Parks & Recreation September 2021

S E P T E M B E R 2021 N R PA .O RG

MITCHELL SILVER’S NEXT CHAPTER KEYNOTE SPEAKER DISCUSSES RACIAL EQUITY AND 21ST CENTURY INFRASTRUCTURE

THE EQUITY ISSUE

2021 NRPA Annual Conference Preview Lynnbrook Park: Beyond the Design

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contentsseptember 2021 PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

volume 56 | number 9 | parksandrecreation.org

Mitchell Silver, who served seven years as parks commissioner for New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, looks forward to his second act.

FEATURES

42 Charting Mitchell Silver’s Next Move Vitisia Paynich

After seven years as parks commissioner for New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, this longtime park and recreation leader is sharing his views on racial equity, 21st century park infrastructure and his new endeavor.

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48 Building More Than a Park — Building Democracy Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett

The goal of this year’s NRPA Parks Build Community project — Lynnbrook Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee — is to create a place where a community can thrive and grow.

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54 Observing From a Lens of Equity Kristine M. Fleming, Ed.D.

As park and recreation professionals and academics focus on the need to establish equitable parks, we must recognize the historical policies and practices of segregation in recreation that continue to impact the field today.

2021 NRPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

16 Welcome to Music City!

18 Education Highlights 22 Answering Your Questions About the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference

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contents september

columns 6

departments 10 We Are Parks and Recreation Remembering 9/11: The Legacy of Flight 93 10 Bridging the Gap 12 Member Benefit: Fun Express Is Your Solution for Halloween (and More!) 14

26 Research Park and Recreation Infrastructure Is Critical Kevin Roth

27 Park Pulse Park and Recreation Partnerships With Schools Provide Equitable Access

60 Operations How to Build a Cost-Effective Gaming Center Ivy O’Shaughnessy and Greg Boehm

62 Product Preview 63 Park Essentials 71 Advertiser Index

Perspectives Why Equity and Inclusion Matter Kristine Stratton

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Editor’s Letter Seeing DEI Up Close Vitisia Paynich

28 Finance for the Field How Does Your City Interpret Equity? (Part One) John L. Crompton, Ph.D.

30 Advocacy Public Policy and Advocacy at the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference Dan McCarthy

32 Health and Wellness Parks and Recreation: A Vital Community-Based Solution to Support Healthy Aging Colleen Pittard, Tiff Cunin and Allison Colman

34 Conservation Engaging the Next Generation of Stewards Rena Payan and Sara Jose

36 Law Review Terminated Parks Employee Brings Retaliation Claim James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

72 Park Bench Making History in New Rochelle Vincent Parise

Cover image:

Photo courtesy of New York City Department of Parks and Recreation

Parks & Recreation is printed using soy ink on at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper and is mailed in a wrap — only when required — that is plant based and certified compostable. If you are interested in helping us go even greener, email us at prmagazine@nrpa.org and ask to opt out of receiving the print magazine. Parks & Recreation is always available to read in an ezine format at ezine.nrpa.org.

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Page 32

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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

Why Equity and Inclusion Matter Although our September issue highlights equity, this work — creating spaces and programs that serve everyone — is a career-long, life-long effort.

That is why we lift up equity and inclusion practices in every issue, on our website and social media platforms, and through our programs and partnerships.

For this focused issue, we are casting our gaze both backward and forward.

For me, looking back takes me directly to summer programs in the playgrounds in the small mill town where I grew up. It forces me to recall why those programs that helped to fill the days between school sessions made such a huge difference to me. My house was an unpredictable one — sometimes nervously quiet, other times loud and volatile. Escaping to those programs and having a chance to play and craft with other kids and under the supervision of a caring, engaged adult made me feel safe and gave me a window into a world where I was free to be me.

Fast forward to July 2021, I was on a visit to Town Camp, a youth summer camp operated by Oakland (California) Parks, Recreation and Youth Development, where I met a little boy. He had made a beaded bracelet especially for my visit. Receiving that bracelet took me right back to those programs on the playground. I think about the impact that Town Camp is having on that little boy and all the kids who are participating in it. They say it takes a village to raise a child.

I’m here to tell you that parks and recreation is an utterly essential part of that village.

As you dive into this issue and explore the history of parks and recreation — how we got to where we are — and learn about projects and programs happening right now, I invite you to reflect on why equity and inclusion matter. Scratch that. I challenge you to think about all the kids in your district, every single one of them. How are your spaces and programs set up to help them; how do they contribute to kids’ growth and development; and how can they be an essential part of that village of support?

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On that same July trip, I visited the oldest playground in the United States — opened in 1887 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. As I stood there, I thought about the amazing movement that served as the origin story for NRPA — the movement to give children access to play spaces and time to enjoy them. While that movement was beautiful and transformative, it didn’t consider equity. As a result, over the many years since our inception, we have had some children who got a lot and others who got little or nothing. Here’s the truly powerful thing about movements: they can evolve and change as our knowledge, understanding and awareness increase. To visit that playground today is to see kids from across the city, from all walks of life and backgrounds, playing and discovering together.

In the July issue of Parks & Recreation, my colleague, NRPA Vice President of Education and Chief Equity Officer Autumn Saxton-Ross, shared a quote from Fred Rogers who said, “There’s a world of difference between insisting on someone’s doing something and establishing an atmosphere in which that person can grow into wanting to do it.” In the weeks and months ahead, we will continue to lift up practices, training and programs that support equity and inclusion. And, we will amplify these through stories in this magazine.

We will be doing this under our new program, titled “Equity in Practice.”

To share another Rogers quote, “Imagining something may be the first step in making it happen, but it takes the real time and real efforts of real people to learn things, make things, turn thoughts into deeds or visions into inventions.” I imagine a world where everyone knows parks and recreation is the field that most exemplifies service to community, that proves our essential role every day, and that operates the most inclusive, equitable and effective programs in communities big and small — all across the country.

KRISTINE STR AT TON President and CEO

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 Michael P. Kelly

Michael P. Kelly

Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

Susie Kuruvilla

Past Chair Jack Kardys J. Kardys Strategies Miami, Florida

Treasurer Xavier D. Urrutia Alamo Colleges District San Antonio, Texas

Secretary Nonet T. Sykes Atlanta Beltline, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia

At Large Carolyn McKnight-Fredd, CPRP

Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois Gurnee Park District Gurnee, Illinois

Joanna Lombard University of Miami School of Architecture; Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences Miami, Florida

Carolyn McKnight-Fredd, CPRP Eagle Methods Management Consulting Dallas, Texas

Joshua Medeiros, Ed.D., CPRP, AFO City of Bristol Parks & Recreation Bristol, Connecticut

Nonet T. Sykes

Eagle Methods Management Consulting Dallas, Texas

Atlanta Beltline, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia

At Large Mike Abbaté, FASLA, LEED AP

Xavier D. Urrutia

Abbaté Designs Portland, Oregon

Alamo Colleges District San Antonio, Texas

Lakita Watson, CPRP

President and CEO Kristine Stratton, Ex Officio

Richland County Recreation Commission Columbia, South Carolina

National Recreation and Park Association Ashburn, Virginia

Greg A. Weitzel, M.S., CPRP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Abbaté, FASLA, LEED AP

Philip Wu, M.D.

Abbaté Designs Portland, Oregon

Kathy Abbott Boston Harbor Now Boston, Massachusetts

Jesús Aguirre, CPRE Seattle Parks and Recreation Seattle, Washington

City of Las Vegas Parks and Recreation Las Vegas, Nevada

Lexington, South Carolina

Anne S. Close Fort Mill, South Carolina

James H. Evans New York, New York

Rosemary Hall Evans

Victor Dover

Sugar Hill, New Hampshire

Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning South Miami, Florida

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Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D.

San Diego Parks and Recreation San Diego, California

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Parks & Recreation 7/14/2020 12:20:07 PM

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EDITOR’S LET TER

Seeing DEI Up Close Throughout the past year, we’ve heard your stories about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and, of course, we have shared many of these stories in the pages of Parks & Recreation magazine.

Seeing DEI up close and across the park and recreation community is both inspiring and noteworthy. That’s why I’m very excited that our Equity Issue also will be distributed at the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, September 21-23.

Someone who has dedicated his career to DEI work is park and recreation expert Mitchell Silver, who will be keynoting the day two opening general session at our conference. Silver recently completed a seven-year term as parks commissioner for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks and Recreation). In early August, he began a new role as principal and vice president of urban planning for a civil engineering firm in North Carolina. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing him for this month’s cover story, “Charting Mitchell Silver’s Next Move,” on page 42. During our discussion, he shared the important lessons that he learned while leading NYC Parks and Recreation and addressed the importance of racial justice and equity in the field of parks and recreation. “Like everyone, I thought parks were just these green spaces with grass and trees, and I didn’t think anything beyond that. I didn’t understand the power of parks. But I soon began to realize, particularly in New York City, these are our front yards, our backyards, our outdoor living rooms, where people come together to meet one another, to create memories,” says Silver, recalling his early misconceptions of the profession.

Next, contributor Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett provides an update on this year’s Parks Build Community project in the feature article, “Building More Than a Park — Building Democracy,” on page 48. Construction of Lynnbrook Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee, will begin this fall. This is welcome news to the diverse residents of the surrounding Oak Grove community, who soon will have access to a public space where they can gather, play and explore. Daniela Peterson of The Trust for Public Land, says, “Democracy happens outside. In the short term, we are bringing a park to a community that didn’t have it, and that normally doesn’t get these kinds of benefits. In the long term, it’s going to benefit the city overall. If you feel welcome and know that the park is there for you, you will pass that sentiment onto your family.”

As more park and recreation agencies across the country place a higher importance on DEI practices, author Kristine M. Fleming, Ed.D., offers historical context of racial injustice in the article, “Observing From a Lens of Equity,” on page 54. She writes, “The willingness to recognize the history of segregation in leisure and recreation as it relates to African Americans is needed to establish equitable parks for all communities to access.”

Lastly, be sure to check out our special 2021 NRPA Annual Conference section beginning on page 16, which provides a preview of some of our education sessions, fun things to see and do in Nashville, and answers to frequently asked questions. Whether you choose to attend the conference in person or opt to participate virtually, we hope you find your conference experience valuable and enjoyable!

VITISIA “VI” PAYNICH Executive Editor Director, 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 AND DIRECTOR OF PRINT AND ONLINE CONTENT Vitisia Paynich vpaynich@nrpa.org ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lindsay Hogeboom lhogeboom@nrpa.org MANAGER OF ONLINE CONTENT Jennifer Fulcher-Nguyen jnguyen@nrpa.org PUBLICATION DESIGN Kim Mabon/Creative By Design CreativeByDesign.net SENIOR CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Michelle Dellner 949.248.1057 mdellner@nrpa.org DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Melissa Hunter 703.858.2199 mhunter@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 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 Ronnetta Spalding Anne-Marie Spencer Stephen Springs

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WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION Remembering 9/11: The Legacy of Flight 93

By Julie Du Brow

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hat was once an abandoned coal mine is now forever transformed into a land of commemoration, heroism and healing. This is the legacy of the Flight 93 National Memorial.

Twenty years ago, on September 11, 2001, the United States came under attack when four commercial airliners departing from airports on the East Coast were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. After a delayed departure, United Airlines Flight 93 carrying 33 passengers, seven crew members and four hijackers departed Newark International Airport in New Jersey en route to San Francisco. Approximately 45 minutes into the flight, the plane changed course near Cleveland, Ohio, and was redirected southeast toward Washington, D.C. After action was taken by the passengers and crew members to overtake the hijackers, Flight 93 crashed a few minutes after 10 a.m. into a reclaimed coal strip mine near the town of Shanksville in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Everyone on board was killed. An attack on the nation’s capital was prevented.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC STAUDENMAIER AND PAUL MURDOCH ARCHITECTS

On September 24, 2002, Congress passed the Flight 93 National Memorial Act to commemorate the passengers and crew on board the flight.

