Bhatt Ryan Eaker Beau Fieldsend Robert García Kathleen Gibi Paul Gilbert, CPRP Tim Herd, CPRE Brian Johnson, CPSI Denise Johnson-Caldwell Roslyn Johnson, CPRP Michele Lemons Sam Mendelsohn Maria Nardi Lisa Paradis, CPRP Paula Sliefert Shonnda Smith, CPRP, AFO Anne-Marie Spencer Stephen Springs
Doug Kane, Whitefish Bay Recreation
John DeKemper, Cornelius Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture (PARC)
Aaron Watson, Mercer County Park Commission
To learn how we’re celebrating YOU this July for Park and Recreation Month, visit nrpa.org/July Robin Pfenning, Gurnee Park District
#WeAreParksAndRec
FOR THE RECORD
Editors Address April Article
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n the April 2020 issue of Parks & Recreation, an article was published, titled “Weathering the Storm,” that detailed the work of Greenprint Communities and its green stormwater infrastructure investments in partnership with the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and cited Mill Creek Park as a case study. Following its publication, Parks & Recreation received notice from a staff member of Mill Creek MetroParks that information presented regarding the park
system was inaccurate and that Mill Creek MetroParks is not associated with the groups mentioned in the article. The author of the piece responded with clarifying information, stating that “Mill Creek MetroParks is a separate political subdivision of the state of Ohio and their financial and infrastructural status is unrelated to Youngstown.” However, it was determined that the information presented did lead to inferences of misinformation. Therefore, an
editorial decision was made to remove the article from our online archives. The Parks & Recreation team strives always to provide factual stories containing precise supporting information and hope this notification helps to rectify the narrative by making clear the true nature of the situation regarding Mill Creek MetroParks and Greenprint Partners’ relationship to the green stormwater infrastructure investments in Youngstown. — Ed.
Explore NRPA’s Open Space Radio
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ant to learn more about some of the trending topics in the field of parks and recreation? Want to hear from some of the authors featured in the pages of Parks & Recreation magazine? Then NRPA’s Open Space Radio is the perfect resource for you! The official podcast of NRPA, Open Space Radio episodes are available at openspaceradio. org or on your favorite podcast app. Here’s just a sample of the episodes available for your listening enjoyment: • Cultivating a New Generation of Diverse Environmental Leaders – Episode 60 • How Park and Recreation Leaders Are Addressing Coronavirus – Episode 61 • The Importance of Mentoring in Parks and Recreation – Episode 62 • Celebrating 150 Years of Golden Gate Park, Virtually – Episode 63 • Parks and Recreation’s Next Generation – Episode 65 Bonus Episodes – Interviews with Parks & Recreation Magazine Contributors • A Blueprint for Social Equity and Economic Prosperity – March • How Parks Can Ensure Fireflies Continue to Shine Bright – April • The Importance of Collaboration During COVID-19 – May
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Available on iTunes and Google Play | openspaceradio.org
The Official Podcast of NRPA
The Latest Park and Recreation News and Trends On the Go
WE ARE PARKS & RECREATION Community Engagement: The Key to Understanding Local Perspectives By Kelsey Coats
I
n most community efforts, constituents and key partners’ goals must align for success and sustainability. Citizen engagement is a key component to understanding local perspectives and priorities, building trust and working together to ensure relevance and buy-in.
At Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, the urban and municipal park program provides educational resources and technical assistance for local communities working to better understand, develop and implement constituent-centered engagement processes. The program is currently facilitating a specific effort, Working on Wellness Environments, funded via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention High Obesity Program, which aims to empower partners in four Texas border counties to improve walkability and connect to safe everyday destinations. It also aims to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables using locally driven Policy, System and Environmental changes or enhancements. Our mixed-method approach to community engagement is key to understanding local perspectives and priorities while building trust. There is no standardized approach that will work best for every community be12
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cause every community is different. Additionally, while we strive to get feedback from as many people as possible, we recognize we do not reach everyone. Always consider whose perspective is missing and why. Some of our engagement tools include: • A web page that serves to inform about the project and is a gateway to resources and other engagement tools • Social media that celebrates local efforts and wins while connecting local groups to each other, tools and resources to inform decision making • Assessments, such as windshield tours, site assessments, asset maps, photo voice, walking audits and site inventories, that facilitate understanding of multiple stakeholder perspectives • Workshops that inform what is possible and what are best practices • Pop-Ups that use visuals and temporary change to see behavior change and get actual on-site feedback • Pop-Up Citizen Input conducted at everyday places, such as grocery stores, to get people’s perspectives who would not be reached in a traditional feedback loop • Coalitions that provide a collaborative forum to get partner
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perspectives, build teams, tie into existing and important/relevant efforts, and tap into shared constituents or constituents we might not reach without partners • Action Institutes, a collaborative process balancing learning, planning, doing and, most importantly, feedback loops and troubleshooting • An RFA program that enables local teams to take the lead on projects by outlining their plan, identifying who their partners are, and assessing what supplies or technical assistance they need In one year, these tools have facilitated the collaboration of more than 40 partner organizations across four counties to plan and plant a farm-to-school orchard, complete a downtown walkability pop-up and planning process, create healthy food policies for events, plan story walks, complete a planning process for wayfinding and trail signage at a local park, plan a youth-led healthy design academy, improve local farmers markets, and enhance a comprehensive plan to include alternative transportation infrastructure park-like elements into everyday places. Also, citizen engagement has ensured these projects are locally driven. For other examples and case studies of how to use a strong engagement framework, check out NRPA’s Community Engagement Resource Guide (nrpa.org/ CommunityEngagementGuide). Kelsey Coats is Extension Assistant Program Outreach PSE at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (kcoats@tamu.edu).
Engaging Youth Through Mentorship
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lizabethton, a rural Tennessee community of less than 14,000, and its residents have been deeply impacted by heavy opioid use and related overdoses and deaths. Parks and recreation has also suffered. Morning trash, once consisting of litter from family picnics and birthday parties, now contains drug paraphernalia — including dangerous syringes and needles. Programs and special events are also evolving. Now, grandparents often bring their young grandchildren to participate, because one or both parents are suffering from substance-use disorder and unable to care for their children. Covered Bridge Park, a popular outdoor space once used for family recreation, is now a highly trafficked drug area that many believe is unsafe at night. As a solution, Elizabethton Parks and Recreation developed a part-
nership with the local Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition — an anti-drug coalition with a mission to reduce substance use through collaborative planning, community action, and policy and advocacy efforts. Together, they work to engage at-risk youth and increase available programming through the park and recreation department. The Coalition provides the opportunity to reach and engage local youth — both through the newly formed Youth Coalition Board, as well as mentoring and outreach efforts. Beginning in early 2019, NRPA and leaders at Elizabethton Parks and Recreation have worked together to implement and expand evidencebased mentoring practices for at-risk and high-risk youth residing in Carter County, Tennessee. With funding provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Eliza-
bethton has successfully conducted outreach and engagement efforts to gain community buy-in and support for the mentoring program. Park and recreation leaders have leveraged the relationship with Carter County Drug Prevention to engage both youth and adults for mentoring services. Together, the partners have worked to recruit, screen and train mentors, while also enrolling mentees who would benefit from one-onone and group mentoring. The program — named Promoting Esteem Among Kids (PEAK) Mentoring — has been well promoted, even receiving attention from local news outlets. To date, PEAK has matched mentors and mentees and provides ongoing support during the COVID-19 crisis. While in-person mentoring has been put on hold for the time being, PEAK program staff have found innovative ways to stay engaged with program participants in a virtual manner.
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n April 13, parks and recreation lost one of its most valued leaders, Maxwell Doak Ramsey. A well-respected professional and advocate, Ramsey worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority while serving as a Board of Trustees member with NRPA from 1981 to 1983. He also served as chairman on the Board of Regents for the Recreation Maintenance Management School and president of the National Society for Park Resources. His
accolades include: Cornelius Amory Pugsley Bronze Medal Award, American Academy of Park and Recreation Administrators (1979) and the Meritorious Service Award, National Conference on State Parks (1973). In 2017, the Daughters of the American Revolution honored Ramsey with the National Historic Preservation Medal, in recognition of his more than 50 years of work to preserve the land and history of the peoples of East Tennessee. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G | J U N E 2 02 0 |
PHOTO COURTESY OF CONNIE RAMSEY
Industry Mourns the Passing of Pugsley Award Winner Maxwell D. Ramsey
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W E A R E P A R K S & R E C R E AT I O N
Path to Recovery
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ver the past two months, as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has swept across the nation, we have witnessed the incredible response from park and recreation professionals taking swift and needed actions to protect and support the health and well-being of their communities. In efforts to “flatten the curve,” agencies have implemented mitigation strategies — ranging from the broad application of recreation center and playground closures, to the cancellation of community events and youth sports programs. At the same time, agencies across the country have stepped up to fill gaps and provide essential services for our most vulnerable community members, including serving as food distribution centers, providing shelter for people who are housing-insecure, offering emergency childcare services to essential personnel and taking on new roles to support public health system contact tracing and other vital services. While taking on these new roles, agencies have largely continued to maintain parks, trails and open spaces throughout the pandemic, often providing the only opportunity for respite and outdoor activity for community members. Time and again over the past few months, park and recreation professionals have proven themselves to be a strong force for public health.
Park and recreation professionals are developing plans for reopening spaces, facilities and programs impacted by the pandemic. NRPA has been a staunch supporter of these efforts, championing professionals as they rise to the challenge daily and providing critical resources to help navigate this unprecedented time. While the pandemic continues to spread in nearly every state, some communities are beginning to see these efforts result in reductions in COVID-19 transmission. In line with guidance from public health officials, park and recreation professionals are developing plans for reopening these spaces, facilities and programs impacted by the pandemic. Our team at NRPA has been working hard alongside a group of subject-matter experts, including park and recreation professionals 14
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and public health experts, to develop and disseminate high-quality resources that support a thoughtful and methodical approach to a phased reopening that prioritizes public health and safety. As professionals begin to develop these plans, it is crucial to coordinate with state and local public health officials to ensure that essential public health indicators and gating criteria have been met (and continue to be met) when lifting restrictions and reinstating operations. To support this process, on Friday, May 1, NRPA launched our Path to Recovery framework, which includes comprehensive guidance, tools and resources focused on: • Creation of a Cross-Sector Recovery Team • Meeting Essential Public Health Indicators • Assessing the Risk of Spaces, Facilities and Programs • Centering Health Equity in Re-
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covery Efforts • Phased Reopening Planning – Gradually Restoring Operations to Protect Public Health • Specific Guidance for Common Park and Recreation Spaces, Facilities and Programs • Developing a Communications Plan • Staff Training and Measures to Protect Staff and Public • Cleaning and Disinfection Practices • Managing Contracts and Vendor Relationships to Ensure Safety • Securing Critical Supplies • Evaluating and Informing Emergency Plans • Resource Database – National and Local Reopening Resources Additional resources will continue to be developed and released in the coming weeks and months as more guidance is developed. At this time, we also recognize the significant economic impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had and will continue to have on the park and recreation field. Agencies nationwide are reporting significant cuts to operational and capital spending, as well as staffing cuts, furloughs and hiring freezes. NRPA is hard at work building resources and tools to strengthen our park and recreation movement by advocating for federal funds to support cities and counties and using our voice and platform to activate a network of advocates, supporters and believers in the power of parks and recreation. To view NRPA’s Path to Recovery resources, visit nrpa.org/ Coronavirus.
NRPA’S PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO COVID-19 The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency was officially declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is helping park and recreation professionals stay informed as they respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. NRPA is supporting park and recreation professionals by: •
Deploying a national communications plan to emphasize the essential role of parks and recreation.
•
Working with subject-matter experts to develop resources and guidance on response, recovery and revitalization.