The memorial design was developed through a public competition that garnered more than 1,100 entries.

Following a two-stage competition process, the selected design was announced on September 7, 2005. The project was then contracted through the National Park Service to develop the memorial design and integrate it with the requirements of a national The Flight 93 National Memorial features the 93-foot-tall Tower of Voices honoring the 40 passengers and crew members.

10 Parks & Recreation

park through a phased master plan.

“The traumas that happened on this land cannot and should not be forgotten,” states Paul Murdoch, architect of the Flight 93 memorial. “It has been an incredible honor to design a space that helps us to remember and to heal. It is my hope that the Flight 93 National Memorial will always memorialize the heroic legacies of the passengers and crew members and be a teaching tool to future generations asking, ‘What can you do to strengthen democracy?’”

The Flight 93 National Memorial is now a 2,200-acre national park site. The design transforms the site, a former coal mine, into a landscape of environmental and symbolic healing.

Upon entering the park, visitors first see the 93-foot-tall Tower of Voices that introduces the memorial theme. The Tower of Voices features 40 tuned, wind-activated chimes that serve as a long-lasting remembrance of the brave voices of the 40 passen-

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gers and crew members.

The memorial landscape moves visitors through a composition of open spaces defined by site walls, plantings, walkways and courts, gateways, and building elements.

The Field of Honor sits at the heart of the memorial landscape. Along the perimeter, memorial features include the Visitor Center, 40 Memorial Groves with a Red Maple Allée, the Wall of Names and Memorial Plaza, the Arrival Court and Gateway, the Sacred Ground, the Western Overlook and the restored wetlands.

The plane crashed at the edge of this open field, burning many of the surrounding hemlock trees. The distinct structure of the trees inspired the design motif expressed in materials throughout the memorial.

Every aspect of the memorial landscape repairs damaged land and water, from the restoration of meadows and wetlands to the remediation of soil and the planting of diverse native tree species.

Nearly two decades in the making, the Flight 93 National Memorial transforms this land of trauma into one of emotional healing, while signifying the strengths and sacrifices made by the heroes on Flight 93. The design and structure of the memorial expresses the spirit of the memorial’s mission statement preamble: “A common field one day. A field of honor forever.”

Thank you to Paul Murdoch Architects for contributing to this article.

Julie Du Brow is Principal of dubroWorks (julie@dubroworks.com).

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Bridging the Gap Houston makes high-impact improvements in neighborhood parks

By Kenneth Allen

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ationally, park and recreation departments should help bridge the gap between privileged and disadvantaged communities by identifying improvements to underserved parks that can be done with existing resources, as is being done in Houston. actions that include targeting five neighborhood parks that can be improved with the city’s park and recreation department resources.

This initiative, called Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Love Our Parks initiative, is currently underway and will be completed in 2021. As part of the initiative, park and recreation department staff will install new playgrounds, repair concrete walkways, replace benches and perform other high-impact upgrades. The five parks included in the challenge — Catherine Delce Park in the Fifth Ward, Earl Henderson Park in Northside Village, Zurrie Malone Park in the Third Ward, Our Park in the Third Ward, and Woodruff Park in Harrisburg — were selected

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION

For the health and happiness of residents of the Houston area, it is important that the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department build and maintain public parks in all of Houston’s neighborhoods. To that end, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department are taking

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because Houston Parks and Recreation Department leadership saw potential for improvements that were actionable by department staff.

For example, at Zurrie Malone Park, Houston Parks and Recreation Department staff recently completed renovations to the roofing over the green space’s outdoor basketball court and repainted the court. Gladys Hemphill, a resident who lives across the street from the park and whose grandchildren frequently play there, says, “It makes me feel so blessed.… [The Houston Parks and Recreation Department] came to us a few weeks ago [in March 2021]…and the next week, they were out here getting together.… Right now, Malone Park is improving.”

I think this approach would work in other cities, too. While every municipality has different circumstances and challenges, park and recreation department directors will know what kind of projects they can plan and carry out in their cities on their own initiative and can target those high-impact projects where they are most needed. Department directors and their executive teams can personally visit the neighborhoods and parks most in need, see with their own eyes where there’s room for improvement, and talk to area residents to get feedback about

Zurrie Malone Park is among five Houston parks targeted for improvements through Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Love Our Parks initiative.

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what upgrades would be most appreciated by the park’s users.

Park safety also should be a priority. No matter where you live, your children deserve to have clean parks to play in that are free of illegal activity. To that end, park departments should enlist the help of community leaders in the areas surrounding parks, encourage them to monitor those green spaces for crime, and contact law enforcement if the safety of the park is compromised. The Houston Parks and Recreation Department has a close relationship with the Houston Police Department due in part to the Greater Houston Police Activities League, a program that builds community trust by giving youth a chance to meet uniformed officers and practice a wide variety of sports with them in a safe environment. I would encourage other city park departments to maintain similarly close ties to law enforcement in their areas.

Parks help sustain neighborhoods by allowing residents to take some time away from the stressors in their lives, to experience the outdoors and to stay active. This role for urban green

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H Zurrie Malone Park’s basketball court is pictured here before renovations were made to the roof and the court’s surface.

spaces has been especially important during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, when restrictions have been imposed on many of the other ways in which people spend quality time with their family and friends. Houston and other cities owe it to underserved communities to take decisive action to improve and maintain the parks in their neighborhoods, and to keep those green spaces safe to use.

Kenneth Allen is Director of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.

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Welcome to Music City!

T

his year, NRPA is hosting its first-ever hybrid conference experience with the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference. Whether you are joining us in Nashville, Tennessee, or attending via our virtual platform, park and recreation professionals, champions and industry suppliers will have the opportunity to adapt, connect, unite and lead.

NRPA is hosting its first-ever hybrid conference experience with the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference taking place virtually and in Nashville, Tennessee.

For those who are joining us in Nashville, in addition to the 24/7 live music and mouth-watering barbecue, here are a few experiences in the city you won’t want to miss.

Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum The Musicians Hall of Fame honors musicians from all genres of music who have played on thousands of iconic recordings. The museum exhibits take you on a tour of cities that greatly influenced music culture. The museum’s newest addition, The Grammy Museum Gallery, is a 9,000-square-foot interactive exhibit where visitors learn about every aspect of the music industry, such as songwriting and playing instruments.

Location: 401 Gay Street Walking Distance From Convention Center: 0.7 miles (15 minutes) Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Website: musicianshalloffame.com

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum The Country Music Hall of Fame 16

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and Museum is the definitive home of American music, safeguarding more than 2.5 million priceless artifacts, including countless recordings and photographs, numerous stage costumes, and musical instruments.

Location: 222 Rep. John Lewis Way South Walking Distance From Convention Center: 250 feet (one minute) Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Website: countrymusichalloffame.org

The Johnny Cash Museum Located in the heart of downtown Nashville, The Johnny Cash Museum is dedicated to the life and music career of the late Man in Black.

Exhibits featuring the world’s most comprehensive collection of Johnny Cash artifacts and memorabilia chronicle Cash’s legacy through stunning graphics, artifacts and more.

Location: 119 3rd Avenue South Walking Distance From Convention Center: 0.3 miles (six minutes)

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Hours: Sunday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Website: johnnycashmuseum.com

National Museum of African American Music National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) is a 56,000-square-foot facility that encourages visitors to discover the central role African Americans have played in shaping and creating all genres of American music.

From classical to country to jazz and hip hop, NMAAM integrates history and interactive technology to share the untold story of more than 50 music genres and subgenres. It is an unparalleled institution that tells a unique narrative through the lens of Black music.

Location: 510 Broadway Street Walking Distance From Convention Center: 0.2 miles (five minutes) Hours: Friday-Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Website: nmaam.org

Honky Tonk Highway If you want to pack in a lot of live music all in one spot, head down to Lower Broadway, aka Honky Tonk Highway, and pop in and out of legendary clubs like Tootsie’s World Famous Orchid Lounge and Robert’s Western World. And remember, you don’t always need to buy a ticket to see live music in Nashville — there’s free music playing all the time!

Location: Lower Broadway Street Walking Distance From Convention Center: 0.2 miles (five minutes) Hours: Sunday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Website: visitmusiccity.com/honkytonk-highway

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Education Highlights

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ith more than 80 education sessions, 20 speed sessions and 20 NRPA Research sessions presented by top speakers both inside and outside of the park and recreation field, you are sure to leave the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference inspired. Below are just a few of the education sessions that will be offered during the conference.

Mental Health First Aid: An Overview Look of Today’s Emerging Mental Health Concerns An estimated one out of every five people will experience a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year. Recognizing a mental health problem and knowing how to address it are invaluable skills. This training will help you identify and understand signs and symptoms of

individuals who may be dealing with issues, such as depression, anxiety, substance use, trauma, psychosis and deliberate self-injury. Attendees also will learn how to respond in a mental health crisis, offer support to someone who appears to be in emotional distress, and, if necessary, guide the person to appropriate services.

Speakers: Craig Harley, Deborah Millar Track: Health and Wellness Delivery Format: Nashville in person

With more than 80 education sessions, 20 speed sessions and 20 NRPA Research sessions, attendees of the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference are sure to leave inspired.

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Parks & Recreation

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Community Outreach and Engagement With an Equity Lens During the time of coronavirus (COVID-19), the Metro Parks Tacoma (Washington) Outreach and Engagement Team has been identifying barriers, challenges and opportunities for a transparent, equitable and genuine engagement approach within communities.

Learn strategies to shift organizational culture, policies and procedures; change methodology for delivery of service; and develop best practices with an anti-racist lens to better serve marginalized communities.

Speakers: Courtney Acoff, Delia Flores, Abigail Vizcarra Perez Track: Equity and Inclusion Delivery Format: Nashville in person

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Booth #1200

Parks as Critical Infrastructure: How to Quantify and Message Their Equity, Health, Climate and Economic Benefits There is growing awareness of the structural inequities in our communities. We now know that parks serving non-white populations are, on average, half the size of parks in white neighborhoods, yet serve five times as many people. Similarly, lowincome, non-white neighborhoods are disproportionately vulnerable to flooding and extreme heat because they lack adequate green space. To change this, we must transform the public’s perception of parks as nice-to-have amenities to must-have infrastructure.

Using case studies from around the country, presenters will share how to effectively communicate the benefits of parks, attract advocates and build support. They will share examples of how parks generate significant benefits, new research that quantifies carbon capture, and resources that position green infrastructure in parks as a multi-benefit community solution.

Attendees will learn how to advocate for parks as critical solutions to the most pressing challenges facing our communities.

Speakers: Taj Schottland, Sean Terry, Ayanna Williams Track: Conservation Delivery Format: Virtual stream, virtual on-demand

Did COVID-19 Kill Cost Recovery?

How do agencies with high-cost recovery mandates succeed in a 20 Parks & Recreation

post-pandemic world? We will review the immediate impacts of COVID-19 on a two-time National Gold Medal agency, which has historically achieved 100 percent cost recovery on its community center and programming. We also will explore the strategies being implemented to reimagine our revenue operations for a sustainable future. Come prepared to share how your agency is pivoting to generate income in this new era.

Speaker: Michael Klitzing Track: Revenue Development Delivery Format: Nashville in person, virtual live stream, virtual on-demand

Next Practices for the Post-Pandemic 2020s As we start thinking about what a post-pandemic world may look like in the future, this session will help attendees think of next practices they want to shape to design an inclusive, welcoming and financially/environmentally sustainable park and recreation agency. In these increasingly unpredictable times with changing demographics and technologies, this session also will share insights for how to build an agency culture and mindset that can innovate and thrive in chaos and embrace change as park and recreation agencies look to continue playing the role of essential components that sustain the community’s very fabric and way of life.