•
Surveying and tracking the status of the field in real time, monitoring changes in policy, practice and operations.
•
Building out robust online learning and professional development opportunities to guide professionals in response and recovery efforts.
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Facilitating ongoing dialogue across the park and recreation profession to stimulate networking, innovation and collaboration.
•
Advocating for federal, state, local and philanthropic funding to support investments and recovery for park and recreation systems.
TO LEARN MORE on how to use parks safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit:
nrpa.org/Coronavirus
As we move through stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have organized our resources into three categories: Slowing the Spread, a Path to Recovery and the Essential Role of Parks and Recreation.
1. SLOWING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 •
Tools, resources and infographics aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 as well as supporting response and reaction measures.
•
Guidance for common park and recreation spaces and programs, emergency planning, cleaning and disinfection guidance, workplace safety guidance, etc.
2. PATH TO RECOVERY — PHASED REOPENING TO MAINTAIN LOW TRANSMISSION •
Guidance to help park and recreation professionals devise plans for reopening that prioritize public health and safety. Find guidance for creating a recovery team, meeting essential public health indicators, assessing the risk of facilities and more.
•
Resource database with sample models at national, state and local levels.
3. THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF PARKS AND RECREATION •
Position statements, latest research, communications tools, advocacy tools, learning opportunities, weekly wrap-ups, local stories and more. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G | J U N E 2 02 0 |
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W E A R E P A R K S & R E C R E AT I O N
Transforming Citizens into Pollinator Lovers Park professionals all abuzz about the benefits of a BioBlitz By Jennifer Fulcher
C PHOTO COURTESY OF PIERCE COUNTY PARKS
hange can begin with one person. And that is why Jenny Corbett, lead naturalist at Wickiup Hill Learning Center in Iowa, believes so strongly in BioBlitz events. The NRPA Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz promotes education about pollinators and facilitates the collection of data on the pollinators found in parks. During these events, individuals use the iNaturalist platform on their smart devices to take photographs of plants, insects and animals in a designated park space. The gathered citizen science data can help park professionals develop plans for protecting pollinators, as well as the plant life they rely on.
Volunteers work to help transform the Parkland Prairie Nature Preserve back into a native prairie.
“No matter how many people participate…hopefully, they will go home, plant a little corner in the yard as a pollinator garden,” Corbett says. “If you can get one person to change how they see their yard, that they don’t need to have a ‘green desert’ all mowed perfectly, neat and tidy, you have made a difference.” Corbett believes in her role as an educator. Both she and her fellow staff members know the importance of sharing knowledge about pollinators. Her center hosted a NRPA Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz last year and had 16
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hosted similar BioBlitz events previously. “Staff took special concern to help educate the public about native pollinators and how critical it is to plant native plants,” she says. “[It’s] always worth the effort,” Corbett says. Hosting an event requires organization and advance planning. The work behind the scenes relies on many different staff with various skills in such tasks as giving presentations, collecting supplies and communicating about events, she adds. “Anything we can do to encourage the public to think about their role as ‘citizen scientists’ and to give them tools to provide data is very valuable in the long run,” says Cindy Haverkamp, parks planner for Pierce County Parks and Recreation in Washington state. The Parkland Prairie Nature Preserve once was a dumping area for trash and a camping site for the homeless in an urban area. Recently, the preserve has been restored by the hard work of “an army of volunteers” to a native prairie where the public can learn about this environment, Haverkamp says. Data collected the same time each year will be especially valuable for the preserve. “As park professionals, we want to know quite a few things
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about this site,” she says. Data will help track native species and any reemergence of invasive species. “Events like Parks for Pollinators benefit the community because they raise awareness,” Haverkamp notes. Many people don’t understand how important pollinators are or how they connect to both the human and animal world. “If we can use tools like iNaturalist to get their attention or to increase their curiosity about their local environment, they will be more intentional about taking care of it, which will benefit all of us,” she says. “A BioBlitz is a great way to reconnect with your parks,” says Rowan Prothro, recreation specialist for Georgetown Parks and Recreation in Texas. These events allow both park professionals and park visitors to gain a deeper understanding, better connection to and feeling of ownership of their park. Last year, Prothro coordinated a BioBlitz at Garey Park. The work to plan and market the event as well as to create a project through iNaturalist and teach staff how to use the technology proved well worth the effort. “We had many people visit the park who had never been there before,” he says. The event drew individuals who had never gone on a hike and helped everyone form a stronger connection to the natural world around them while providing some useful data. To learn more about the national Parks for Pollinators campaign and how to host your own BioBlitz, visit nrpa.org/BioBlitz. Jennifer Fulcher is the Communications Manager at NRPA (jnguyen@nrpa.org).
Reimagining Parks, Health and an Entire Small Town By Scott Ward
C
ollege Park in Winchester, Kentucky, was in desperate need of repair. Among other challenges, the 20-year-old facility featured wooden structures that could no longer be serviced and a playground that was not accessible to children of all abilities. Evaluating the state of this single park within an aging system pinpointed the need to revisit the city’s outdated park master plan. This led to a rethinking of the parks at a system-wide level, which is helping transform the small town on the edge of Eastern Kentucky.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILLIAM E. FLINCHUM
Change came through conversations among a group of representatives from the Clark County Activity Coalition, which helped secure a grant from the National Recreation and Park Association to aid the park improvement process. The coalition was born out of a report that identified obesity as one of several major health concerns, leading to the formation of a health-focused community group to expand wellness programming. Today, the coalition includes the park and recreation department, health department, hospital, city planning department, a local private foundation and representatives from Winchester’s health- and fitness-focused businesses.
“Our connection with the Activity Coalition really helped us envision things through a health and equity lens,” says Deborah Jackson, director of programming and marketing for Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation. “Did we have quality parks available to every neighborhood? If not, why not? And, how do we effectively engage with residents?” The outcome was the first parks master planning process in nearly two decades, which became a vital component of the redevelopment of the whole city. “Creating a healthy community is a key part of our vision of the Winchester we want to be — a growing, vibrant place that
A reimagining of Winchester parks at a system-wide level is helping to transform the town into a healthier community.
serves current residents and attracts new ones,” Jackson says. The process has sparked a new way of considering the very notion of parks. The city is working with the community to re-examine the current amenities, including playgrounds and ball fields, and imagining a future park system with interconnected spaces, free imaginative play and myriad healthy outdoor activities that provide broader access to all of Winchester’s residents. “In the end, our collaborative approach is helping garner more use of the parks and encouraging greater support, both in the community and at City Hall,” Jackson says. “What started with a conversation about our park system is really helping to reimagine Winchester.”
The Joint Call to Action to Promote Healthy Communities Projects and initiatives related to health and health equity in the built environment often start with a conversation between individuals or among small groups. It may be a formal convening led by a foundation or city agency, a workshop at a convention or even coffee between colleagues. The Joint Call to Action to Promote Healthy Communities is engaged in a year-long effort to spur these conversations among our members and beyond. We’ve compiled stories about discussions that have led to healthy solutions at the community, regional and state levels. To learn more about the Joint Call to Action, how Winchester started its conversation and learn about other conversations, visit nrpa.org/HealthyCommunities. Scott Ward is Principal at Fifth Estate Communications (scott.ward@fifth-estate.com).
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W E A R E P A R K S & R E C R E AT I O N
Managing Up Learning to shift your perspective to bring upper management on board By Michael Biedenstein, CPRP
I
nitially, the concept of managing up can seem to be a risky manipulation of supervisors by employees for personal gain. In fact, managing up is simply team members learning how best to communicate with their leaders. Managing up takes work, trial and error, and can be frustrating. But, in the end, both the supervisor and employee are more productive and, therefore, happier as a result of a better working relationship. If the employee can think from the supervisor’s perspective and tailor the presentation of their proposal or idea accordingly, then the employee’s chances of success multiply exponentially. To understand the supervisor’s perspective, the employee must strive to determine the following:
What Is Important? Some supervisors are driven by cost recovery or return on investment. If you can prove that your idea will turn a profit or cover the required overhead expenses, these supervisors are more likely to approve the idea. Others are especially driven by the number of people served or by the impact on some other organizational key performance indicator. In parks and recreation, in particular, sheer creativity and fun may be a top priority. Take time to listen to which ideas the supervisor approves and highlights and craft your next pitch accordingly.
How Do They Listen? Do your emails always go unanswered? What if you stopped asking for approval in the email and instead presented the idea via email before asking for approval in conversation? On the other hand, 18
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does your supervisor always seem too busy to talk? Try setting aside a time in their calendar. If you don’t know where to start, try presenting the information in a PowerPoint, spreadsheet and written proposal format to see which format the supervisor seems to gravitate toward.
How Do They Say Yes? Trial and error is a must here. Some supervisors want choices that they can ultimately decide on. For others, that approach will delay the proposal significantly due to the supervisor’s paralysis by analysis. In this case, if the proposal email had been simply reformatted to say what course of action you plan to take for the supervisor to approve, then it could be quickly given the green light. Furthermore, some supervisors love talking out options while others view this as a waste of their time. The employee may have two minutes to make their pitch before the supervisor assertively makes the decision and the discussion is over. Frustration here is inevitable and understandable, because it is hard to tell whether the idea was flawed or if the delivery was wrong. That said, finding the optimal approach can have a big impact.
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What Do They Need? Often the most valuable thing to a supervisor is whatever will be valuable to the supervisor’s supervisor. If your proposal will fit in with an organizational project or priority that your supervisor is working on, then your proposal is in a much stronger position. Take the time to read published reports and news articles so that you can better understand the pressures that your supervisor is experiencing. These pressures could be nearly anything: budget reductions, social equity or improving employee satisfaction. Find ways to have your proposal be a part of the solution for your supervisor. Research reveals that more than half the population has voluntarily left an organization to get away from a bad manager. These studies make it easy to throw your hands in the air and complain that you have one of those terrible managers who are unresponsive and never listen to their employees. While the hope is that the supervisor miraculously improves overnight, the employee actually has a choice: either remain frustrated with the problem until quitting or take the initiative, adapt and be part of the solution. As the employee, you can step up to the plate yourself and communicate more effectively. You can manage up! Michael Biedenstein, CPRP, is Park Program Services Division Manager for St. Louis County (Missouri) Parks and current Chair of the NRPA Young Professional Network (mbiedenstein@ stlouisco.com).
Member Benefit: Learning, Training and Professional Development
N
RPA offers members a variety of learning opportunities to help you gain knowledge and fast track your career development. From webinars to certification programs, NRPA has you covered. Webinars and Virtual Events – NRPA webinars and virtual events offer a broad range of programming to help members stay up-todate on conservation, health and wellness, and social equity. They are brought to you by NRPA and subject-matter experts in the field. Certificate Programs – NRPA Certificate programs provide par-
ticipants with training developed around specialized topics for the park and recreation field. After successfully demonstrating knowledge of the course content, professionals will receive a certificate of completion. Online Courses – NRPA offers tailored educational courses online focused on an array of different areas, including aquatics, marketing, recreation programming, leadership and more! Certification – Through national certification, you join thousands of people who are committed to the highest standards of ethical and professional practice in the delivery
of park and recreation programs. NRPA currently offers four certification programs: Certified Park and Recreation Professional, Certified Playground Safety Inspector, Certified Park and Recreation Executive, and Aquatic Facility Operator. Premier Webinar Series – NRPA’s Premier Webinar Series, free to all Premier members, addresses timely and relevant topics within the park and recreation field. The Premier Webinar Series occurs on the second Thursday of each month at 2 p.m. ET. To learn more, visit nrpa.org/ Careers-Education.