Speakers: Neelay Bhatt, Leon Younger Track: Leadership and Personnel Management Delivery Format: Virtual stream, virtual on-demand

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Lean in! Navigating and Eliminating Imposter Syndrome Do you ever wonder if co-workers think you don’t belong and question how you got your position?

Do you believe you lack credibility? Do you look at potential jobs and feel like you aren’t qualified even though, on paper, you clearly are? If so, you may have Imposter Syndrome — a natural thought process where you may have feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt or intellectual fraudulence. Studies have found that an estimated 70 percent of people have experienced these feelings at some point in their careers. Minorities and women are the most at risk — because the less you are surrounded by people who look or sound like you, the less confident you may feel — which may make you question your place and your abilities. This talk will help you recognize those feelings, invalidate them when they falsely occur, and re-frame your narrative. Your uniqueness is an asset to your agency — capitalize on that and lean in so you can silence those negative thoughts and move forward in your career.

Speaker: Jai Cole Track: Career Development Delivery Format: Nashville in person, virtual live stream, virtual on-demand

For a complete list of the education sessions offered during the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference, visit nrpa.org/ Conference.

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Answering Your Questions About the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference

W

hether you are a first-time NRPA conference attendee or you’re a returning participant, the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference will be a one-of-a-kind experience for everyone. Here are answers to some of the questions you may have about this year’s event.

What makes the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference a hybrid event?

The 2021 in-person and online conference components will be offered simultaneously September 21-23. Various parts of the “live” conference, such as education

session content and exhibit hall product announcements, will be broadcast through NRPA’s online platform. General Sessions will be pre-recorded and presented to both in-person and virtual attendees through various mediums.

How will NRPA take action to ensure health and safety protocols are enforced during the conference in Nashville?

The safety of our staff and attendees is of the utmost importance to NRPA. We will follow all federal, state and local guidelines set for in-person gatherings, as well as the recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). In-person attendees can expect daily health and wellness check points, physical distancing and face covering requirements, as well as other health and safety protocols.

Personal Accountability Any person who is feeling ill or has been exposed recently to the coronavirus (COVID-19) within the two weeks leading up to the conference should stay home. A Code of Conduct, to include a Personal Accountability Commitment, has been adopted for 2021 and will be a required agreement prior to completion of the registration process for those who will be attending the conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

Masks Masks will be mandatory while attending the conference and all associated functions. Masks will be available on-site should any participant arrive without one.

Physical Distancing and Contact All attendees must agree to follow and engage in appropriate six-foot physical distancing procedures and protocols when inside the convention center lobbies, corridors and exhibit hall. Education session room seating will be set at three feet apart, all seats facing forward and must not be altered. Crowd22 Parks & Recreation

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flow procedures, signs and floor stickers must be adhered to in lobbies, registration areas, session rooms and the exhibit hall.

Attendees will be discouraged from shaking hands, fist bumping, high-fiving or embracing.

Cleaning Services All public areas, including restrooms and lobbies, will be cleaned before, during and after events. Conference equipment will be cleaned between users. Meeting rooms used for education will be cleaned during extended breaks between sessions and overnight, and the exhibit hall will be cleaned overnight.

Sanitizing Considerations The convention center has 101 hand sanitizing stations with 70 percent alcohol content located within the convention center. There are 248 sinks in the convention center, each equipped with touchless water and soap dispensers. All restrooms have touchless paper towel dispensers and will be closed regularly for cleaning. Attendees will be asked to sanitize their hands upon arrival at the center daily.

On-Site Medical Protocols Daily wellness questionnaires and temperature checks will be required for all people attending in Nashville. Attendees, exhibitors, vendors or staff presenting a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher will not be allowed access into the convention center.

Emergency medical technicians will be on-site and have an isolation first aid room and emergency care plan in place for anyone who begins to feel sick or present COVID-19 symptoms during the conference.

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What is the registration fee?

What does the registration cover?

You can find all registration information at nrpa.org/Conference/ Registration.

Are there any meals included with my full registration package?

A boxed lunch will be provided on either Tuesday or Wednesday, based on each attendee’s learning pod assignment. In addition, a gift card to be used at a Nashville restaurant will be provided to those who attend one of NRPA’s evening socials.

What is the cancellation and refund policy for the conference?

Registration refund and cancellation requests must be provided in writing

by Friday, August 20, 2021, no later than 5 p.m. CDT, and will incur a $100 processing fee. No refunds will be issued if requested/postmarked after the August 20, 2021, cut-off date. More specific details regarding cancellations, refunds and the option to transfer your registration can be found at tinyurl.com/bjc2fd23.

For additional information, please contact us at nrpa@mcievents.com or 972.349.7715.

24 Parks & Recreation

If I have specific questions about my registration or housing, or need to make changes. Whom can I contact?

You can call our registration and housing partner, MCI, at 888.385.8010 (or 972.349.5891) or email nrpa@mcievents.com.

How will I receive my badge and registration materials for the 2021 in-person conference?

NRPA will no longer be mailing badges ahead of the in-person conference. Badge pickup will be available on-site at registration. Registration will be located in Exhibit Hall A and will open on Monday, September 20.

How will NRPA handle physical distancing requirements for the education sessions?

To ensure proper physical distancing is achieved, those who attend the education sessions will be divided into two groups: Learning Pod A and Learning Pod B. Separating into these groups will help facilitate physical distancing in lobbies, corridors and the exhibit hall, as well as during breaks.

Each learning pod will have established attendee arrival times and schedules:

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• Learning Pod A will attend sessions on level one and in the Davidson Ballroom.

• Learning Pod B will attend sessions on level two and in the Grand Ballroom on level four.

Breaks between education sessions will be longer than usual to allow for meeting room and equipment cleaning.

During these breaks, attendees will be encouraged to visit the exhibit hall (based on their Learning Pod assignment), explore the virtual platform on their mobile device, or head outdoors for a brief walk and some fresh air. Additional information regarding learning pods will be provided closer to the conference dates.

Additionally, NRPA will continue to monitor all federal, state and local guidelines, as well as recommendations provided by the CDC and WHO as they relate to in-person gatherings and will communicate any changes to these policies.

I have more questions — where can I get more information?

You can find more information and frequently asked questions about the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference at nrpa.org/Conference.

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RESEARCH Park and Recreation Infrastructure Is Critical

By Kevin Roth

I

nfrastructure is a word that has been tossed around a lot in recent years.

Policymakers have talked about the need for not only shoring up the nation’s deteriorating infrastructure, but also building more to support a growing, more diverse population. More recently, investing in infrastructure has gained renewed interest in the context of the economic recovery coming out of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. But, at times, parks and recreation has not had a seat at the table for these conversations.

The pandemic demonstrated to many people what we already knew: parks and recreation is essential infrastructure. Local park and recreation agencies across the United States maintain millions of acres of parkland, sprawling trail networks and other public open spaces that promote better physical and mental health, serve as a meeting place that brings family, friends and fellow neighbors together, and contribute as an integral part of community environmental and disaster response. Park and recreation infrastructure itself is diverse and includes recreation centers, community centers, nature centers, pools, sports fields and courts, bridges, outdoor lighting, electrical and water utilities, and many other assets.

Park and recreation infrastructure is as critical to the vitality of cities, towns and counties as are the assets managed by any other government agency and department, including those of public works, utilities, transportation and education. But at the same time, park and recreation infrastructure does not benefit from sustained funding support that many of these other entities receive.

The result of the funding disparity is aging assets that are falling in disrepair even as park and recreation usage rises to record levels.

26 Parks & Recreation

According to NRPA Park Metrics (nrpa.org/ParkMetrics), NRPA’s benchmarking resource, park and recreation agencies have on average $17.4 million in deferred maintenance projects on their books. Considering the more than 10,000 local park and recreation agencies of varying sizes and missions, NRPA estimates that the total value of deferred park and recreation maintenance at agencies across the nation exceeds more than $60 billion.

The American Society of Civil Engineers gave a D+ rating to park and recreation infrastructure in its 2020 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure (tinyurl.com/up5me3b9).

The report notes a D grade, indicating “[t]he infrastructure is in poor to fair condition and mostly below standard, with many elements approaching the end of their service life. A large portion of the system exhibits significant deterioration. Condition and capacity are of serious concern with strong risk of failure.”

But it is not just about maintaining existing infrastructure. Parks and recreation must grow and evolve to continue serving communities. And, this means new construction. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates state and local governments spent more than $10 billion in 2020 on building parks, community centers and sports infra-

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structure (tinyurl.com/ppcmp92t).

Remarkably, this matches 2019 spending levels after adjusting for inflation. Even better, it was up by more than 40 percent versus 2013 expenditures. But the bad news is that park and recreation infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the population it serves. Park and recreation construction spending in 2020 only matched spending in 2009, even though the nation’s population has risen nearly nine percent.

The underinvestment in park and recreation infrastructure is not due to a lack of desire by the public. More than nine in 10 respondents to the July 2021 NRPA Park Pulse Poll (nrpa. org/ParkPulse) agree it is important for their local government to invest in community infrastructure, including parks, community and senior centers, and recreation facilities. In a time of seemingly great political divisiveness, the nation is united in its support to fully fund park and recreation infrastructure, with no difference seen by the gender, age, race, ethnicity, income, education and household formation of respondents.

The ubiquity of support is a part of the solution to fund park and recreation infrastructure. The general public agrees that your work is essential. Next month we will review the findings from the 2021 Engagement With Parks Report that further make the case for greater and more sustainable funding for the work you and your fellow park and recreation professionals deliver every day.

Kevin Roth is NRPA’s Vice President of Research, Evaluation and Technology (kroth@nrpa.org).

NRPA PARK PULSE

Park and Recreation Partnerships With Schools Provide Equitable Access

82% of U.S. adults say it’s important that their local schools and park

and recreation agencies partner to ensure equitable access to open spaces.

This includes access to school amenities outside of school hours, including:

School playgrounds School fields

More than 3 in 5 U.S. adults say this access is extremely or very important.

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 FINANCE FOR FOR THE THE FIELD FIELD How Does Your City Interpret Equity? (Part One) The compensatory equity and equality perspectives

E

quity (i.e., fairness) in allocation of resources and services can be operationalized in four different ways: compensatory equity, equality, market/benefit equity and demand. The principles underlying each of them are very different. Which of them does your city embrace? This month’s column describes the first two of these operationalizations. The second two will be addressed in next month’s column.

Compensatory Equity NRPA’s equity pillar states, “We must put equity at the center of all we do.” Many interpret the intent of the pillar to be that economically disadvantaged groups, areas or individuals should receive extra increments of services beyond those delivered to the rest of a community. Thus, an unequal amount of expenditures are allocated to personnel, equipment, facilities and services for those residents.

This is a social goal. Its advocates argue that people who are disadvantaged by receiving a relatively small amount of resources through the market mechanism of the private sector should receive more resources from the public sector to facilitate their access to basic services. This perspective

views park and recreation services as one of the vehicles for intentionally alleviating inequities in service access that may exist in disadvantaged areas.

The implied expectation is that additional increments of resources will result in more equal outcomes.

This may be measured, for example, by achieving similar participation rates in recreation activities in all groups/areas in a city. However, providing additional resources does not necessarily mean that all sections of the community will use them. It is important to differentiate between whether people should participate (equal outcomes) or should be able to participate (equal opportunity).

While compensatory equity is conceptually appealing to many

in the park and recreation field, three factors make it challenging to operationalize. First, establishing criteria that defines who or which areas of a community qualify as economically disadvantaged is likely to be controversial.

Second, it is difficult to measure recreation benefits and compare them across different groups/areas.

Third, the magnitude of the cost needed to raise the engagement levels of disadvantaged, relatively unresponsive target groups is likely to be both substantial and unknown.

An analogy with the education system helps illustrate this challenge.

Students are not guaranteed equal outcomes in terms of skill acquisition, grades or knowledge. Rather, it is expected that they will be guaranteed equal opportunity to learn.

Placed in the context of parks and recreation, the above example suggests that equity should not be measured by the number of people in an area who visit a park. Instead, it should be measured by the number of residents who live within walking distance of a park.

For elected officials and administrators who often justify their “success” by how many are served or the cost per participant, committing to compensatory equity is daunting. In these contexts, a politically palatable approach ofEquity (i.e., fairness) in allocation of resources and services can be operationalized in four different ways: compensatory equity, equality, market/ benefit equity and demand.

28 Parks & Recreation

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ten used is to argue that inequities are not the central issue. Rather, improving service delivery to disadvantaged groups — even if the strategy does nothing to alleviate inequalities — is a legitimate compensatory equity strategy.

Equality The equality perspective perhaps stems from Thomas Jefferson’s iconic phrase in the Declaration of Independence: “all men are created equal,” and the 14th Amendment’s clause guaranteeing all citizens “the equal protection of the laws.”

Adoption of the equality operationalization of equity directs that policy and service delivery decisions should deliver equal annual appropriations and services to all

groups and areas. However, if they are applied to existing patterns of service delivery that are perceived to be inequitable, then they merely reinforce existing inequities. This was illustrated by an analysis of the use of Proposition K funds in Los Angeles. These funds generated $25 million per year for 30 years from a designated property tax to alleviate inadequacies in underfunded areas. An evaluation of the program (tinyurl.com/96hbummr) based primarily on geographic information system analyses concluded: Low-income and concentrated poverty areas as well as neighborhoods dominated by Latinos, African Americans and Asian-Pacific Islanders, have dramatically lower levels of access to park resources

than [w]hite dominated areas of the city. Proposition K funding patterns often exacerbate rather than ameliorate existing inequalities in park and open space resource distributions in the [c]ity, since much of the funding was invested in improvements to existing facilities…. Much of the $25 million a year was not allocated to the areas where it is most needed.

In next month’s column, we will explore the market/benefit equity and demand interpretations of equity.

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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ADVOCACY

Public policy development and advocacy are continuous efforts.

Public Policy and Advocacy at the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference

By Dan McCarthy

P

ark and recreation agencies increasingly recognize public policy and advocacy as essential functions of their work. However, many professionals remain unclear about how to best engage in these spaces to achieve measurable results and effect systemic change. That’s where NRPA’s Public Policy and Advocacy team has you covered!

Whether you’re an old hand in public policy and advocacy or you’re new to this work, here are three sessions taking place at the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference you won’t want to miss:

Elevating Parks in the Policy Debate Over the Next Five Years Park and recreation agencies provide essential services for their communities. However, when decision-makers hold tough poli30 Parks & Recreation

cy or budget conversations, park and recreation agencies often find themselves left out and unheard.

As the saying goes, “if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”

This session will outline strategies park and recreation professionals can employ to stay relevant in policy and budget conversations. The session will highlight the key policy debates and trends happening in Washington, D.C., and in communities across the country, illustrating how park

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and recreation professionals can bring their unique perspective to these conversations.

Show Me the Money!

Federal Resources Available for Your Department Congress and the Biden administration took historic steps to meet the multiple crises presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The American Rescue Plan Act invests $1.9 trillion to help families and communities recover from the pandemic and build back better. NRPA’s Public Policy and Advocacy team worked with Congress and the administration to ensure that park and recreation agencies were eligible for these funds.

This session will summarize federal legislation and funding resources, including the specific provisions that park and recreation agencies can access for funding.

Public policy experts will answer your questions and help you identify potential sources of federal funding for your agency.

Telling the Story of Parks for Influence, Advocacy and Equity Effective grassroots advocacy, at its core, is effective storytelling. Your agency may put on the best programs and offer the best services, but if no one knows about them, it’s as if they don’t exist! Just like you advertise your agency’s programs

and services, you can (and should) advocate on behalf of your agency’s impact on the local community and make sure decision-makers know your contributions, resource challenges and priorities.

This session will help you craft a compelling argument for your agency through insightful examples from the field and thoughtful exercises.

Join the movement and help build support for parks and recreation.

Public policy development and advocacy are continuous efforts, meaning the work doesn’t stop at conference. We look forward to engaging with you throughout the year to learn about what work is on the horizon for your agency and how NRPA can provide the re-

This session will help you craft a compelling argument for your agency through insightful examples from the field and thoughtful exercises. sources to support the critical work that you do. Stay informed and engaged on the issues that matter to park and recreation professionals by subscribing to NRPA’s advocacy list (nrpa.org/Advocacy-Engage).

Looking for more ways to get involved and make your voice heard?

Check out our website for detailed policy analysis and advocacy resources at nrpa.org/Advocacy.

Dan McCarthy is NRPA’s Advocacy Manager (dmccarthy@nrpa.org).

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Arthritis appropriate evidence-based intervention (AAEBI) program participants have expressed improvements to not only their physical health, but also their mental and social health.

Parks and Recreation: A Vital CommunityBased Solution to Support Healthy Aging

By Colleen Pittard, Tiff Cunin and Allison Colman

E

very September, Healthy Aging Month brings national attention to the positive aspects of growing older and highlights opportunities for older adults to improve their physical, mental, social and overall well-being. In celebration of this month, park and recreation professionals can reflect on the services they provide to older adults.

Since 2013, NRPA has supported these professionals in implementing evidence-based physical activity programs to enhance the quality of life for the 54.5 million adults with arthritis in the United States. Given the substantial evidence that physical activity can help people with arthritis improve their physical function by at least 40 percent and improve outcomes for arthritis comorbidities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults with arthritis engage in arthritis appropriate evidence-based interventions

32 Parks & Recreation

(AAEBIs) to manage their chronic pain and reduce use of prescribed opioids. In 2016, NRPA was awarded CDC’s DP16-1606 cooperative agreement, Advancing Arthritis Public Health Approaches Through National Organizations. Since that time, local park and recreation agencies have made significant progress disseminating the Walk With Ease (WWE), Active Living Every Day (ALED), Fit & Strong!

(F&S!) and Enhance®Fitness (EF) programs. Through this agreement, NRPA has worked directly with 330 park and recreation agencies across

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49 states and one U.S. territory, reaching nearly 25,000 individuals and creating community-wide impacts.

Communities with a high prevalence of arthritis have been able to offer AAEBIs to help the most underserved community members manage their arthritis. Within the past few years, more than 1,200 of these individuals have enrolled and attended an AAEBI. According to an F&S! instructor from Maryland Heights (Missouri) Parks and Recreation Department, “We had a participant with a weak lower body performance who was solely dependent on a cane to get around. After the 12-week Fit & Strong! Program, she is able to move around her house without the use of her cane.”

AAEBI participants have expressed

improvements to not only their physical health, but also their mental and social health. According to Rena, a WWE participant from Riverside, California, “The encouragement and commitment to the team from our walking leader helps to keep us motivated. I have osteoarthritis [in] both knees, and I can feel the difference — my knees are definitely less painful, my legs have gotten stronger. The friendship and closeness within our walking group [make] it a pleasure to get up, get out and walk!”

This September, we can look ahead to ensuring our programs, services and delivery formats match the needs and wants of a growing population of older adults in an evolving world. Throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, park and

recreation professionals have innovated to help older adults stay connected and engaged in critical health programming. One innovation was the expansion of virtual programs.

NRPA is working with nine park and recreation agencies to participate in a remote delivery exploration pilot.

Early reports indicate that remote delivery is an effective and practical way to offer evidence-based programming, reach new audiences, and build larger networks of program providers.

At one pilot agency, Liberty (Missouri) Parks and Recreation, Health and Wellness Manager Heather Borchardt and Health and Wellness Coordinator Victoria Jackson created inclusive ways for participants to attend an ALED class regardless of their available technology. They

used Zoom to create a book club, so participants only needed a land line to join. Participants used the breakout rooms feature to encourage open conversations in smaller groups.

This format was so successful that Liberty Parks and Recreation plans to use it with other programs.

Over the past several years, the number of AAEBIs offered in park and recreation settings has increased by 245 percent. These initiatives also have resulted in nearly 240 new partnerships, which are crucial to this program’s continued success and the creation of future public health solutions.

Colleen Pittard is NRPA’s Partnership Manager (cpittard@ nrpa.org). Tiff Cunin is NRPA’s Senior Program Manager (tcunin@nrpa.org). Allison Colman is NRPA’s Director of Health (acolman@nrpa.org).

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PHOTO COURTESY OF SARA JOSE

CONSERVATION

Volunteers from the Hi-Fairnesse Girls Club and TeamCITGO assist with installing plants on the StoryWalk® trail.

Engaging the Next Generation of Stewards Approaching volunteer and outreach programs through an equity lens

By Rena Payan and Sara Jose

B

lack, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities have a rich history of connection to the outdoors, and for centuries have been on the front lines of community-driven work to build a better planet. However, for decades, racist policies and practices have led to biased decisions about where parks are placed, where landfills and toxic waste sites are located, what lands are preserved or degraded, and whose experiences and voices are valued. As a result, BIPOC communities have been denied equal access to outdoor spaces and subjected to toxic environments.

Justice Outside — an organization that advances racial justice and equity in the outdoor and environmental movement — believes in the magic that happens when people of all ages enjoy, explore or find meaningful work in the outdoors. It works hard to ensure that everyone has access to this connection.

34 Parks & Recreation

Being intentional about how we work with and within communities of color will shape the relationship those communities have with us, our parks and the planet. Asking ourselves the hard questions, centering BIPOC communities’ needs and interests, and having the humility to adapt are key to ensuring that

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parks remain places of community gathering and pride.

Community involvement is crucial to the success of our parks, providing assistance in establishing, maintaining and conducing outreach for parks. Through NRPA research, we know that most community groups that assist with these efforts generally skew older, whiter and wealthier than the community as a whole. But communities of color and young people are passionate about the environment and often are at the forefront of finding solutions to some of our most pressing environmental issues. So, why don’t we see greater participation that reflects these communities?

To help, Justice Outside and NRPA partnered to create the resource: Engaging Diverse Groups in Building Community Resiliency Through Stewardship. Corpus Christi (Texas) Parks and Recreation’s Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve staff piloted the resource during its development in spring 2021.

The Corpus Christi population is 63 percent Hispanic or Latino, but the Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve’s volunteer population is currently represented by an older, primarily white population. Oso Bay staff are exploring creating more meaningful and diverse partnerships with their community to engage youth.

Oso Bay staff connected with Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi’s Green Team, a student group that is highly active in community cleanups and environmental campus initiatives. In initial conversations, the student team’s leadership shared that they were looking for training activities and sites for new members to learn locally relevant skills, including becoming familiar with local conservation issues

and community sites off campus.

Through the relationshipbuilding process between Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve and the Green Team, three volunteer events were scheduled. Activities included invasive species removal, pollinator bed updates and a StoryWalk® trail installation. These activities were co-created with the student group to ensure the events were fulfilling and meaningful to the participants.

Oso Bay staff also hosted a virtual question-and-answer session on careers in park conservation. Many students expressed interest in working in a variety of sites, ecosystems and roles during their early careers and focused on state and federal jobs, demonstrating a lack of awareness of

possibilities in local park and recreation careers.

The preserve’s long-term goal is to partner the Green Team with a high school-level Green Team to serve as a mentor pipeline, and to engage corporate partners that may employ local graduates with conservation or environmental backgrounds.