NRPA
CONNECT
Blog nrpa.org/blog
nrpaconnect.org nrpa.org/connect-app
NRPA SOCIAL MEDIA @NationalRecreationandParkAssociation @nrpa_news
openspaceradio.org
@nrpa
parksandrecreation.org
National Recreation and Park Association
@parksrecmag
(or your favorite podcast app)
@openspaceradio
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RESEARCH NRPA Surveys Track COVID-19’s Impact on P&R By Kevin Roth
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arks and recreation has been a vital respite during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. With millions of acres of open space and thousands of miles of trails under their watch, local park and recreation agencies have been the one place where people can stay physically active, take a deep breath and reconnect with nature during these trying times. Little of this would be possible without the tireless efforts of the hundreds of thousands of professionals who keep our parks open and safe for all to enjoy.
Parks Snapshot Data
In late March, NRPA launched a new survey series to track how COVID-19 is affecting park and recreation agencies across the nation. Each week, we send the NRPA Parks Snapshot questionnaire to park and recreation leaders to see what is open, closed, how they are promoting safe park usage and what challenges they are facing. By mid-April, we saw a clear pattern of park and recreation amenities that were and were not open. For example, more than 7 in 10 park and recreation agencies kept all of their parks open and 9 in 10 reported that their trail networks remained accessible to the community for walking, running and biking. On the other end of the spectrum, virtually every other park and recreation amenity had closed; including playgrounds, outdoor sports fields and courts, and skateparks.
Keeping parks as a safe option for recreation means making sure visitors are following physical distancing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with those from state and local health officials. Parks Snapshot survey respondents told us that their physical distancing efforts included: • Signage alerting to physical distancing guidelines • Removing recreation amenities that promoted congregating (e.g., basketball nets, picnic tables) • Deploying agency staff to serve as park ambassadors who educate users on proper distancing practices. Closed recreation centers, gyms and aquatic centers have deprived many people of their favorite fitness and well-being opportunities. To fill this void, more than 3 in 5 park and recreation agencies had launched
NRPA Parks Snapshot Data: April 15–17 Open
Some Open/ Some Closed
All Closed
Local neighborhood parks
76%
7%
17%
Trails
91%
6%
3%
Playgrounds
5%
2%
93%
Outdoor sports fields and courts
14%
21%
66%
Beaches
40%
11%
49%
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virtual recreation programming by mid-April that they delivered online (through YouTube and social media) and on public access TV channels. Common virtual recreation programming topics include: • Family engagement activities • Fitness classes • Self-care and well-being topics • Education classes; including literacy, STEM, environment Health and wellness for all is the essence of parks and recreation and this crisis has highlighted how P&R professionals make our communities healthy and resilient. One example is how many agencies have contributed more broadly to their communities’ emergency response to COVID-19. By mid-April, 2 in 5 local park and recreation agencies were serving their community in many ways, including: • Serving or distributing food to older adults and/or families • Opening recreation centers and other agency facilities to serve as emergency shelters • Providing childcare to the children of essential agency staff, healthcare providers and first responders P&R agencies have risen to the challenge by making sure their communities continue to have access to safe outdoor recreation opportunities. Sharing ideas and best practices has never been more vital. I encourage you to participate in these surveys and to continue the conversation on NRPA Connect. Kevin Roth is Vice President of Research, Evaluation and Technology at NRPA (kroth@nrpa.org).
NRPA PARK PULSE
Park and Recreation Professionals Deliver Critical Virtual Health Resources
82% of U.S. adults find virtual health resources valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic
Top virtual health resources include: Physical activity classes
Health and safety courses
Health literacy classes
such as First Aid/CPR
such as cooking
Academic classes
such as STEM, reading, writing and digital learning
Park and recreation professionals nationwide moved swiftly to provide modified programming to best serve their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. NRPA is helping park and recreation professionals stay informed as they respond to and recover from the outbreak by sharing resources at nrpa.org/Coronavirus.
Each month, through a poll of 1,000 U.S. residents focused on park and recreation issues, NRPA Park Pulse helps tell the park and recreation story. Questions span from the serious to the more lighthearted. The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com).
Visit nrpa.org/ParkPulse for more information.
FINANCE FOR THE FIELD How Much Does Living Close to a Golf Course Add to Property Values? By John L. Crompton, Ph.D.
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n a recent article in the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, Sarah Nicholls, a professor in the department of business at Swansea University’s School of Management, and I reviewed 21 studies that measured the impact of golf courses on property values. They were all published in peer reviewed journals, which provided assurance that the research techniques producing the results were sound. Our review showed the impact of golf courses was different from that of parks in two ways. First, access to golf courses by non-golfers, who would like to engage in such activities as walking, jogging, sitting or daydreaming, typically is aggressively discouraged. Hence, there is relatively little benefit to be gained from living
proximate to a course unless there is a view of it. As a result, almost all the premium is confined to those residences fronting onto a golf course. This contrasts with the impact of parks, which in the April issue of Parks and Recreation was
reported to extend out to 500–600 feet (about three blocks), and for larger parks the influence tended to extend to approximately 1,200 feet. Second, the review of the impact of parks reported that, in some instances, premiums on residences two or three blocks distant from a park were higher than those for residences adjacent to a park. This finding reflected nuisances experienced by adjacent residences, such as congestion, street parking, litter or vandalism, intrusive ballfield lights and engaging in morally of-
Premiums from golf courses tend to be confined to residences that have a direct view of the landscape.
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fensive activities. The absence of these nuisances from a golf course contributes to the premium for residences abutting a course. The premiums primarily reflect views. Frontage properties embrace the concept of ‘appropriation’ that was articulated by Humphry Repton, one of the pioneering ‘fathers’ of landscaping in the early 1800s. Appropriation is the view of the landscape that is visible from a residence that effectively integrates a view into the resident’s private property, even though it is not part of the property. Frontage golf course premiums typically averaged between 15 percent and 30 percent, which is much higher than the 8 percent to 10 percent typically associated with properties fronting onto passive parks. Premiums are almost all attributable to the location of a lot rather than to residences constructed on a lot, because the cost of building a given house in a community is likely to be approximately the same irrespective of where it is located. This means that when premiums are expressed as a percentage, there is likely to be a substantial difference between those of undeveloped lots and those of built-out developments. Consider the following: Lot cost
House cost
Total cost
Prime frontage
$250,000
$400,000
$650,000
Interior lot
$100,000
$400,000
$500,000
John L. Crompton, Ph.D., is a University Distinguished Professor, Regents Professor and Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University and an elected Councilmember for the City of College Station (jcrompton@tamu.edu).
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In this example, the premium for the vacant lot is 150 percent ($250,000/$100,000), but the premium when the lot is developed is 30 percent ($650,000/$500,000). Frontage premiums are not all the same magnitude. The evidence suggests that those for ‘ordinary’ fairway lots are approximately half those for ‘prime’ fairway lots with extended views (e.g., 180, 360) or prized views (e.g., water features and/or greens). Premiums tend to be relatively low for municipal courses and relatively high for private courses. This is mainly attributed to differences in the quality/exclusivity of the courses, and the negative impact of more rounds/players on properties adjacent to municipal courses. Course configurations may also influence premiums. Long-established ‘core’ courses that were constructed by municipalities or private clubs to provide opportunities for golfers to play the game without regard to their impact on real estate are likely to have relatively small
premiums. In contrast, premiums for courses in golf communities that are intentionally threaded around real estate and designed to create attractive viewscapes are likely to have relatively high premiums. Frontage premiums are dependent on high-quality maintenance of the course. However, this prerequisite is under threat in some communities, because more than 1,200 golf courses in the U.S. have closed since 2003, often leaving abutting homes looking at unkempt open space, rather than manicured, attractive green space. The closures have resulted from an over-supply of courses constructed in the latter decades of the past century, and a decline in both the number of people playing golf (from 30.6 million in 2003 to 24.2 million in 2018) and the number of rounds played (from 518 million in 2000 to 434 million in 2018).
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Park and recreation agencies are well suited to serve as SNAP application assistance centers.
ADVOCACY
Parks and Recreation and SNAP By Maureen Neumann
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hat is SNAP? The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is an elegibility-based benefit program designed to supplement the food budget of low-income families so they can purchase healthy food. SNAP is an integral part of reducing hunger, malnutrition and poverty, and improving family security, child and adult health, employment and other outcomes.
ments. These waivers and processes allowed for more people to access the available benefits, which could lead to an increased awareness and trust in the process following the end of this pandemic.
When someone applies and qualifies for SNAP benefits, they receive the benefit funds on an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, which can be used like a debit card to purchase eligible food in authorized retail food stores, and in many communities, at farmers markets. Funds can only be used to purchase produce, meats, dairy, grains, and seeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat. SNAP is a federal benefits program, but applications are managed on the state level. Nationwide, about 36 million people currently
How Can Park Agencies Play a Role in Enrollment?
receive SNAP benefits, but there are so many others who are eligible who haven’t accessed the program for a multitude of reasons, including lack of awareness about eligibility, barriers to enrollment or stigma involved with receiving the benefits. In light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, emergency allotments of SNAP benefits became available as states issued emergency or disaster declarations, along with waivers allowing extended certification periods, waiving periodic reporting and making adjustments to interview require-
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The work of parks and recreation is truly that of a community wellness hub — trusted gathering places that connect every member of the community to essential programs, services and spaces that advance health equity, improve health outcomes and enhance quality of life. SNAP enrollment support and retention assistance are the perfect fit! As safe and welcoming spaces for all community members, P&R agencies are well suited to serve as SNAP application assistance cen-
ters, as well as helping recipients navigate their benefits and work toward routine renewal. While park and recreation agencies may not be suited to serve as official enrollment centers, they are equipped to assist — helping to guide community members through the process and make social service connections. Agencies offer support through a variety of strategies: Provide information and resources about SNAP and the enrollment process. Park and recreation agencies can provide information on where to find the local SNAP office, eligibility requirements, and what verification documents need to be collected and submitted with the application. Assist with prescreening. The prescreening process helps to determine which clients qualify for SNAP and at what estimated benefit level. The SNAP application process requires asking many questions and sharing information, so it’s key to have a private place to complete the screening and to ensure community members this information stays confidential. Offer space to complete the application. Park and recreation agencies can offer a private space with an internet-connected computer to complete the application, if online, or a paper copy of the application to mail. Provide direct support to community members through the process. The waiting time to determine SNAP eligibility is 30 days, so support through that period is key. Park and recreation agency staff can call the applicant to make sure they have scheduled their interview with the SNAP local office, submitted all verification documents,
and ask if they have received any correspondence in the mail that requires clarification. Following enrollment, P&R staff can also offer this same assistance during benefit renewal periods.
For more information on SNAP and the role your agency can play, visit tinyurl.com/rj2vtfj. Maureen Neumann is a Program Manager on the health and wellness team at NRPA (mneumann@nrpa.org).
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Volunteers from Indiana University Health West Hospital plant a 2,200-square-foot pollinator garden for their Day of Service at the Outdoor Classroom in Brownsburg, IN.
COVID-19 Crisis Highlights Need for Greener Parks By Wende David and Jenny Cox
A
s the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic puts a pause on work and social events, people are looking for creative ways to be physically active, to stay in touch with loved ones and to entertain themselves at home and away from others. Parks — especially neighborhood parks and nearby green spaces — have been essential for the safe enjoyment of the outdoors during the pandemic. Many people have a newfound appreciation for the community benefits provided by local park and recreation staff and facilities. This eye-opening realization has helped many people see the critical role community parks and the staff who work tirelessly to run them serve in solving social, health and environmental challenges. Now is the time to advocate for and adopt policies that support the advancement of “greener parks,” or those parks that address climate impacts through green infrastructure and advance equitable access to quality green spaces.
Greener Parks for the Greater Good The benefits of greener parks are especially important for communities hit the hardest by natural disasters, most affected by air pollution and lacking access to quality parks due 26 Parks & Recreation
to years of disinvestment. How can greener parks really make a positive impact on people’s health, especially considering COVID-19 is at the center of every public health conversation? According to NRPA’s Parks, Green Infrastructure and Health lit-
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Greener Parks What do we mean by “greener parks?” Parks serve important functions for recreation and green space in communities, but incorporating green infrastructure into parks can help boost their overall benefit to communities through increased health, environmental, social and economic benefits.
erature review (nrpa.org/GIHealth): • Increased tree canopy is associated with decreased rates of obesity and obesity-related illnesses. Research (tinyurl.com/ v8enpyo) shows that during March 2020, obesity was one of the highest occurring underlying health conditions for COVID-19 hospital admissions. • Spending time in places with green features helps people recover from mental fatigue, which is especially important during these truly trying times.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BROWNSBURG PARKS
CONSERVATION
Sponsored Content brought to you by
Social Equity in the Tech Age By Alex Gauthier We often forget to take care of our mental state. • Green infrastructure planning, development and maintenance create jobs for skilled workers. As we are thinking about how to restart our economies and get people back to work, consider supporting a movement toward green jobs. • Well-managed green infrastructure in public places can grow trust and satisfaction community members have with local government, which increases over time as the assets stay well-managed. Because these parks play a crucial role in helping communities cope with the pandemic, community members will advocate for elected officials to prioritize the development and maintenance of public parks. This health pandemic has put a spotlight on various social challenges that can be linked to shortcomings in our current political and economic systems. These systems continue to undervalue environmental services, such as those provided by greener parks, and shift the greatest burden of impact onto our most vulnerable populations. It isn’t the only solution, but equitable investment in greener parks provides exceptional returns to all and is unanimously supported by the public.
Using Parks as Opportunities for Change Research shows that political systems often continue without significant change until there is a major shock that disrupts the flow (tinyurl.com/jm442l3). Although none of us wanted this ruthless pandemic to be the reason, it is undeniable that this is an extraordinary moment in history. We have an opportunity during this disruption to leverage a policy shift that prioritizes greener parks as critical infrastructure that simultaneously improves environmental conditions, provides safe spaces to foster healthy lifestyles, and promotes social and economic stability in a volatile world. By prioritizing parks and green infrastructure as essential infrastructure, we can remove barriers to implementing greener parks, which will generate more jobs and support healthier lifestyles. Local leaders should collaborate across municipal agencies to invest in creating master plans and budgets that highlight equitably distributed and interconnected greener parks as a solution to health, environmental and social issues. This would aid in immediately putting people back to work — planning, designing and constructing shovel-ready park projects and addressing the maintenance backlog in parks after years of disinvestment. On June 22, NRPA is releasing a suite of resources aimed at equipping you with the tools and knowledge to promote and advocate for greener parks in your community, including a communications toolkit, policy action framework and advocacy toolkit. See nrpa.org/GIHealth for more details. Wende David is Senior Program Manager at NRPA (wdavid@nrpa.org). Jenny Cox is Conservation Program Manager at NRPA (jcox@nrpa.org).
W
riting a piece that’s set to be released two months later is a challenge, and doing so during a pandemic is daunting. We’re currently waiting to “meet” the new normal, and in this time ripe with speculation, I can’t help but notice how this crisis has highlighted the defining role that social equity has played in our collective and individual experience. Social equity fuels the economic wellbeing of local communities and creates a great quality of life across community segments. It creates thriving and engaged communities — most of which tout reduced crime rates. An interesting outcome of this crisis has also been the rise in technology as a tool to help organizations to identify population structure and ensure their support is aligned with resident needs. Technology provides access to geographical, economic and other demographic data points that allow us to define our community’s makeup. However, often the data is overwhelming, difficult to digest and even more so to put into action. The reality is that pulling raw data is not enough. The power lies in combining this data with technology that helps define your community further, allowing you to target these groups with the most relevant offerings, services, pricing and messaging. As you evaluate response, engagement and results, you can adjust your policies and offerings to ensure you’re serving your community in the most meaningful ways. Social equity is, unfortunately, not a simple goal to achieve — there are financial and infrastructural resources needed to be successful. However, truly understanding the defining factors of your community is where it all begins. Identifying what will serve the individuals and families who form your community will set your agency on the path to inclusion and maximized impact in your community. Visit smartrec.com to discover how we can help you make the connections that matter. Alex Gauthier is Chief Operating Officer at Amilia (alex.g@amilia.com).
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SOCIAL EQUITY
Only 30 percent of P&R agencies offer programs targeted toward LGBTQ+ people.
Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community Through Parks and Recreation By Jared Mummert
P
ark and recreation professionals pride themselves and their work as being open to people of all backgrounds and offer recreation programming and inclusive spaces for everyone to create healthy and vibrant communities. The people you serve face a variety of challenges and look to their community institutions, like park and recreation centers, as opportunities to escape the pressures of life and be mentally and physically healthy. Because June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, it allows us the perfect opportunity to consider how we can better serve our LGBTQ+ family, friends and neighbors. To know how to move forward, we need to understand the history of injustices against LGBTQ+ people and the role parks have played in that struggle. In a June 2019 blog post (nrpa.org/PrideInParks) on NRPA’s Open Space blog, I wrote about the history of LGBTQ+ activism and our fight for civil rights, highlighting Christopher Park in Greenwich Village at the center of the movement.
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The blog post showed how parks have been a refuge for LGBTQ+ people for decades. Parks offered homeless LGBTQ+ youth fleeing abusive homes a place to rest. Parks were places for LGBTQ+ people to gather when they were shunned everywhere else. Underground bars and parks were the only places we felt safe, and we weren’t even safe there. Police brutality and routine crackdowns
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on LGBTQ+ gatherings killed our friends and family and eroded any trust in government. For decades, LGBTQ+ people have been told we are less than. Whether it was diagnosing us as having a mental disorder and sending us to mental institutions to undergo inhumane, aggressive treatments or through discrimination in housing, employment and marriage because of our gender identity or sexual orientation. Today, that treatment is illegal in the United States and progress has been made, but in several states the policy discrimination still exists and LGBTQ+ people continue to face higher rates of health disparities.
P&R Can Make a Difference In 2019, the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization focused on suicide
prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth, released its national report (tinyurl.com/y6xb76pz) on LGBTQ+ youth mental health. The report finds that 71 percent of LGBTQ+ youth reported discrimination, while 2 in 3 LGBTQ+ youth reported someone convincing them to change their gender identity or sexual orientation. This discrimination leads to a staggering statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (tinyurl.com/ycvafuyq), stating that LGBTQ+ youth in grades 7–12 were more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide as their heterosexual peers. The solution to this is supportive and affirming friends, families and spaces. This is where parks and recreation plays a role.
We know the critical role park and recreation centers play and the many benefits they offer to our communities. The 2018 NRPA Park and Recreation Inclusion Report (nrpa. org/InclusionReport) details how park and recreation professionals serve marginalized people. The report shows that many agencies face significant challenges with inclusion, including limited staff and funds, and even some lack a clear understanding of the needs and desires of members of the community. Currently, only 30 percent of agencies deliver programs targeted to the LGBTQ+ community. Despite these challenges, P&R professionals work tirelessly to ensure these spaces are safe, inclusive, culturally relevant and welcoming.
Take this Pride Month to reevaluate how you are serving your LGBTQ+ community members. Does your agency have a nondiscrimination policy based on sexual orientation and gender identity? Is your messaging inclusive of LGBTQ+ lived experiences and does it establish a welcoming environment? Do you offer LGBTQ+ specific recreation programming? These are just a few examples of ways to better serve the LGBTQ+ community. Though P&R professionals continue to face seemingly insurmountable challenges, don’t be discouraged to take small steps of progress toward a larger goal of inclusivity. Happy Pride Month! Jared Mummert is Park Access Program Manager at NRPA (jmummert@nrpa.org).
Creating Equity-Based System Master Plans NRPA’s online tool can help you create master plans grounded in equity and inclusion. nrpa.org/ParkMasterPlanning
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Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit claiming a violation of their First Amendment Rights.
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First Amendment Challenge to City Festival Ordinances By James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.
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n the case of O’Connell v. City of New Bern, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41179 (E.D. N.C 3/10/2020), plaintiffs claimed the defendant City of New Bern had violated their First Amendment rights by applying the City’s picketing and noise ordinances to their activities. New Bern, North Carolina, Code of Ordinances § 66-84(a), (b), and (d) (2019). Plaintiffs Patrick O’Connell and Jason Crowley, along with other individual plaintiffs, acted to spread awareness of their views regarding religious, political and social topics. Specifically, plaintiffs’ message was one of hope and salvation that Christianity offers. Plaintiffs shared their faith in various ways, including distributing free literature, carrying portable signs or a replica of the cross of Christ’s crucifixion, recording public events for commentary and distribution, and engaging others in respectful,
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one-on-one discussions about Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. In 2015 and 2017, plaintiffs attended Mumfest for the purpose of preaching the Gospel to festival attendees. Mumfest (mumfest. com) is an annual fall festival held for the past 37 years in the City of New Bern. Mumfest is open to the public free of charge, and the festival is not an expression of a particular message. The public is invited to enjoy a variety of entertainment, attractions, exhibits and food in New Bern’s historic downtown and
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along its waterfront. Most of the attractions, displays, exhibits and vendors are located on defendant New Bern’s sidewalks and streets. In 2015 and 2017, an estimated 100,000 people attended Mumfest each year. During the festival, New Bern’s streets, sidewalks and public areas were densely crowded in a relatively small space. In the interest of “maintaining public safety, crowd control, the flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and access to buildings abutting public sidewalks and driveways,” New Bern had enacted picketing and noise ordinances. The picketing ordinance was applicable to demonstrations and protests that included “the distribution of leaflets or handbills, the display of signs and any oral com-
munication or speech, which may involve an effort to persuade or influence, including all expressive and symbolic conduct, whether active or passive.” Consistent with the ordinance, picketing could be conducted on “public sidewalks, in any city-controlled park, or in other city-owned areas normally used or reserved for pedestrian movement,” but not “on the portion of the public roadway used primarily for vehicular traffic.” Further, picketing could not “disrupt, block, obstruct or interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic.” In addition, picketing by individuals carrying written or printed placards or signs or flags, or banners on city sidewalks or city-owned areas had to “allow safe and unobstructed passage of pedestrian or vehicular traffic.” Further, picketing signs, flags or banners could be carried on a staff or pole, blunt on both ends, made of corrugated material, plastic or wood, but not metal or metal alloy, and the length could not exceed 40 inches and a width of three-quarter inches in diameter. New Bern also had a city noise ordinance that prohibited “loud, raucous and disturbing noise.” Under the ordinance, prohibited noise included “any sound which because of its volume level, duration, and character annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, health, peace, or safety of reasonable persons of ordinary sensibilities” heard upon the public streets and parks within the limits of the city. The noise ordinance also prohibited: “The use or operation of any mechanical or electrical device, apparatus, or instrument to amplify, intensify, or reproduce
the human voice, or to produce, reproduce, intensify, or amplify any other sound when the sound from such activity is clearly audible more than 100 feet from the device, apparatus, or instrument.”