To ensure the sustainability and success of our programs and parks, we need to ensure our advocates are reflective of our communities. By doing so, we not only broaden our support base, but also build our next generation of conservation professionals to support building resilient communities.

Rena Payan is Senior Programs Manager for Justice Outside (rena@youthoutside.org). Sara Jose is Preserve Manager for Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation (saraj@cctexas.com).

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L AW R EV I EW

In the case of Swint v. City of Carrollton, the plaintiff brought claims against the defendant for alleged infringement of her associational rights, retaliation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Terminated Parks Employee Brings Retaliation Claim

By James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

I

n the case of Swint v. City of Carrollton, 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 16416 (11th Cir. 6/2/2021), a former public employee, Plaintiff Keelan Swint (Plaintiff), brought several claims under federal and state law against the Defendant City of Carrollton (Georgia) and city officials (the City) who supervised her for alleged infringement of her associational rights, retaliation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Facts of the Case Plaintiff began working for the City of Carrollton in 2002 as a custodian. In 2016, she was promoted to facility supervisor of the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center. In 2017, she was transferred to the parks and recreation department to work as an athletic coordinator.

In January 2018, Plaintiff spoke with a woman who had just quit her job at the Cultural Arts Cen36 Parks & Recreation

ter. During the conversation, the woman said she believed that another employee at the Center had raped a volunteer who was a minor. Plaintiff reported the allegation to the director of the parks and recreation department who passed the information on to the City’s director of human resources and the city manager.

In a meeting with these administrators, Plaintiff was asked if

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she had spoken with anyone else about the allegation. Plaintiff said she had informed two other city employees. The administrators ordered her not to speak about it with anyone else. The city manager and the human resources director reported the allegation to the police department. A detective interviewed the alleged victim who denied having been raped. The detective closed the investigation as “unfounded due to no crime occurring” and notified the city manager and human resources director of his findings.

In March 2018, the parks and recreation director informed Plaintiff that the City planned to eliminate her position in the parks and

recreation department because of low participation in the programs she oversaw. The director told her she could continue working for the City by accepting reassignment to a maintenance position that had just become vacant. In addition, she was told she would have to take a pay cut and the City would have to lay off her son, who was also an employee. Plaintiff reluctantly accepted the offer.

The City later amended the terms of Plaintiff ’s continued employment. They agreed that she could keep her former salary and continue reporting to her supervisor in the parks and recreation department instead of to a new supervisor. Plaintiff, however, would have to accept several new conditions of employment, which were explained in a letter. The first condition stated: “Do not involve yourself in anything associated with the Cultural Arts Center,” especially “matters concerning pending litigation, past or current employees, volunteers, or anyone associated with the Cultural Arts Center, unless you are specifically directed to do so by your chain of command.”

Other conditions prohibited Plaintiff from discussing her salary, the job performance of other employees, and other sensitive matters with anyone other than her supervisors, the human resources department or law enforcement. Plaintiff also was prohibited from “making threatening or disrespectful remarks or threats of legal action about other employees, her chain of command, or elected officials,” because such comments were “a serious form of insubordination.”

The last condition directed Plaintiff to “sign this letter acknowledg

ing that you have received and read the letter and its conditions.” The letter warned that failure to adhere to the conditions could result in disciplinary action, including reduction in pay or termination.

On March 15, 2018, Plaintiff met with her parks and recreation department director and her supervisor. The director tried to read the letter to Plaintiff, but she periodically interrupted him to say that the allegations were false and that she was being “railroaded.”

As the meeting progressed, Plaintiff became more upset and started hyperventilating. Plaintiff ’s husband picked her up from work and took her to the emergency room.

According to the City’s human resources director, Plaintiff resigned from her job during the meeting.

Plaintiff, however, contended she did not resign and was instead fired for refusing to sign the letter.

Job Termination Lawsuit Plaintiff sued the City and the four officials involved in the termination of her employment, which included the city manager, the human resources director, the parks and recreation director, and her supervisor. In her complaint, Plaintiff alleged that the City and the officials violated her First Amendment right to freedom of association. U.S. Const. amends.

I, XIV; 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff also alleged city administrators violated her civil rights by retaliating against her for refusing to sign the letter. U.S. Const. amends. I, XIV; 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Moreover, Plaintiff alleged the City violated the Georgia Whistleblower Act by retaliating against her for disclosing the rape allegation. Ga.

Code Ann. § 45-1-4. In addition, Plaintiff brought a claim against the city officials for intentional infliction of emotional distress based on the panic attack that she suffered during the meeting.

The federal district court granted summary judgment in favor of all defendants. In so doing, the court ruled: “the city and the officials were entitled to summary judgment on the federal claims because they had not limited any of Plaintiff ’s protected associational activities and because the speech for which they had allegedly retaliated against her was not a matter of public concern.”

Plaintiff sued the City and the four officials involved in the termination of her employment, which included the city manager, the human resources director, the parks and recreation director, and her supervisor.

While the court found Plaintiff ’s complaint had sufficiently alleged a case of retaliation under the Georgia Whistleblower Act, in the opinion of the court, Plaintiff had “failed to introduce evidence that the proffered reasons for reassignment and dismissal were pretextual.” The court further ruled Plaintiff ’s claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress failed because “reading a letter containing employment conditions is not outrageous and extreme conduct” and “no jury could find that the defendants intended to harm Plaintiff.” Plaintiff appealed.

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L AW R EV I EW

In the opinion of the federal appeals court, Plaintiff had failed to identify the required policy, custom or practice to establish the City’s liability for causing a violation of her First Amendment rights.

Municipal Liability As characterized by the federal appeals court, the initial issue on appeal was whether the city was entitled to summary judgment based on “the absence of municipal liability.”

As cited by the appeals court, municipal liability under Section 1983 of federal civil rights law “attaches only when municipal ‘official policy’ causes a constitutional violation,” which includes the following: A plaintiff must identify either an officially promulgated municipal policy or an unofficial custom or practice of the municipality shown through the repeated acts of a final policymaker for the municipality.

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On appeal, the City had argued that it was entitled to summary judgment on the federal claim because “Plaintiff did not identify an official policy or an unwritten custom or practice that caused the alleged constitutional violations.”

The federal appeals court agreed.

In the opinion of the appeals court, Plaintiff had failed to identify the required policy, custom or practice to establish the City’s liability for causing a violation of her First Amendment rights: Plaintiff did not identify an officially promulgated city policy that deprived city employees of their associational rights or that punished them for engaging in protected activity. Nor did she offer any examples of city officials repeatedly depriving employees of their First Amendment rights or repeatedly retaliating against employees for exercising those rights.

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The court, however, acknowledged the City could still be held liable “under a narrow exception to the general rule wherein municipal liability may be imposed for a single decision by municipal policymakers under appropriate circumstances.” Plaintiff had argued this exception applied to the city manager because he was a “final policymaker” who “supervised all city employees.” The federal appeals court rejected this argument.

As noted by the federal appeals court, “a municipal official does not have final policymaking authority over a particular subject matter when that official’s decisions are subject to meaningful administrative review.” In this particular case, the court found Plaintiff had failed to “develop the record with evidence that employment decisions by the city manager of Carrollton are insulated from meaningful administrative review.” Since the city manager was indeed subject to administrative review, the appeals court concluded the city manager did not have final policymaking authority. The appeals court, therefore, rejected Plaintiff ’s claim that Section 1983 municipal liability could be based on a single act by the city manager.

Officials Qualified Immunity Separate and apart from the municipal liability claim, the individual city officials had argued they too were entitled to summary judgment based on “qualified immunity.” As defined by the federal appeals court, qualified

immunity would protect the city officials “from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known”: For a right to be clearly established, a plaintiff must identify either case law with indistinguishable facts, a broad statement of principle within the Constitution, statute, or case law, or conduct so egregious that a constitutional right was clearly violated, even in the total absence of case law.

Further, to defeat qualified immunity, the court acknowledged the clearly established law must apply with obvious clarity to the circumstances and not “a high level of generality.” In this particular instance, the court noted: “Plaintiff cites no case law with similar facts to show that the conditions in her employment letter or the requirement that she sign the letter violated her constitutional rights.”

As a result, the federal appeals court held the city officials were “entitled to qualified immunity.”

Moreover, the court found Plaintiff ’s “arguments about general First Amendment principles” were “too abstract to make it obvious that the officials’ conduct violated her rights.”

knowledge that the disclosure was false or with reckless disregard for its truth or falsity.” Ga. Code Ann. § 45-1-4(d)(2).

As noted by the court, Georgia applies a “burden-shifting framework” to retaliation claims brought under the Georgia Whistleblower Act, in which “the plaintiff must first establish a prima facie case of retaliation.”

(A prima facie case, i.e., “at first sight,” is one in which the plaintiff ’s initial complaint includes sufficient allegations to provide the legal basis for a claim.) If the plaintiff ’s prima facie case for retaliation is established, the burden shifting framework would continue:

[T]he burden would shift to the employer to articulate a legitimate, non-retaliatory reason for the adverse employment action taken. If the employer offers a legitimate, non-retaliatory reason, the burden shifts back to the plaintiff to establish that the proffered reason for its action is pretextual.

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State Whistleblower Act As cited by the federal appeals court, the Georgia Whistleblower Act prohibited retaliation by a public employer against a public employee “for disclosing a violation of or noncompliance with a law, rule or regulation to either a supervisor or a government agency, unless the disclosure was made with

Further, to defeat qualified immunity, the court acknowledged the clearly established law must apply with obvious clarity to the circumstances and not “a high level of generality.”

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L AW R EV I EW

Pretext is established by a direct showing that an illicit reason more likely motivated the employer or by an indirect showing that the employer’s explanation is not credible.

A proffered reason is not pretextual unless a plaintiff proves both that the proffered reason was false and that retaliation was the real reason.

A plaintiff must rebut each of the employer’s proffered reasons.

As noted by the appeals court, “only the most blatant remarks, whose intent could mean nothing other than to retaliate, may constitute direct evidence” of retaliation.

After applying this burden shifting framework, the district court had found Plaintiff had “established a prima facie case of retaliation under the Act” based upon the following: [T]he city is a public employer, Plaintiff ’s reporting of the alleged rape was a disclosure of a violation of the law, her reassignment and termination were adverse employment actions, and the disclosure and adverse employment actions were close enough in time to each other to infer a causal connection.

Having found Plaintiff had presented a prima facie case of retaliation, the burden then shifted to the City to “articulate a legitimate, non-retaliatory reason for the adverse employment action taken.”

The federal district court had accepted the City’s two legitimate, non-retaliatory reasons for the adverse employment actions: Plaintiff was reassigned because 40 Parks & Recreation

her original position was eliminated due to low participation in the programs she oversaw, and she was terminated because she refused to sign the letter or to make a statement refuting the letter.

In response to the City’s reasons for the adverse employment action, the district court noted, “Plaintiff had made no attempt to show that the articulated reasons were pretextual.” Since Plaintiff had failed to demonstrate the City’s reasons were a mere pretext for the adverse employment action, the federal district court concluded the City was entitled to summary judgment.

Plaintiff appealed.

On appeal, Plaintiff claimed she had “produced direct evidence of retaliation in the form of a secret recording she made of a telephone conversation” with the city manager. According to Plaintiff, in this recording, the city manager had said he was “not going up to bat for her to keep her old position” because of the “many times she had meddled in the business of the Cultural Arts Center, including when she reported the alleged rape.” Moreover, on appeal, Plaintiff had argued the “City’s proffered reasons were pretextual” and she had presented “a convincing mosaic of circumstantial evidence that would allow a jury to infer that the City had illegally retaliated against her.” The federal appeals court rejected Plaintiff ’s argument.