Mumfest 2015 In 2015, several of New Bern’s police officers approached plaintiffs and their group when they arrived at Mumfest and told them that they could not bring their nine-foot cross into the festival, because it was taller than 40 inches and more than three-quarter inches in diameter. Plaintiff O’Connell asked to talk to the officer’s supervisor, Todd Conway. Conway reiterated the officers’ point, telling plaintiff O’Connell that he could not bring the cross into the event because it was taller than 40 inches and more than three-quarter inches in diameter. O’Connell, nonetheless, attempted to enter the festival with his cross, but was physically blocked by the officers. Shortly thereafter, O’Connell stood on a step stool in the middle of the road adjacent to barricades at the Middle and Broad Street intersection and used a megaphone to preach to individuals inside Mumfest. Officers approached plaintiffs at the barricade and advised them multiple times that they could not use the megaphone that amplifies sound more than 100 feet, pursuant to defendant New Bern’s noise ordinance. After plaintiffs were told to turn down the megaphone, Conway instructed plaintiffs to move because a paid performer was setting up in the intersection and plaintiffs were interfering with the performance. Plaintiff O’Connell continued to
preach for several minutes. Conway, again, instructed plaintiffs to move under threat of arrest. Under protest, plaintiffs moved to the sidewalk adjacent to the intersection where they preached for the rest of the day. Shortly after moving, Conway instructed two firefighters to park their utility vehicle between plaintiffs and the festival attendees gathered in the intersection. Conway directed the firefighters to place the cart in reverse so it would make a beeping sound. Plaintiff Crowley and his associates asked Conway to instruct the firefighters to turn the buzzer off, but Conway refused, saying that it was not his cart and he could not make them turn it off. Later in the day, Conway returned with another utility cart he was driving, positioned it between plaintiffs and festivalgoers, and placed it in reverse to create a beeping noise. At several other points during the day, plaintiffs and their associates entered the festival area to preach and distribute literature. Relying on Mumfest rules promulgated by the festival organizer, Conway told Crowley he was not allowed to distribute literature in the festival area. In total, plaintiffs and their group were in New Bern for Mumfest 2015 for several hours.
Mumfest 2017 In 2017, plaintiff O’Connell, again, attempted to attend Mumfest to preach the gospel inside the event. O’Connell entered the festival at the traffic circle and preached for about two or three hours. After about the first hour and a half, he was approached by officer Wilson. Wilson told O’Connell that he needed to take
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The federal district court reviewed plaintiffs’ freedom of speech claim.
the cross out of the festival area and keep moving. After O’Connell requested to speak to Wilson’s supervisor, Sergeant Sneeden arrived. Sneeden agreed that O’Connell did not need to take the cross out of the festival, but it had to be disassembled. The cross was approximately 30 inches when disassembled, though it is not part of O’Connell’s message when disassembled. O’Connell kept his cross collapsed during the entire time he preached in order to avoid arrest. Plaintiffs planned to go to New Bern’s public spaces during festivals and other events in the future to share their religious message with the public. In both 2015 and 2017, other individuals were allowed to carry five-foot-tall “windmills” on the sidewalks and streets in and around the Mumfest festival areas during the Mumfest festival. 32 Parks & Recreation
Protected Speech Activities In pertinent part, the First Amendment provides: “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech.” In addressing plaintiffs’ freedom of speech claim, the federal district court would first determine whether “the activity is speech protected by the First Amendment.” In this particular instance, the court had “no doubt that as a general matter peaceful picketing and leafletting are expressive activities involving ‘speech’ protected by the First Amendment.” Further, the court noted: “all public streets are held in the public trust and are properly considered traditional public fora” for First Amendment activities. Since the “transactions or occurrences in the instant case all occurred on the streets and sidewalks of New Bern,” the court found “the restrictions on plaintiffs’ protected
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speech were applied in a traditional public forum.” The federal district court would, therefore, determine whether the City’s “justifications for exclusion from the relevant forum” satisfied the following constitutional standard for regulating First Amendment activities in a public forum: The government may impose restrictions on the time, place, and manner of speech protected by the First Amendment, provided that those restrictions (1) are justified without reference to the content of the regulated speech, (2) that they are narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest, and (3) that they leave open ample alternative channels for communication of the information. As noted by the federal district court: “The pertinent issue with respect to content neutrality is whether the city has regulated speech because of disagreement with the message it contains.” In this particular instance, the court acknowledged New Bern had a legitimate and significant governmental interest in “ensuring public safety and order and promoting the free flow of traffic and sidewalks.” Further, the court found the “flow of the crowd and demands of safety are more pressing” in the context of a city fair, like the Mumfest, including “a significant interest in regulating loud and raucous noises.” According to the court, New Bern’s regulations on picketing and noise “need not be the least restrictive or least intrusive means” of serving the city’s legitimate governmental interests. On the other hand, the federal district court acknowledged that narrowly tailored, con-
tent-neutral regulations must not “burden substantially more speech than is necessary to further the government’s legitimate interests.” Further, for the picketing and noise ordinances to pass constitutional muster, the court found New Bern had to “make some evidentiary showing that the recited harms are real, not merely conjectural, and that the challenged regulation alleviates these harms in a direct and material way.” The federal district court further noted that “a valid time, place, and manner restriction” must also leave open “ample alternative channels for communication.” According to the court, ample alterative channels for communication must “allow the ability to communicate effectively” and allow “the more general dissemination of a message.”
Content Neutral Height Restriction In this particular instance, O’Connell challenged his being “restricted from bringing his cross into Mumfest or expanding the cross.” In the opinion of the federal district court, “application of the prohibition on picketers bringing items over 40 inches tall into the festival was content neutral.” Further, the court found the ordinance was “narrowly tailored based on a specific height requirement of 40 inches.” O’Connell had argued New Bern had failed to “demonstrate that prohibiting his nine-foot cross was content neutral or served significant government interests in public safety and traffic flow because other festival attendees had carried five-foot-tall ‘windmills’ in the festival. As characterized by the court, this argument did not “raise a meaningful comparison,” because plaintiffs had failed to “come forward with facts showing the festival attendees carrying windmills were subject to defendant New Bern’s picketing ordinance or were engaging in expressive activity.” In other words, plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate that the windmills at Mumfest were in any way intended to convey or connect to a message as part of any protest or demonstration. In addition, the federal district court found O’Connell had “ample alternative channels of communication to disseminate his religious message.” Specifically, the federal district court noted O’Connell “could have carried a cross into the festival to aid in disseminating his message if the cross was no more than 40 inches tall, or that he could display the nine-foot cross on the public sidewalks and streets outside the festival area.”
Megaphone Restriction Plaintiffs also claimed New Bern had violated their First Amendment rights by “not allowing them to use a megaphone to preach.” The federal district court, however, found the city ordinance restricting sound amplification devices was “content neutral,” because “application of the ordinance did not depend on the fact that plaintiffs were using the megaphone to project a religious message to festivalgoers.” Further, the court found application of the noise ordinance in this particular instance “advances a significant government interest in restricting loud and raucous noises” and the “100-foot noise limitation for sound amplification devices” was narrowly tailored to serve that interest. According to the federal district court, plaintiffs also had “ample alternative channels of communication” because they were “not prohibited from using the megaphone at a lower volume, and they were free to preach using their voices without amplification.” As a result, the federal district court concluded application of the noise ordinance to plaintiffs’ use of a megaphone did not impermissibly restrict plaintiffs’ religious message
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to Mumfest attendees in violation of the First Amendment.
Literature Distribution Rule Plaintiff Crowley also claimed defendants had violated his constitutional rights by telling him not to distribute literature inside the festival area in 2015. According to the court, it was “undisputed that defendant Conway told plaintiff Crowley that he could not distribute literature, and if he did so, he could be asked to leave and then arrested for trespass under festival rules.” According to the festival organizer, literature distribution was prohibited in the vendor booth area if the person seeking to distribute literature is not stationed at a booth. As noted by the federal district court, plaintiffs could have “rented a booth at Mumfest to distribute literature but did not to do so.” Moreover, the court found a festival rule limiting the distribution of literature to booths was a valid time,
place and manner restriction. In this particular instance, the court found no evidence that the festival rule was so vague as to vest officers with “unbridled discretion” in arbitrarily allocating booths at Mumfest based on the content of the message to be conveyed. Accordingly, under the circumstances of this case, the court concluded: “application of the rule prohibiting literature distribution except on the sidewalk or at a vendor booth is content neutral.” Moreover, the court found this rule was “narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest in controlling the flow of traffic on defendant New Bern’s streets, considering Mumfest’s large number of attendees.” Plaintiff Crowley had reiterated his argument that the festival rule did not leave ample alternative channels of communication. The federal district court, however, found no support for Crowley’s
People walk and play in an open field surrounded by tents at a festival.
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argument that he was “banned from orally propagating his views by preaching at Mumfest.” On the contrary, the court held “Crowley had ample alternative channels of communication, where he was able to converse with festival attendees, distribute literature to attendees on the public sidewalks adjoining Mumfest.” As a result, the court held “the Mumfest anti-solicitation rule did not violate plaintiff Crowley’s First Amendment rights.”
Threat to Public Safety? Plaintiffs further challenged defendant Conway’s decision to place a beeping cart in front of plaintiffs on two different occasions in 2015. Defendant Conway testified that he placed a beeping cart in between plaintiffs and festival attendees because people were “getting aggravated” and “becoming aggressive” toward plaintiffs’ group. Conway testified that individuals waived a rainbow flag in plaintiff O’Connell’s face and yelled at him. In the past, individuals threw Mountain Dew bottles at plaintiff O’Connell, threatened plaintiff O’Connell with violence, and assaulted the police officers guarding plaintiff O’Connell. As noted by the federal district court, “when clear and present danger of riot, disorder, interference with traffic upon the public streets, or other immediate threat to public safety, peace, or order, appears, the power of the state to prevent or punish is obvious.” That being said, the court acknowledged: “Constitutional rights may not be denied simply because of hostility to their assertion or exercise.” Further, the court would sustain a restriction on constitutionally pro-
tected content-based speech “only if the government can show that the regulation is a precisely drawn means of serving a compelling state interest.” In this particular instance, plaintiff Crowley had testified that “there was no threat of violence” in 2015. Based upon the following facts, the court found the evidence was “susceptible of more than one reasonable inference as to whether there was an “immediate threat to public safety” and whether defendant Conway’s actions were narrowly tailored to respond to a compelling state interest”: Defendant Conway repeatedly testifies that although no violence or threats of violence had yet occurred at Mumfest, he anticipated violence based on the reactions of the crowd to plaintiffs’ speech, as well as prior encounters between plaintiffs and Mumfest attendees. However, the footage of defendant Conway calling over the utility cart to separate plaintiffs from the crowd does not readily disclose any acts portending violence by festival attendees. Other video footage demonstrates and provides the basis for an inference that, even where festival attendees challenged plaintiffs, challenges did not result in altercations. Under these circumstances, the federal district court found there was “a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether defendant Conway’s actions appropriately redressed a threat to public safety caused by spectators reacting to plaintiffs’ preaching.”
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Further, as noted by the court, the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment provides protection against a law that “discriminates against some or all religious beliefs or regulates or prohibits conduct because it is undertaken for religious reasons.” According to the court, any such governmental regulation of religious activity is “constitutionally valid only if it is narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling state interest.” Moreover, the court acknowledged: “the Free Exercise Clause does not inhibit enforcement of otherwise valid regulations of general application that incidentally burden religious conduct.” In this particular instance, the federal district court found plaintiffs’ speech claims mostly involved “neutral regulations of general applicability that incidentally burden plaintiffs’ religious conduct.” The court, however, questioned the motivation behind “Conway’s decision to move plaintiffs from Middle Street to the sidewalk and to place a beeping cart in front of plaintiffs while preaching.” If “these actions were taken due to the crowd’s response to plaintiffs’ religious message,” the federal district court would subject this decision to “strict scrutiny.” Specifically, the court would require a trial in which New Bern would have the significant burden of “showing that defendant Conway’s actions were narrowly tailored to not burden plaintiffs’ religion.”
Free Exercise of Religion
Conclusion
As cited by the federal district court, the First Amendment states:
As described above, the federal district court held the challenged
ordinance was content neutral. Specifically, the court found the picketing ordinance “does not address the specific message invoked by the signs, flags, or banners carried on staves or poles.” Moreover, the court found the stated purpose of the picketing ordinance served “substantial government interests,” viz., “to allow safe and unobstructed passage of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on sidewalks or other cityowned areas.” The federal district court, therefore, granted summary judgment in favor of New Bern dismissing plaintiffs’ First Amendment claims based on “plaintiff O’Connell carrying a nine-foot-tall cross.” Similarly, the court held the ordinance was content neutral in restricting “plaintiffs’ use of a megaphone, and plaintiff Crowley being prohibited from distributing literature in the vendor area at the festival.” The federal district court, however, denied New Bern’s request for summary judgment on a totally separate First Amendment claim under the circumstances of this case. The court would allow plaintiffs’ lawsuit to proceed to trial on the sole issue of whether defendant Conway had infringed plaintiffs’ freedom of speech rights and free exercise of religion rights by “moving them from the barricaded roadway to the sidewalk and placing a beeping utility cart in front of them.” James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D., is an Attorney and Associate Professor in the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management at George Mason University (jkozlows@gmu.edu). Webpage with link to law review articles archive (1982 to present): mason.gmu.edu/~jkozlows.
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Homelessness and the Global Pandemic The role of Los Angeles city parks and open spaces during COVID-19
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By Anthony-Paul Diaz
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n a pre-pandemic world, the challenge of bustling urban sprawl tugs mightily at the balance to preserve, maintain and find open park spaces. Today, while we all experience the “Great Pause,� our parkland is being repurposed in unimaginable ways.
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HOMELESSNESS
RAP Heeds the Call In Los Angeles, the Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) serves as the mass-care shelter and welfare arm of the city during emergencies and disasters. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit L.A. in early March, the city declared a state of emergency. That threeletter declaration immediately transformed RAP into an emergency management division. Faced with a daunting crisis on how to best serve and protect all residents and the most vulnerable people from contracting the coronavirus — including people experiencing homelessness (PEH) and the elderly — an immediate need arose to help contain the spread and to flatten the curve. Thus, RAP closed parks spaces, housed PEH and prepared open parkland for mobile emergency operations. As part of the Los Angeles City
PHOTOS COURTESY OF AP DIAZ
Most people around the world and on every continent remain sheltered in place, quarantined, restrained and confined. The recent memories of leisurely runs in the park, a friendly tennis match, a casual game of pickup basketball or a brisk swim in the ocean are quashed by mandatory stay-at-home orders. Until the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) meets a vaccine, the world remains on pause and its parks constrained like never before. Parks are still the lifeblood of communities. They are our gathering spaces, playgrounds, backyards and common ground. Parks don’t require memberships or special access. They serve to lean us toward leisure, recreation, active uses and passive ones. It is said that parks make life better and anyone who works for or supports parks will attest to this sentiment with furious fervor.
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Charter, the park department is tasked to mobilize during a city crisis and was the natural partner for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and city officials to turn to for assistance. With no immediate identified funding, RAP responded to the clarion call — within days of the international pandemic, RAP moved quickly to transform nearly 24 recreation centers into shelters, and is preparing for an additional 18 to house and care for PEH with nearly 1,000 beds and multiple services. At the homeless shelters, RAP transformed basketball gyms and other parks spaces into temporary housing shelters — providing cots, blankets, towels, food, health screenings, limited recreation, shelter and protection. According to Los Angeles County data, there were nearly 59,000 people experiencing homelessness throughout the county in 2019 (see sidebar on p. 39). RAP’s parks space is also staging more than 500 trailers to support the city’s need for isolation containment vessels for those who need to self-quarantine. The RAP team is also helping to assemble 15 childcare centers for the children of frontline emergency responders. What’s more, our park rangers have had to close and enforce “Safer at Home” directives at our 450 parks, 175 recreation centers, 50 aquatics centers, 11 golf courses, trails, beaches and other museums, special sites and facilities.
The Los Angeles City Department of Recreation and Parks serves as the welfare arm of the city during emergencies and disasters.
Homeless Population Numbers Rose in 2019 By Vitisia Paynich
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In 2019, it was reported that 58,936 PEH resided in Los Angeles County.
Taking Necessary Measures Among all the city’s heroes responding to the COVID-19 threats are rangers, police, fire, medical doctors and nurses, and RAP’s recreation and parks staff. People who run park centers, summer camps and aquatics are now deemed disaster service workers, suited up in personal protective equipment (PPE) and helping nurses take care of PEH. In many cases, these are individuals who suffer from mental health or substance-use issues. RAP staffers have become essential, critical frontline workers — undergoing quick and rapid training, working long and grueling shifts to serve others while dealing with their own personal well-being, health and family needs. With its idyllic weather, L.A.’s parks and beaches are normally
brim filled with people recreating under sunny skies of 72 degrees. The current view of our city parks has been replaced with temporary shelters, trailers, field-staging sites and emergency preparedness units. However, an aerial snapshot offers a different view — empty parks, trails and beaches; fenced off playgrounds; skate parks filled with sand; boarded up basketball hoops and chained tennis courts — all temporary, yet necessary, measures to help flatten the curve and bend the arc of public policy toward the preservation of health and wellness through staying at home. How we prepare for the next phase of recreation and a return to parks will be tempered by the need to find a COVID-19 vaccine. We can expect physical distancing and staggered participation for a while.
n the evening of January 21, 2020, thousands of volunteers with clipboards in hand descended on the City of Angels for the annual “Point-in-Time” homeless count. Organized by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), this three-day event offers a glimpse of the size and scope of one of the largest homeless populations in the United States. These volunteers canvassed neighborhoods and city streets spanning 4,000 square miles, counting the number of unsheltered individuals in Los Angeles County during the period of January 21–23. As of this writing, LAHSA has not released the 2020 data. According to the Los Angeles Times, the 2019 count revealed 58,936 people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County, a 12 percent increase from 2018 — with 36,300 homeless persons living in the city of Los Angeles, a 16 percent rise from the previous year. Counts included sheltered and unsheltered individuals. LAHSA reports that among the nearly 59,000 PEH counted last year, 27,000 were unsheltered.
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HOMELESSNESS
It’s likely large mass gatherings of sports, concerts and other special events will remain on pause until it’s safe to return to these types of activities and venues. So, like many park agencies, we are beginning to prepare our phased reopening plans that are guided by public health, physical distancing and scientific best practices. The history of Los Angeles, unlike other national or international cities, demonstrates its early planners’ abandoned ideas and plans for creating an urban sprawl of connective green spaces to meet increasing population. Sadly, connective city parks were intentionally overlooked to accommodate housing needs, to build freeways and businesses and, in the process, placed structure above land. As such, residents sheltered at home find it challenging to find places to recreate under the provisions of the mandatory stay-at-home and park closure orders. Therefore, we are actively working to right those wrongs and to change the trajectory of our city
by creating iconic and everlasting places to move freely, feel grass on your feet, watch your children play, take walks, connect with your inner self, jog, run, socialize and take moments to pause and enjoy our beautiful Los Angeles. The respite of parks is the place we want and need to be in order to sustain our health and to cultivate wellness. In fact, we have plans to make parks accessible within a one-quarter mile of every home in the years ahead. The pandemic exacerbates this need like never before. Sometimes, government and civic endeavors get delayed or dismissed due to inadequate partnerships. Constrained by budgets and staffing demands, the freedom to unleash a park agency’s talented staff and innovative teams is constantly pulled and adjusted to meet immediate and pressing problems. With looming economic downturns, recessed forecasts and potential furloughs, partnerships and innovation, these concerns will heighten. If we can’t use our parks right now in the traditional ways
we are accustomed to, then we must amplify our reach to extend further. Therefore, during the pandemic, RAP will continue to partner to help shelter the needy and utilize our open space to meet the most pressing needs of our city — safety, shelter and stability. It is our call and obligation. To do this, we must defy conventional modes of thinking and reimagine our park areas and open spaces to best protect the health and wellness of our city. These unprecedented times are challenging, daunting and yet fulfilling. Standing witness to and participating in history are both humbling and a privilege. As park professionals, we know we can accomplish the unimaginable. After all, this is what we do every day — managing and providing park programs on constrained budgets and doing more with less. It’s what we always do — responding to meet challenging needs with aplomb.
Looking at the Road Ahead In Los Angeles, we have 450 parks and while we respect our temporary emergency operational role, we all remain positive and hopeful for the day we welcome back the public to their cherished and coveted parkland. More than ever, once the pandemic is over, there will be a craving and need for parkland like no other time in history. And, it will be that parkland that will sustain our community members’ emotional and physical well-being. We will need to rise to meet the equity needs of our residents and ensure access to all is at the forefront
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of every civic, national and international leader’s agenda for parks and open spaces. While many uncertainties remain, we know for sure that park budgets will be restrained and services compromised — whether by continued health mandates, physical distancing or lack of staffing. But what will not stop or pause is the need to advocate for our park systems to rise to meet the therapeutic needs of people coming out of a great depressionary state, where stagnancy and anxiety are replaced by a system of parks equipped to seize their new mission of restoring health, strength and resiliency back to L.A. communities. “Park Proud L.A.” is our branded term for our Los Angeles parks,
a term we’ve coined to reflect Angelenos’ love of park spaces — from the hills of Griffith Park, to the coastline of Venice Beach, down to L.A. Harbor’s waterfront, up to the far reaches of Los Angeles’ valley park ranches and over to the Eastside communities. Like the citizens of London, Paris and Rome, the people of Los Angeles long to return to normalcy and feel the sunlight on their faces and the grass and soil beneath their feet again. Together we are stronger. We unite with the world and will continue to dream big, reach high and amplify our reach. The best is yet to come and when we reunite with our parks, it will be glorious. Until then, we must remain strong, remain vigilant, fight hard to pro-
Although an aerial view of downtown L.A. shows a dramatically sedate city, RAP remains optimistic about the road ahead for Angelenos post pandemic.
tect others, do our parts to be good humans, be kind, hold each other with compassion and plan for the future. We must unite to advance the benefits of parks and champion their vitality to returning the world to normal, to health and to success. Parks make life better! Tune in to the June bonus episode of Open Space Radio to hear Diaz talk more about helping people experiencing homelessness at nrpa.org/JuneBonus-Episode. Anthony-Paul (AP) Diaz is Executive Officer and Chief of Staff at L.A. City Department of Recreation and Parks and Chairman of Parks & Recreation magazine Editorial Advisory Board (apdiaz@lacity.org).
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Agent
An
of Public Health
A new decade brings a new role for parks and recreation in public health By Allison Colman
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he American Public Health Association (APHA) describes the public health field as a profession dedicated to “promoting and protecting the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play.” While the healthcare system focuses on treating people who are sick, the public health field focuses efforts on preventing people from getting sick, ill or injured in the first place, while simultaneously encouraging healthy behaviors and driving equitable access to factors that influence health outcomes and well-being. While there are many components of public health, APHA’s description is just about as clear and straightforward as it gets. And perhaps the best part of this is that the words “public health” easily could be substituted with “parks and recreation” to describe the critical role that park and recreation professionals play as public health agents in communities around the world. For decades, the park and recreation profession has been dedicated to protecting the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play. This dedication is at the core
of what park and recreation professionals do and it’s only grown more apparent over the past several years. We’ve seen professionals across the country transform themselves into community health leaders, educators and practitioners. We’ve seen the profession expand programming and fill gaps in communities to address food insecurity, provide opportunities for physical activity, prevent and manage chronic diseases, foster positive social connections and engage youth in leadership opportunities to develop career pathways. We’ve seen the power of parks and recreation
in bringing communities together, creating safer neighborhoods, and connecting people with different lived experiences and backgrounds. We’ve seen professionals lead efforts to revamp agency practices and policies and build a culture that prioritizes equitable park access and inclusive environments so all can fully participate and benefit. We’ve seen the profession build partnerships to develop and advance innovative solutions that improve health, environmental and social outcomes.