As noted by the appeals court, “only the most blatant remarks, whose intent could mean nothing other than to retaliate, may constitute direct evidence” of retaliation. Under the circumstances of this particular case, the federal

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appeals court found Plaintiff had failed to provide such direct evidence of retaliation.

In the opinion of the court, the city manager’s “purported statement that he was not going up to bat” for Plaintiff was “not so blatant that the only explanation for it is an intent to retaliate.” On the contrary, during their telephone conversation, the court noted Plaintiff had admitted the city manager had said he “reassigned her because there was not enough work for her in her old position.” Moreover, the federal appeals court noted “Plaintiff did not argue in the district court that the City’s proffered reasons were pretextual.” Similarly, the appeals court found Plaintiff had not argued that “a convincing mosaic of circumstantial evidence was sufficient for a retaliation claim.”

Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress The federal appeals court also considered Plaintiff ’s claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress against the city officials.

As cited by the court, to succeed on a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress under Georgia law, a plaintiff must prove the following: [T]he alleged wrongful conduct is both intentional or reckless and extreme and outrageous, that there is a causal connection between the wrongful conduct and the emotional distress, and that the emotional distress is severe.

The wrongful conduct must be so outrageous in character, and so extreme in degree, as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency, and

to be regarded as atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community. Conduct is not extreme and outrageous simply because it is unkind or causes someone’s feelings to be hurt.

Moreover, as a general rule, the federal appeals court acknowledged: “an employer’s termination of an employee does not qualify as extreme and outrageous conduct under Georgia law.”

On appeal, Plaintiff claimed her demotion after she reported the rape allegation and her employment termination after she refused to sign a letter was “both intentional and outrageous” in violation of her First Amendment rights. In so doing, Plaintiff testified, during the meeting attended by her supervisor and the City’s director of human resources, she was specifically upset by the letter being read by the director of parks and recreation and the city manager, “accusing her of meddling in the affairs of the Cultural Arts Center.” As a result of “the emotional distress the officials caused her,” Plaintiff claimed “she now suffers from heart issues and anxiety, for which she takes medication.”

Under the circumstances of this case, the federal appeals court found Plaintiff had failed to demonstrate intentional infliction of emotional distress under Georgia law. In so doing, the appeals court agreed with the district court that “the officials’ conduct was neither intentional or reckless nor extreme and outrageous”: None of the actions that Plaintiff identified, nor the requirement that she sign to acknowledge that she received a letter and understood its conditions, is con

duct that goes beyond all possible bounds of decency or is atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community.

In support of her claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress, Plaintiff also had alleged instances of “sexual harassment, unfair treatment compared to other employees, failure to compensate for overtime, and demotion and threatened termination for testifying against an employer.” In the opinion of the appeals court, these additional allegations of adverse employment actions were “not comparable” to city officials reading a letter with employment conditions at a meeting. Moreover, the court noted that Plaintiff had “acknowledged in her deposition that

the officials did not intend to cause her to hyperventilate or to have a panic attack.” The federal appeals court, therefore, held Plaintiff “cannot prevail on her claim that they intentionally or recklessly caused her severe emotional distress.”

Conclusion Having rejected Plaintiff’s claims under federal and state law, the federal appeals court affirmed the summary judgment of the federal district court in favor of Defendant City of Carrollton and the individual defendant city officials.

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). Law review articles archive (1982 to present): mason.gmu.edu/~jkozlows.

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Charting

Mitchell Silver’s Next Move

Longtime park and recreation leader discusses racial equity, 21st century park infrastructure and his new endeavor

By Vitisia Paynich

M

itchell Silver has just wrapped up a successful seven-year tenure as parks commissioner for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks and Recreation), where he oversaw the management, planning and operations of nearly 30,000 acres of parkland. Surprisingly, he initially was reluctant to take the job. In 2014, this seasoned urban planner first interviewed for the city’s planning commissioner position when newly swornin Mayor Bill de Blasio offered him a different role: parks commissioner.

As Silver recalls the conversation with the mayor’s staff, “I said, ‘No, I don’t think that will work.’ And they said, ‘Why?’ And I said, ‘because parks [are] 80 percent operations and 20 percent planning. I’m a planner.’” His hesitancy gradually subsided when the mayor explained to him, “That’s why we want you. We want to really rethink our parks system for the 21st century.” The mayor’s plan included placing equity front and center. Of course, Silver eventually accepted the job, and the rest is park and recreation history.

In early August 2021, Silver began a new chapter as principal and vice president of urban planning for McAdams, a civil engineering, land planning, landscape architecture and geomatics firm in Raleigh, North Carolina. Silver will speak during the day two keynote session at the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference, being held both virtually and in Nashville, Tennessee, September 21-23.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

After serving seven years as parks commissioner for New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Mitchell Silver is entering a new chapter in his life and career.

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M I T C H E L L S I LV E R

Mitchell Silver sits on a bench painted in the Pan-African flag colors for the the new Juneteenth Grove located in Brooklyn’s Cadman Plaza Park.

Parks & Recreation magazine recently spoke with Silver to discuss his time at NYC Parks and Recreation, racial injustice as well as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and his important new role.

Parks & Recreation: You’re quoted as saying, “You had no idea how powerful parks were.” What were some of the misconceptions you had about 44 Parks & Recreation

the profession early on?

Mitchell Silver: Like everyone, I thought parks were just these green spaces with grass and trees, and I didn’t think anything beyond that.

I didn’t understand the power of parks. But I soon began to realize, particularly in New York City, these are our front yards, our backyards, our outdoor living rooms, where people come together to meet one another, to create memo-

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ries. And so that’s one aspect of it.

But then I started to realize not just the physical, but also the mental health benefits of being in a park.

And, this was pre-COVID. Study after study will show you what just being in a park for 20 minutes will do to the brain — what it’ll do to your overall mental well-being.

And to me, that was very powerful.

But then I also realized it’s part of our essential infrastructure. Parks are not just these green spaces, but also for climate change. It cools the city and the neighborhood in terms of air quality from the trees.

It absorbs CO2 [carbon dioxide] and improves our water quality.

They’re also used for stormwater retention. So, [it’s about] rethinking how our park assets [and] our parks can help protect both people and property.

I started to joke around and call the parks department, “the department of fun, health and happiness,” and I realized that every city had to have a department of fun. And I knew right away, that’s the parks department. We have the power to bring joy to people, to help them get healthier, and to help them have fun.

For me, that was an honorable mission for the parks department to really bring that to the public. And it truly has been the case. But [during the early days of the pandemic] when everything else was closed, parks became our sanctuaries of sanity. These were places people went to feel alive.

And to understand physical health, to me, was a mental health benefit that was really powerful. In fact, I’ve said [in this era of COVID] that parks should now be considered a part of our healthcare system…. So that was a complete turnaround that I’ve learned. Yes, I saw the power preCOVID, but now I see the power even more so, post-COVID.

P&R: What are the three biggest lessons you learned during your tenure with NYC Parks and Recreation?

Silver: To me, the parks are the heart of the city. That is first and foremost. The second one is that…you cannot have a quality city unless you have quality parks…throughout all the neighborhoods. Everyone deserves a quality park. My hope is that it’s within close walking distance. You need to have access to a quality park because these are the social gathering places where people come together to socialize, to get healthy, or to [enjoy the] mental health benefits. The third one [is what] I had mentioned earlier, [which is]…how it really can help in climate change. Every city is trying to do something, and the parks system really represents that oppor-

tunity — whether it’s street trees, park trees or the landscape itself. I want to make sure we don’t underestimate the power of this essential infrastructure. Parks aren’t just places people can go to, but also [places that] actually can assist in [combating] climate change. So, those are the three things that I somewhat took for granted, but now it’s just part of my overall thinking and DNA. I now get it. I understand parks and they’re powerful. And to me, those are the biggest lessons I’ve learned now that I’ve been in parks and recreation for over seven years.

P&R: You once said that park and recreation agencies need to “develop a 21st century infrastructure.” Could you please elaborate?

Silver: Parks should not just be

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these [places] that sit in isolation; they shouldn’t just have one purpose. There are health benefits, climate change benefits and social benefits. Across the board, public spaces and parks are now being looked at very differently in the future. In the 20th century, these were just nice green spaces. Now in the 21st century, as people are coming back to cities, they need to adapt to a 21st century design. Parks [must] have a universal design, as we have an aging population. We need to make sure our park paths are smooth — whether for a wheelchair, cane or [walker].

They have to have lots of seating. In the past, parks were places you just strolled through. You want people to sit there and enjoy themselves — particularly our aging population who love just to sit in a

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M I T C H E L L S I LV E R

Mitchell Silver and Lynda Ricciardone, Staten Island borough commissioner for New York City Parks, participate in the city’s Hug A Tree campaign.

I felt, there would be consequences. I didn’t care anymore. And as that scab was picked off, I felt the decades and decades of racism that I’ve experienced in my life.

I’m thankful, not for the incident of what happened, but that there was a national and international awakening of all the decades and generations of systemic racism.

And the trauma about what happened affected me personally. As a Black man and a leader of an organization, I knew I had to lead by example, and that started off a series of things that I had done since then. public space and feel alive. For children [and older adults], you want to make sure that parks are designed from 8 to 80. So, whether you’re 8 years or 80 years old, there’s something in there for you. And then… in the age of diversity, equity and inclusion, parks have to be inclusive for all. And when someone’s in that space, I want them to say, “I belong here. I feel welcome here.”

Having an inclusive parks system is so important. And then, finally, safety. For women and seniors, we want to make sure we remove any barriers in their sight lines in the park design, so that they feel safe.

Those are some of the things that I believe are part of a 21st century parks system. [It’s] a new design approach that really addresses the demographic changes in terms of [DEI], so that everyone feels welcome and safe in our public spaces.

P&R: It’s been more than a year since George Floyd’s murder, which led to a racial reckoning in our nation. Tell us about your 46 Parks & Recreation

experience on that tragic day, especially when you first learned the news.

Silver: Earlier that day, there was another incident in Central Park, the same day as George Floyd’s death. A birder [who is Black], named Christian Cooper, was confronted by a [white] woman [who threatened to have him arrested].

He [took] video and that was going viral. I was dealing with that issue when the news broke about George Floyd. When I saw the video, it really broke me, and it changed me forever. I think all of us felt enough was enough. And for me personally, being a Black man, it was a point in my life when I realized there was something I had to say and do. About two days later, after I had reflected on what happened, I wrote a statement to my staff about how I felt. People requested that it go out to the public audience, [and] we did share that.

I was tired of checking my Black identity at the door because I always felt that if I spoke up, or shared how

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P&R: Did you and your park and recreation staff discuss the events and racial injustice?

What did you glean from those conversations?

Silver: Everyone kept saying, “What can we do?” I felt that was the wrong question. The right question was: How do you feel? To me, it was more important to understand how people were feeling. So, we decided to create a safe space for our Black employees. We moved on to other groups later on, but we created what we called “Reflections On,” [which] was just a Zoom platform. You did not have to show your video, and we wanted to give people an opportunity to tell us how they felt about what was going on. Those conversations were powerful.

Out of those conversations, the staff wanted to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. This was June now [and] Juneteenth was around the corner.

It wasn’t celebrated much, but I felt it was an opportunity to make a very strong statement about sharing

the Black experience in our parks system. Within a matter of weeks, we found this park in Brooklyn — Cadman Plaza Park.

My staff called me and said, “You will not believe it. There are 19 benches as you enter this park.” And so, we decided to plant 19 trees and paint the existing 19 benches in the Pan-African flag colors [of red, black and green].

We called it Juneteenth Grove, and it was opened on Juneteenth 2020.