New Challenges Lie Ahead The park and recreation profession has accomplished a lot, and the work the field has done has mattered. In 2020, there is a new and rapidly changing landscape. Some of what lies ahead will look familiar. Challenges — like the obesity epidemic and high rates of chronic disease — may already have ap-
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plicable and proven solutions but will require investment in those solutions to create larger impacts and long-term outcomes. However, some of the challenges we’ll confront will be less familiar and some will be brand new. As we enter this new decade, we are coming to grips with the reality of our most pressing health and social challenges — the substance use and vaping epidemics; rising rates of mental health conditions; inequitable access to healthy food, healthcare, quality neighborhoods and educational opportunities; and of course, the ongoing impact of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its aftermath. What’s more, we realize there are drastic differences between health outcomes and quality of life — often influenced by race, class, ability, identity, gender, sexual orientation, age and other defining characteristics — and that the disparities are growing. We also grasp the full force of climate change, creating more powerful and destructive storms and threatening our daily lives down to the water we drink, the
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air we breathe and the food we eat. And, we see that for the first time in our nation’s history, due to the substance-use epidemic and suicide, life expectancy has declined. The reality of 2020 appears scary, uncertain, and riddled with health, environmental and social challenges that we must confront as a nation and as a profession. It’s at this time though, amid a global pandemic and other public health issues, that the unmatched ability of the park and recreation profession to promote, protect and improve the health of people and communities has never been more important. Parks and recreation remains a key part of a connected public health system, but there is an even greater role that agencies can play, as community wellness hubs — trusted gathering places that connect every member of the community to essential programs, services and spaces that advance health equity, improve health outcomes and enhance quality of life. While the field possesses unique potential to serve in this role, swift action and mobilization are needed, and the time to take that action is now. Furthermore, the park and recreation profession must focus its efforts in several key areas to advance our goals and build healthier, happier, more equitable communities.
must confront other inequities, such as gentrification and displacement; disinvestment in education and neighborhood amenities, including parks and green space; loan denial and discriminatory workplace practices that perpetuated the wealth divide. We must understand the truth and legacy of our nation’s history and how these practices continue to impact socioeconomic, health, environmental and educational disparities that exist today. In addition, people of color, low-income communities and other historically marginalized populations often lack access to quality parks and recreation, resulting in substantial health disparities and negative impacts on quality of life and life expectancy. By focusing efforts on equitably advancing community health and well-being through parks and recreation, we can ensure that all people — no matter race, class, ability or identity — have a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. To support efforts to embed equity into park agencies’ internal operations, planning and programming, NRPA will be releasing several resources over the next year. Our new Creating an Equitable SystemWide Park Master Plan resource is a good place to start.
Confronting History to Advance Health Equity
Collaborating to Innovate
If we hope to create real change, we first must acknowledge our nation’s deep-rooted history of injustice and how that impacts people and communities today — from slavery and share cropping to Jim Crow laws, to redlining practices and zoning ordinances that established and reinforced segregation. We also
To truly advance health equity, improve health outcomes and enhance quality of life, communities must invest in system-wide changes that prioritize advancing the social determinants of health, meeting community members where they are and responding to their unique needs. This can be achieved by leveraging the power of parks and recreation to serve
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as community wellness hubs and connect all people to the comprehensive health services they need. But, this can’t be accomplished working alone. A key part of this process is driven by collaboration. As a profession, we must collaborate with other like-minded organizations to leverage resources, engage community members, bring diverse perspectives to the table, and drive innovation to create and implement local solutions that foster health and security. Managing the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that the financial resources of local governments will be strained and the financial struggles of our community members will be exasperated. Simply put, more people will need help — there will be an increased need for access to healthy food, healthcare, mental and behavioral health services, affordable childcare, educational and employment opportunities, housing, and more. The park and recreation profession is capable of crafting solutions and system-wide changes that address these needs. This requires out-of-the-box thinking. We must bridge gaps with other municipal departments to find opportunities to work together. Thoughtful and intentional partnerships must be forged with organizations that share our goals to connect people to needed community resources. We must continue to reach people who cannot physically access facilities, delivering services across the community and expanding telehealth and “telerecreation” services. However, accomplishing our goals of promoting, protecting and improving community health requires bringing more players into the game.
With the support of the Walmart Foundation, NRPA is funding 15 local park and recreation agencies to develop and implement community wellness hub models that connect marginalized community members to comprehensive health and nutrition services. We’ll be analyzing these models and sharing best practices and toolkits so others can learn from their experiences in the coming years.
Advocating for You The park and recreation profession is on the frontlines of our most pressing health, environmental and social issues. But, the value of the profession and the field at large has historically been underrecognized and underappreciated. This lack of understanding of the critical role parks and recreation plays has resulted in significant disinvestment in park and recreation budgets across the country. For the profession to build upon its strong foundation in serving communities and reaching its full potential, increased visibility, momentum and public support for the park and recreation profession are paramount. To do that, we must become better advocates for ourselves, our work, and the numerous health, environmental and social benefits that parks and recreation provides. It is vital that we work together to make the case for parks and recreation so we can continue to better our communities. We have the data and we know the impact of our work; we just need to reaffirm our value by telling our stories.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Public Health Leaders As we look to advance solutions to the many public health challenges
that lie ahead, we should also consider the future of the profession and the roles that will be needed. As we invest in a bigger, broader role for parks and recreation serving as community wellness hubs and connecting people to comprehensive health and social services, we must train up our existing staff and bring new and diverse expertise into the field. We also should expand our departments to include social workers, healthcare personnel, mental health practitioners, substance abuse counselors, health equity managers and more. The park and recreation profession always rises to the occasion. The passion and unwavering spirit of professionals were evident as the coronavirus pandemic unfolded across the nation and professionals stepped into new roles, delivering services and ensuring that our most vulnerable community members had what they needed. In this next decade, the profession will be called upon to do that in more ways than one. If we can focus on these key things, we can continue to promote, protect and improve the health of the people and the communities we serve. Allison Colman is Director of Health at NRPA (acolman@nrpa.org).
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A New
GREEN
REVOLU
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EN
How green infrastructure can enhance a community’s health and well-being By Beth Jacob
W
hat happens when a plan for a new city sewer tunnel turns into a plan for a pond? The answer is not just less concrete and more green space. When communities choose “green” ways to manage parks, recreation facilities and stormwater, they’re also creating new opportunities for health and well-being for local residents. By pioneering green infrastructure improvements — from permeable pavement to rain gardens, bioswales and ponds — cities are managing the effects of a changing climate and improving residents’ quality of life in the process.
LUTION
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G R E E N R EVO LUTI O N
The Power of Parks and Public Spaces A community’s parks have immense potential to improve people’s lives. As Karl Schrass, director of conservation at NRPA, describes them, “Done right, parks are a force for public good. As land that belongs to all of us, wellmanaged, well-designed, accessible public spaces offer residents a place where everyone — regardless of background, ability or need — can gather, get active or relax with friends.” That’s why NRPA partnered with the Willamette Partnership to create a series of tools designed to articulate the multiple health and equity benefits of parks and public spaces, especially those that use green infrastructure. From a policy guide to a communications toolkit, these materials will provide park and recreation professionals with an array of resources for building support for their work.
We realized if we wanted people’s input, we needed to get out into the parks and ask them what they thought. Communities Invest in Health Through Parks We spoke with communities across the United States that are innovating around health, equity, green infrastructure and parks. Each local leader we spoke with was cleareyed about the fact that parks and public spaces have not, historically, always been used as a force for good for everyone. Like housing or other community amenities, decades of policies influenced by racial biases and prejudices have led to stark inequities for low-income individuals and people of color. 48 Parks & Recreation
Undoing these inequities takes time, resources and, above all, intentionality. The Willamette Partnership’s Bobby Cochran, an expert in the multiple benefits of parks, explains it this way: “For centuries in this country, we have designed communities to separate people, and parks have been a critical part of that. Whether we’re talking about segregated pools in the Jim Crow era or a lack of green space altogether in some communities today, parks have always had the capacity to make a community more or less equitable — depending on where they are, who can use them, what they look like and how they’re maintained.” Following are lessons learned by local leaders across the country: people committed to righting longstanding injustices in their communities’ public lands and spaces. Along the way, they’ve realized the path forward lies in collaboration and forging new connections, formal and informal, among government, residents and the private sector alike.
Getting Serious About Equity Park and recreation facilities have long been recognized for their role in building safer, healthier communities. But when cities prioritize these improvements in neighborhoods that have historically faced discrimination and neglect, the value goes even deeper. It is no longer just about planting new trees or converting a brownfield into green space; it becomes about creating new opportunities for justice and shared community prosperity. Consider Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In recent years, Mayor Bill Peduto has made it a priority of his administration that everyone in the city should live within a 10-minute walk of a park — and city residents
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clearly agree. Last fall, voters passed a .5 mill property tax (tinyurl.com/ ycw4vhq3) to create a fund for improving parks across the city, which the city council will administer. Pittsburgh City Councilperson Erika Strassburger says, “Everyone is clamoring for the new money.” However, she sees a bigger purpose in distributing the funds. “We have to go further than just divvying this up equally across the city,” she says. “Because equality is not the same as equity, we need to use an equity lens, where the money is distributed according to need.” Similarly, leaders in Denver, Colorado, make the point that a commitment to equity must be a throughline for the entire city. This means residents’ health and well-being are a responsibility that’s shared across municipal government. “Every department in Denver uses the lens of environmental and overall resident health,” describes Cinceré Eades, parks resiliency principal planner for the city. “And all our major agencies really take equity seriously. [Equity] is our top criteria when we are distributing funding across the city. That’s why Denver really promotes health among everything we do in our city, not just through one department or another.”
Getting Creative About Listening For park and recreation professionals committed to promoting equity, it’s clear: to truly hear from residents of all walks of life requires more and different listening tools. It means getting creative about showing — not just telling — neighbors the benefits of proposed improvements. And, it means providing an array of avenues for feedback to ensure you’ve heard the full diversity of their opinions, experiences and needs.
Take Miami-Dade County, whose massive park and recreation system serves one of the most racially and ethnically diverse communities in the nation. When the agency’s leaders and staff set out to engage residents around needed improvements and green infrastructure on public lands, they knew they would need to use all the tools and strategies they could find. As Park Planner Stephanie Cornejo explains, “We have communities where folks only speak Spanish or Creole.” Reaching these populations means recruiting and deploying multilingual staff. But the agency knows translators and multilingual staff alone are not enough to ensure they are truly hearing from residents of all backgrounds and walks of life. “We’re taking meetings to them — not expecting them to come to us,” says Cornejo. “So that means sending staff to get feedback from church groups, out in the park, at PTA meetings.” And while park and recreation professionals provide a variety of online platforms and resources for people who can’t make it to a meeting, “we constantly remind ourselves that many communities we serve may not have access to laptops. So, we have a standing meeting in local recreation centers where we share information, no matter the size of the crowd. Because that’s how we show we’re listening.” This kind of commitment to resident input is critical even when there isn’t a potential language barrier. Consider Louisville, Kentucky: with more than 16,000 acres of public lands, the local park and
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF ATLANTA DEPARTMENT OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
The Upper Proctor Creek Capacity Relief project is underway at Rodney Cook Sr. Park in Historic Vine City, Atlanta.
recreation agency manages one of the largest systems in the nation. But as Parks Administrator Bennett Knox acknowledges, the area has “a long history of allocating natural areas and programming inequitably,” with communities of color and low-income neighborhoods intentionally excluded. But in June 2006, Louisville became one of the first cities in the country to establish a Center for Health Equity (tinyurl.com/ yaocfe5d), recognizing that residents living just miles apart were experiencing dramatic differences in their health and quality of life. For their part, the park and recreation department staff soon understood they needed to work differently if they were to walk the talk of engaging Louisville’s full range of communities. According to Knox, “We used to do standard public meetings at five or six o’clock on a Thursday, but we were getting the same people every time. We knew a lot of voices weren’t being heard in those meetings — whether it was parents who couldn’t get childcare or people who worked nights. We realized if we wanted people’s input, we needed to get out into the parks and ask them what they thought.”
Soon, staff and volunteers armed with clipboards hit the streets and playgrounds, asking neighbors for their input on what they needed and what they wanted to see. But the innovations didn’t stop there. In recent years, Louisville has partnered with the Canoemobile (tinyurl.com/ y9729p54), a 24-foot voyageur canoe whose broad, steady bottom makes getting out on the water easy even for total novices. Its designers call the Canoemobile a “floating wilderness classroom,” which can be brought into communities where people may have never set foot off dry land.
Bringing Water Out into the Open Given the health and quality of life benefits of parks and green spaces, many communities have been looking for ways to reclaim and restore public lands — especially those that have fallen into disrepair or disuse. Adding green infrastructure elements, like bioswales, ponds and rain gardens, can profoundly change the landscape of a neighborhood. Not only are these improvements more cost-effective than traditional gray infrastructure, but also, done right, they can become attractions in and of themselves.
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Two city leaders in Atlanta know this for a fact. Deputy Commissioner for Watershed Management Todd Hill puts it this way: “For us, creating green infrastructure in parks and public spaces was just such an obvious win-win. We saw that partnering with parks and rec could help us better manage stormwater, create amenities for residents and save taxpayer money. As the old saying goes, the benefits are endless.”
Park and recreation departments can be at the forefront of showing how we can work across departments to activate spaces and places that everyone of all backgrounds, ages and abilities can enjoy. This is why the city’s park and recreation department partnered with watershed maintenance to convert a section of its Historic Fourth Ward into a five-acre park with a sprawling pond as its centerpiece (tinyurl.com/ ybce4tmy). Originally, city planners had thought to install another concrete tunnel to manage frequent floods. But once the two agencies joined up with local residents and environmental advocates, the plan to create a new park was born. Now, the area once dominated by industrial blight is home to native plants, sculptural installations and winding paths that arc over the pond’s surface. Parks Commissioner John Dargle sums it up: “If it hasn’t hit people now, they need to know — collaborating between agencies to solve community problems is the new normal. Park and recreation 50 Parks & Recreation
departments can be at the forefront of showing how we can work across departments to activate spaces and places that everyone of all backgrounds, ages and abilities can enjoy.” Catherine Zietse of the park and recreation department in Grand Rapids, Michigan, notes bringing water into the open has yet another benefit for cities. “It instills a passion for clean water and green space,” says Zietse, “especially in communities where people may never have seen a natural body of water.” “We’d always focused on putting things below ground,” agrees her colleague, Project Manager Karie Enriquez. “Residents weren’t used to seeing creeks or streams. But we knew if we created features that could bring water above ground, we could use it as an educational opportunity.”
Collaboration and Systemic Change Denver’s Cinceré Eades explains that when she first started with the city, Public Works and the park department weren’t working together to blend missions to create multiple benefits for communities. But in 2012, when the city launched its green infrastructure program, that began to change. “We were able to broaden the discussion and create more collaborative ways to work together,” says Eades. Today, Eades sees a very different picture and advises other communities to make the effort to have those conversations, even if they take some work to get off the ground. “They think differently than I do,” she says. “So if you mention a challenge you’re having in front of a planner, you never know what they might be able to
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do to help. When we brainstorm together, those conversations can lead you to amazing things.” The future of equitable communities, great parks and healthy residents clearly lies dramatically in increasing collaborative efforts like this one. But true systemic change requires more than individual communities’ efforts alone. For Schrass, bringing green infrastructure and its many benefits to scale involves “tackling issues that are really rooted in policy.” “A single project is great for the area where it’s located,” says Schrass, “but for us to really create the park systems and communities we want to see — beautiful, healthy and resilient — it needs to happen in every park, in every community, on the roadways, private land, other types of infrastructure. And that only comes when we identify the necessary policy changes, advocate and see them implemented.” Willamette Partnership’s Barton Robison, partner, health and outdoors, envisions a similar future. “Looking ahead, I’d like to see a movement of cities looking at health outcomes and intentionally deciding to make communities more equitable.” Within that future, Robison sees “park agencies as leaders within local government in centering community decisions around health and equity. If we did that, we would make a lot of progress removing systemic barriers.” For more information about the work NRPA is doing to create tools to promote parks and green infrastructure as vital to improving community health and well-being, please visit nrpa.org/GIHealth. Beth Jacob is Principal at Blue Stocking Strategy (beth@ bluestockingstrategy.com).
OPERATIONS Providing Shade Protection in Public Areas
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hy do we need shade? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, over the past five decades, we have seen depletion of the earth’s ozone layer. When it comes to our health, this is alarming because a decrease in the amount of ozone means that an increased number of ultraviolet (UV) rays reach the earth’s surface, and prolonged exposure to these rays can cause sunburns, leading to skin cancer over time (tinyurl.com/ya9gojuh). The following are some disturbing facts published by the American Cancer Society (cancer.org) and Skin Cancer Foundation (skincancer.org): • Millions of people in the United States develop skin cancer annually, and it is the most common form of cancer. • At least 1 in 5 U.S. residents will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. • More than two people die of skin cancer in the United States every hour. • Having five or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma. • One bad sunburn during childhood can cause skin cancer years, or even decades, later. Because of these health risks, individuals should take measures to keep themselves safe in both the short and long term. And, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) first recommendation for protection from UV radiation: Stay in the shade. As more and more people become aware of the harmful effects of unprotected sun exposure, park and school administrators are increasingly providing sun protection for the public. Playgrounds, splash pads, pools, skate parks, basketball courts, bleachers, dugouts and concession areas, which were once left uncovered, are being protected with attractive shade canopies in lively colors and a variety of
shapes and sizes. Especially where children’s health and welfare are concerned, this once “optional” park amenity is quickly becoming required equipment.
Choosing the Right Kind of Shade The industry has answered the call for long-lasting, durable and attractive shade products. The best products on the market come in a range of colors, use quality materials, and offer extensive warranties and features, including the means to easily remove the canopy and replace it later in the event of a severe storm or for the winter season. When shopping for a shade product, ask the manufacturer if the shade product you are contemplating offers all the following: • Rust-through corrosion warranty on metal components • Deterioration warranty on fabric canopies (including the stitching thread) and cables • Stainless steel cables and hardware for maximum corrosion resistance • Easy and reusable removability mechanism built in, with its own long-term warranty It’s also a good idea to look for
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHADE SYSTEMS, INC.
By Alan Bayman
Shade structures shield a playground from the sun in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
shade products that have innovative design elements, such as the built-in design mechanism by Shade Systems, Inc., that enables park management to remove and then reattach shade canopies for the winter season or in the event of a severe storm like a hurricane. While canopies are heavy duty and structures are generally engineered to withstand at least 90 mph wind speeds, they do not provide a substantial snow load rating, nor can they survive a hurricane. It is important to be able to remove them when needed, and to easily reattach them later. This will eliminate the need to hire expensive outside installers on an annual basis.
The Bottom Line Providing shade at public places is no longer an option when people’s health is at risk. If you choose wisely, shade can be a long-lasting investment for the public good that’s aesthetically pleasing, maintenancefree, and easy to remove and reattach by your staff. Alan Bayman is President of Shade Systems, Inc. (alan@shadesystemsinc.com).
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advertiser index Amilia....................................................................................................................27 BCI Burke Playgrounds....................................................................................52 Bright Idea Shops, LLC. ..................................................................................52 Broyhill Company..............................................................................................52 CMU......................................................................................................................52 DOGIPOT.............................................................................................................53 DuMor..................................................................................................................... 7 Easi-Set Buildings..............................................................................................53 Ex-Cell Kaiser..................................................................................................... 54 Goldenteak/The Wood Carver, Inc.............................................................. 54 Gyms for Dogs/Livin’ the Dog Life............................................................. 54 Kay Park Recreation......................................................................................... 54 Landscape Structures Inc.................................................................................. 3 Most Dependable Fountains..........................................................................33 National Construction Rentals.......................................................................55 Pilot Rock/RJ Thomas Mfg. Co.....................................................................25 Playcraft/PlayCore............................................................................................C4 Ropecamp............................................................................................................55 Shade Systems.............................................................................................. C2, 1 World Class Athletic Surfaces........................................................................23 (ISSN 0031-2215) is published monthly by the National Recreation and Park Association, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148, a service organization supported by membership dues and voluntary contributions. Copyright Š2020 by the National Recreation and Park Association. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of NRPA. Issued to members at the annual subscription price of $30, included in dues. Subscription: $46 a year in the U.S.; $56 elsewhere. Single copy price: $7. Library rate: $58 a year in the U.S.; $68 elsewhere. Periodical postage paid at Ashburn, Virginia, and at additional mailing offices. Editorial and advertising offices at 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148. 703.858.0784. Postmaster, send address changes to Parks & Recreation, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148.
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Park Bench
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BALTIMORE CITY RECREATION AND PARKS
Parks and Recreation Plays a Huge Role in Community Meals As a critical provider of summer and afterschool meals through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option (SSO), park and recreation agencies have stepped into a prominent role in their communities during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, working alongside local schools and food banks to distribute meals to children who depend on schools and A child holds up a meal out-of-school time programs for their daily meals. bag from BCRP. The Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP) in Maryland didn’t hesitate to jump into action to serve the community. While the country was still in the early stages of understanding the impact of COVID-19, BCRP opened all 42 of its recreation centers to serve grab-and-go meals seven days a week to all kids under age 18 in the community. BCRP is core to a larger, cross-agency youth meal distribution effort to help close the gap created when Baltimore City Public Schools closed, suspending delivery of 90,000 daily meals to students. Four city agencies and community partners propped up 77 recreation center, mobile meal and community meal sites — in addition to the 18 being operated by the school district — providing more than a half-million meals to youth in the first month of the effort. To share information about meal locations and times, the Mayor’s Office of Children & Family Success developed a website (bmorechildren.com/FreeMeals) with meal locations broken out by geographic sections of the city. The guide includes the address of the meal program, meals offered (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and the times and days of meal delivery. “When we learned that schools would need to be closed, we knew Community agencies that our youth and families would need help gaining access to meals and partners opened 77 that students usually get through school,” says Mayor Bernard C. community meal sites. “Jack” Young. “Our teams jumped into action and are distributing thousands of meals every day. Without coordinated and immediate attention paid by our team, this would not have been possible.” The city also developed an interactive map of meal sites (tinyurl. com/tzank2o) for community members to explore meal sites around the city. The mobile-friendly map allows users to zoom in to find the nearest food distribution location. In addition to their daily meal service, BCRP launched a virtual recreation center. The online center houses free video tutorials, crafts, fitness challenges, games and activities to keep all Baltimore City neighbors active during physical distancing. Baltimore City is just one of the many park and recreation agencies stepping in to serve their communities during COVID-19, highlighting the important way that parks save lives. – Maureen Neumann, Program Manager at NRPA
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YOU are a HERO - Thank You for Serving Your Communities COVID-19 Resources for Parks and Recreation Park and recreation professionals everywhere have stepped up to serve their communities in unprecedented ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. NRPA is here to support you and provide the most up-to-date resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In our dedicated resource center you can find: •
Printable infographics on how to use parks safely
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Continually updated guidance for parks and recreation
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Public policy updates and action alerts around key legislation affecting the field
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Examples of how park and recreation agencies are responding to the pandemic
Find all these resources at: nrpa.org/Coronavirus
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PARKS & RECREATION JUNE 2020 ◆ THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS ISSUE ◆ L.A. HOMELESSNESS IN A PANDEMIC ◆ IS P&R’S ROLE CHANGING?