We went on to rename another 28 spaces [in honor of prominent Black figures] throughout New York City. We went further to look at our policies [and]…to look at our training. Those were ongoing things, but we wanted to show that this was not just a one off where we painted a mural and moved on.

My departure has really concerned a lot of staff because they feel that leadership is going to go away, but I made sure we planted deep enough roots in the path forward that it will be sustained in future years.

P&R: What does your next chapter look like?

Silver: I’m going to be a principal of the McAdams leadership team.

My goal really is just to be a special advisor on planning, parklands and public spaces. I’m also going to be an ambassador for the firm.

I’ll be going to a lot of industry conferences to speak [and] to get a better pulse on some of the emerging issues and trends. Also, I’ll be developing both current and future talent. But more importantly, [the team] wants to make sure I have a very strong lens on diversity, equity and inclusion — both within the company and externally on projects that we work on. That’s just a snapshot, but those are some of the things that I will be doing.

P&R: What advice would you give to future generations of park and recreation professionals?

Silver: The residents in your community, your town and your city are [currently] going through these traumatic and anxious events. And, we have the privilege to help them heal. That’s why I say parks are part of our healthcare system. Future park and recreation professionals need to understand the power of parks and the role you play. To me, that is a unique responsibility. As I said earlier, your agency is also the department of fun. No other city agency has that distinction. And through programming and athletics, you have the opportunity to bring so much joy and happiness to your community. Also, find friends, allies and champions,

because very often when tough times come, the park and recreation budget gets cut. And so, you need those champions and advocates who can tell the elected officials — those who do the budget — the value and the importance of parks. I don’t know how to put a price tag on how parks saved so many places during COVID. And the number one thing I’ll leave people with is…when tough times come, you have two options: to be bitter or to be better. Use those experiences to be better because the public is relying on you to bring those incredible green spaces to the population.

Vitisia Paynich is Executive Editor and Director of Print and Online Content at NRPA (vpaynich@nrpa.org).

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Building More Than a Park –

Chattanooga’s Lynnbrook Park puts equity at the center of its design

By Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett

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his year’s NRPA Parks Build Community Project in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is well underway, with construction slated for completion in the spring of 2022. Located on the southeast side of the city, this project is focused on converting an empty lot with a history of flooding to a functional park with a restored stream that will serve as a central natural feature of the park. A benefit on several fronts; the surrounding Oak Grove community will have access to a place to gather, play and explore that it didn’t have previously, and the Works Project Administration-era drainage ditch will be restored into a natural meandering stream with rain gardens and natural, native plantings, enhancing the overall watershed, minimizing localized flooding and improving water quality for area residents.

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Overall, only 38 percent of Chattanooga’s residents are within a 10-minute walk to a park, and the Oak Grove neighborhood — with a significant Guatemalan immigrant community — is no different. Many Guatemalans immigrated to the area due to political and socioeconomic conflict in their home country caused by a long, brutal civil war from 1960 to 1996. During this time, horrific atrocities were committed by Guatemala’s government against the residents, and the genocide of more than 200,000 people has been documented. A significant number of people fled Guatemala during this era looking for a better life, and many sought refuge in the United States. In the 1980s, industries moved to the Chattanooga area for cheaper taxes, government subsidies and a consistent supply of labor.

Immigrant Guatemalans found work and settled in Chattanooga. Later on, oth

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BUILDING DEMOCRACY

The goal was not only to build a park, but also to build a community where people felt connected with nature.

Since Chattanooga is such a largely immigrant community, “the reality in their countries was completely different,” says Peterson. “If I go and knock on your door and ask what you want in a park, I am assuming that you know what I mean by a park. Many of these people didn’t have access before [to parks] because it was the first time they were in the states.” What we found in our questioning was that “people spend family time outdoors; they spend time eating together. People [were currently] already using the space each day; walking through, going to work, going to school, going to main street,” she says.

For Peterson, this project goes beyond turf and playground equipment — it has impacts and significance for generations to come. In the United

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND

er family and community members also moved to the area. The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act allowed some undocumented Guatemalan migrants to legalize their status by applying for political asylum. Today, Chattanooga has a notable Guatemalan community that continues to grow.

In 2016, the Chattanooga Public Lands office and The Trust for Public Land (TPL) applied for and obtained a National Endowment for the Arts grant. They used the funds to put together a series of

public engagement events to determine what type of park would be built in the area. The goal was not only to build a park, but also to build a community where people felt connected with nature.

Spearheading the public engagement for the park was Josiah Golson, a local lawyer, artist and writer.

His team included TPL’s Daniela Peterson, architect Roy Wroth and multimedia artist Botany Rain. For Peterson, this project was the first time she had ever interacted with a community in this way. “Instead of asking what they wanted in a park and doing a survey, [we took a different approach],” she says. “We didn’t ask ‘What do you want to see in a park?’; that wasn’t on the list of questions. Instead, it was more like, ‘How do you use the outdoors?’”

National Endowment for the Arts grant funding went toward the creation of public engagement events for Chattanooga, Tennessee, residents. This gave community members an opportunity to provide input on the Lynnbrook Park project.

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A young Chattanooga community member draws on a whiteboard while another child looks on during a community engagement event.

States, “we are a community that is very proud of ourselves for being an outdoor community, but so far, the outdoor community face is a white face; it’s not a diverse group of people [who] are in the outdoors,” she explains. “This community, in particular, doesn’t have access to the outdoors, and when I say outdoors, I also include parks [not just large natural areas]. Parks are like the first introduction to the outdoor community. If you don’t have a park close to your house, it’s going to be more challenging for you to go and explore [further]” into other outdoor areas. The way Peterson sees it, having a neighborhood park in the community has two benefits. “Number one, they have access to the outdoors. Number two, they will have a better understanding and feel more comfortable being in the outdoors, and in the long term, this is changing who is in the outdoors,” she says. This, over time, creates a more diversified outdoor community both in our local parks and in our larger, more natural outdoor areas, such as national parks or forests.

In a recent New York Daily News article, Executive Director of the Design Trust for Public Space Matthew Clarke discussed how parks build democracy. “First, an emerging body of research shows that working on the creation and stewardship of parks builds social capital and cohesion. In Philadelphia, researchers proved that greening vacant lots improved community health, but it also created new connections amongst residents, especially those who felt previously disenfranchised,” he says.

“These social ties were then used for other purposes: to host voter registration events, to organize testimony at city council hearings, or to create mutual aid societies. Secondly, parks and public lands offer a critical infrastructure for society. They improve our health by reducing chronic disease, improving mental health and elevating everyday joy. They can protect our environment by capturing stormwater and reducing the heat island effect. No other investment can stack these benefits together in ways so profound and so impactful.”

According to Peterson, “Democracy happens outside. In the short term, we are bringing a park to a community that didn’t have it, and

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BUILDING DEMOCRACY

Community members enjoy the view and festivities during a community engagement event in Chattanooga.

that normally doesn’t get these kinds of benefits. In the long term, it’s going to benefit the city overall. If you feel welcome and know that the park is there for you, you will pass that sentiment onto your family. [Your children] are going to grow up with a park in their neighborhood. You will create memories; you will know your neighbor; it’s going to be a generational benefit. For me, it’s a way, actually, to learn about democracy.”

For Peterson, it is about looking at immigrant communities differently.

“Normally, the approach we have 52 Parks & Recreation

around immigrant communities is [addressing] the problems or issues they cause — not the quality of life that they need and what they need access to,” she says. “The social capital side of this is the impact it can have on someone. This is more than just health; we are affecting how our cities are shaped. We are affecting how people understand that they can be involved in their city, and they can understand citizenship not just from having a piece of paper, but actually being an active member of your community.”

Making Lynnbrook Park a Reality To help make the creation of Lynnbrook Park possible, NRPA’s

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Parks Build Community donors have donated their products, equipment and expertise to not only create a park, but also to create a place where a community can thrive and grow.

“Few things give the Musco Team more pride than our involvement with NRPA and the annual Parks Build Community initiative,” says Jeff Rogers, president of Musco.

“These facilities provide families and youth in underserved areas with access to high-quality recreational resources and have the power to serve as a social centerpiece for the entire community. We’re excited for residents of Oak Grove and southeast Chattanooga and wish them the best as they utilize the new Lynnbrook Park for years to come.”

“DuMor fully endorses NRPA’s tagline, ‘Because everyone deserves a great park.’ For too long, access to parks has not been fair across all communities,” says Anita Rudy, DuMor president. “We believe everyone deserves a great park with great site furnishings, which we strive to provide. Every park deserves to have nice benches for people to sit and great tables for people to either eat or play games.

These elements are necessities.

Benches and tables are the physical symbols in parks that everyone is welcome. DuMor loves being a part of NRPA’s Parks Build Community projects because they work to develop great parks for underserved communities. Parks can offer quality time outdoors with areas that invite people to sit quietly and reflect, as well as areas that

encourage people to come together with friends and neighbors to picnic and play. In this way, parks help to enrich the lives of those in the community.”

City of Chattanooga Parks Planner and PBC Project Manager Akosua Cook says Lynnbrook Park construction will start in the fall, with completion slated for spring 2022. “Right now, we are setting the stage. We are getting permits in place and finalizing the design. Recently, we hung some signs and banners at the site to let the community know what the park will look like and what’s happening,” she says. “We are also building a virtual meeting space where community engagement will happen. This space will keep people updated on what is happening throughout the process. It

will give them a place where they can ask questions, provide feedback on what they’re seeing and maintain contact.”

As the construction project continues toward creating a place where the local community can build lasting memories and relationships, there are still opportunities to be a part of the creation of Lynnbrook Park through the donor program. For more information about the 2021 Parks Build Community project and how you can be involved, contact Nury Marquez, NRPA’s senior director of development, at nmarquez@nrpa.org.

Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett is a Freelance Writer based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Observing From a Lens of

EQUITY Recognizing the impact of segregated recreation

By Kristine M. Fleming, Ed.D.

A Children Playing Statues at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a cultural and educational research center in Birmingham, Alabama, that promotes a comprehensive understanding of the significance of civil rights developments.

mong park and recreation professionals and academics, there is a push to establish equitable parks within communities across the United States. While much work needs to be done in this area, recognition of past injustices toward marginalized groups must be acknowledged. Although the country is rich in recreation opportunities, not all residents have equal or equitable access. The willingness to recognize the history of segregation in leisure and recreation as it relates to African Americans is needed to establish equitable parks for all communities to access.

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OBSERVING EQUITY

Parks and the Civil Rights Movement

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Homer Plessy, plaintiff in the 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson

For some, recognizing the United States was established on principles of racial inequities is difficult to grasp, but cannot be denied based on the history of policies and practices put into place to legalize segregation in public institutions, such as schools, transportation, and parks and recreation. The decision to legalize segregation occurred as a result of the 1896 Supreme Court decision of Plessy v. Ferguson, which involved the arrest of Homer Plessy, a man who was one-eighth (12.5 percent) African American, for sitting in the whites-only section of a train car after purchasing a first-class ticket without any issues. Only after being asked to verify his race by the conductor was he arrested for sitting in the whites-only section. The

Supreme Court decision of Plessy v.

Ferguson would legalize the “separate but equal” policies and practices that spawned during the Jim Crow era.

While the roles of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights movement are often discussed when learning about segregation and discrimination, the Jim Crow era that involved legal forms of segregation took place from 1896 to 1964. During this time, African Americans were forced to follow local, state and federal agency policies legalizing and enforcing segregation in parks and recreation programs.

Although the period of legal segregation may seem long ago, for most, we are within one to two generations of knowing someone who grew up at the end of Jim Crow and was impacted by the laws of segregation put

The Supreme Court decision of Plessy v. Ferguson legalized the “separate but equal” policies that spawned during the Jim Crow era.

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Equity in Parks and Recreation: A Historical Perspective Parks and recreation are critical infrastructure to society, adding beauty, clean water, clean air, places for exploration, recreation, socialization and peace. However, they also represent places of discrimination, segregation, trauma and disparity.

Historical and contemporary land-use policies have shaped the contours of public park and recreation spaces across the nation in ways that continue to make it easier for some, and much harder for others, to experience open spaces.

To expand access, one must first understand the factors that have shaped the unfair access and distribution of park and recreation facilities across communities. The new NRPA resource, Equity in Parks and Recreation: A Historical Perspective, explores U.S. history, the evolution of parks and recreation and urban planning, and how it brought us to the inequities in access to parks and recreation that exist today. The resource’s story map is a snapshot of policies and stories of park inequities throughout U.S. history and the opportunities and challenges ahead. It is designed to acknowledge and reflect upon the experience of unequal access and abject practices. Most importantly, the story map is meant to inspire the transformation of a just and equity-driven park and recreation system for all.

To view the story map, visit nrpa.org/Equity.

into place to deny access to parks and recreation. Using a critical lens of equity, professionals and academics who are committed to establishing equitable parks and recreation programs must be willing to understand the extent to which policies and practices were established throughout history to legally segregate and deny access to spaces for leisure among African Americans that continue to impact communities today.

Throughout the 20th century, parks and recreationrelated programs were established, including the National Park Service, state park systems and various youth organizations. While these institutions are instrumental in the history of parks and recreation, at the same time, the 1896 Supreme Court decision of Plessy v. Ferguson prevented African Americans from accessing these programs — especially among citizens who were white. Even more telling is the fact that many African Americans helped establish these systems, but were denied access to these spaces. For example, African Americans were legally denied entrance into National Parks until 1945 despite the fact that Black troops helped establish Yosemite and Sequoia National Park, as well as other outdoor recreation areas. Although national parks were legally desegregated in 1945, the presence of African Americans in some parks did not occur until after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed.

Local Governments Resist Desegregation While the National Park Service made efforts to desegregate federal parks, local and state parks continued

to reinforce segregation, meaning places where African Americans could enjoy the outdoors were few and far 21_1639_ParksnRec_SEP Mod: July 30, 2021 9:40 AM often between. Accessing these limited designated spaces Print: 07/30/21 9:40:37 AM page 1 v7

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OBSERVING EQUITY

required traveling on different roads and using entrances strategically placed away from white guests.

More importantly, state parks often made available to Black people were of lesser quality with a lack of camping areas and amenities found compared to the “whites-only” areas.

In addition, city ordinances were put into place to outlaw integrated forms of recreation to prevent African American and white community members from interacting with one another. Examples of integrated recreation considered to be illegal included playing sports and board

games with people of different races. In Alabama, even walking through a park was illegal for Blacks.

Laws of legal segregation would continue to exist even after the 1954 Supreme Court decision of Brown v.

Board of Education that challenged Plessy v. Ferguson to end legal forms of segregation in public schools.

Although public school segregation was challenged in Brown v. Board of Education, the decision would open the door to allow citizens to challenge legal forms of segregation in other institutions, such as parks and recreation.

Although many attempts were made to desegregate parks and recreation programs at federal levels, many local governments would continue to reinforce policies and practices of legal segregation. This occurred even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which indicated discrimination may not occur based on race, religion or gender. The intent to desegregate public places proved to be more difficult to accomplish than imagined as communities that did not support desegregation efforts took it upon themselves to close or defund recreation programs or establish private club memberships to allow agencies to select their members. This was evident in communities where city park pools were filled with concrete or city golf courses were leased to organizations for $1 to establish members-only golfing in an effort to maintain segregation.

Building private pools also became more popular after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which maintained efforts to segregate Black patrons from accessing pools with white patrons.

The efforts that were made to maintain segregation in parks and recreation after legal segregation had ended continue to have an impact on African Americans’ equitable access to parks and recreation programs today. This is apparent when analyzing the number of park and recreation spaces, programs and resources available in predominantly Black communities. More specifically, some economically and racially segregated cities, such as Tallahassee, Florida, offer equitable distribution of parks; however, the park size and acreage available increases in areas of the city that

A whites-only bench has inscriptions left as a memory of racism and segregation.

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Part of an exhibit at the National Civil Rights Museum, which is also the site of the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., shows protestors.

include predominately white, middle class citizens. Furthermore, communities with fewer Latino and Black residents received higher park ratings using The Trust for Public Land’s ParkServe data (tpl.org/ParkServe).

Depending on the size and demographics of the area, the disparities that exist today are connected to the history of policies and practices put into place to maintain segregation. This is demonstrated through the federal housing policies that implemented segregation by creating suburban neighborhoods specifically for working and middle class white families. As a result, African Americans were excluded from opportunities to purchase homes or mortgages at comparable rates, known as “redlining.” Subsequently, these areas received less government funding, thus impacting resources available to establish equitable and accessible parks and recreation programs. Moreover, as African American communities grew and sought equitable access to parks and recreation programs, the interaction between neighboring communities increased.

With the majority of well-funded parks and recreation programs exclusively located in predominantly white communities, attempts were made to displace African American communities or close and defund parks and recreation programs. These efforts to close and defund, rather than desegregate in an attempt to integrate, continue to demonstrate the need for some peoples’ willingness to recognize and acknowledge the inequitable access to parks and recreation programs.

Learning From the Past As park and recreation professionals and academics continue to focus on the need to establish equitable parks, the willingness to recognize and evaluate the history of segregation in leisure and recreation as it relates to African Americans must be considered. Obtaining historical information into how parks and recreation programs were established helps to provide additional insight into how programs are managed and the need for additional support and resources to establish equity in programs. While the responsibilities of each park and recreation professional and academic varies depending on the role, we must be willing to own the responsibility if equity is truly our intent. To formulate a strategy to combat the factors of inequities, we must be able to recognize historical policies and practices put into place during the Jim Crow era, which continue to impact parks and recreation.

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Kristine M. Fleming, Ed.D., is a Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Florida A&M University.

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OPERATIONS OPERATIONS How to Build a Cost-Effective Gaming Center

By Ivy O’Shaughnessy and Greg Boehm

A

s esports continue to grow and evolve, local park districts and communities are learning more and more about ways to engage youth and adult gamers alike. A recent poll by the National Alliance for Youth Sports found that 70 percent of kids stop playing sports by the age of 13, while 90 percent of kids ages 12 to 17 play video games. Providing a space for kids to play esports in your community can be a great way to keep them involved with your park and recreation department.

One way of growing your community’s esports program is by creating a gaming center (or a LAN — local area network — center) where community members can use gaming personal computers (PCs) or consoles. However, this does not have to be limited to just esports and gaming. It also can be used for programs in game design, 3D animation and many other science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

The Beginner’s Mindset

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PAT BODAME

What are some of the most important things to consider when just beginning the process of setting up a gaming center? We talked to Pat

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Bodame, superintendent of recreation for Hoffman Estates, Illinois, who just recently finished the process of creating a gaming center in their community — known as the ESports Zone — to get some insight into the process. Here are some of Bodame’s suggestions: Space – “Space is probably the number one thing to think about.

You want to create an environment that works for gamers. It is finding that look and feel so when they enter the space, there is the ‘wow’ factor.

Within park districts, space always can be a challenge. But if you have the right room and aesthetics, it should work out nicely.”

The optimal esports gaming center includes six to 12 personal computers, each outfitted with a monitor, headset, mouse, keyboard and gaming chair.

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Computers – “Plan ahead on your technology needs. This was the one area we put all of our resources into to ensure we had the best computers and gaming systems for the public to use. We all know how quickly technology can become obsolete, and it’s worth it to spend a little more now and get the top-of-the line systems.”

Sales and Marketing – “Think about packages/memberships/daily fees/rentals. This all needs to be part of your business plan and will help lead to success for your space.

The number one thing that was and is still on my mind is how to generate more revenue within that space.”

Budget – “We completed our ESports Zone for $35,000 in upfront costs. That does not include yearly items, such as internet and salaries. Our space used to be a teen center that would cost the district anywhere between $6,000 to $10,000 a year to operate.”

In addition to these suggestions, it will be helpful to gather some data points early on from your community to guide your decisions during the planning process. One of the first things you may need to do is simply survey your community to see whether there is interest in a space like this. Following are some questions that will help guide you in designing your gaming center to meet your community’s needs: • How many gamers are there currently in your community?

• What games are they playing?

• What gaming systems are people in your community using? (e.g., PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Nin-

tendo Switch) • What types of events would gamers like to see at a gaming center in your community?

• What days and times would gamers be most likely to visit the community gaming center?

Researching What to Purchase Creating a center with gamingcapable computers and peripherals does require a bit of research into what specific brands or types of computers you may want to go with, but you will benefit from spending as much time researching and comparing prices as you can. The process of selecting and purchasing equipment can seem like a daunting task. However, breaking it down into sections will help make the process easier.

Internet, Space and Layout It’s important to make sure all PCs and consoles have access to the internet within your gaming center.

Ideally, you will want to have wired internet for all the gaming stations, but wireless also will work (tinyurl. com/2xemn677).

PCs, Consoles and Peripherals You will need at least six PCs in your gaming center, with 12 PCs being the optimal number. This will ensure that there is enough equipment for teams to be able to utilize the gaming facility. Each PC also should be outfitted with a monitor, headset, mouse, keyboard and gaming chair. In addition, you will need gaming consoles and controllers. The most popular consoles are PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Each gaming console will

It is recommended that in addition to computers you have at least one PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch to start your gaming center.

require access to a TV or monitor.

It is recommended that you have at least one of each gaming console to start your gaming center.

How to Fund the Space While initial starting costs may seem high, there are a multitude of revenue streams that can be generated from a gaming center.

“Funding of the space should be done through daily fees and memberships,” says Bodame. “There are also ancillary services, such as rentals, birthday parties and tournaments, that all can be used to generate more revenue in the space.”

Some of the primary forms of revenue gain can be found through daily fees, membership fees, special events, private events and local partnerships. “[Tournaments/leagues] were our best event,” Bodame says.

“Running monthly tournaments is a great way for people to check out your space at a small cost. It gets people engaged and creates a fun atmosphere for the players.”

Educational Benefits Outside of being used for gaming leagues and events, gaming centers also provide ample educational opportunities. Gaming PCs are powerful enough computers to run beginner-

level game development software and other computer programs that will introduce users to STEM career fields and paths. Some examples of STEM-focused software include Unreal Engine, Unity, Adobe Suite and Blender. Gaming camps that utilize competitive, team-based games also can provide leadership opportunities to older and more experienced players in the form of coaching. Utilizing near-peer mentorship through esports coaching can be a great way to teach social-emotional learning values to young gamers in your community.

A Worthwhile Investment While creating a project such as this can be intimidating, with preparation and a pre-planned budget, a gaming center can become a reality for your local community.

As esports continue to grow in popularity, there are many successful gaming centers that currently exist across the country to look to for examples. A gaming center can be an extremely worthwhile investment for your community in a world that continues to rely more and more on technology and careers in STEM. Ivy O’Shaughnessy is Partner Success Manager for GGLeagues (ivyo@ggleagues.com). Greg Boehm is Partner Success Manager for GGLeagues (gregb@ggleagues.com).

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bciburke.com Trademark(s) are the property of BCI Burke Company. © BCI Burke Company 2021. All Rights Reserved. 800-356-2070

DOGIPOT.com 64 Parks & Recreation

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Making Music, Making Memories Adding finely-tuned, beautifully-designed outdoor musical instruments to your park, trail or community space helps bring all people of all ages and abilities together through our universal language – music.

Trademark(s) are the property of Percussion Play. © Percussion Play 2021. All Rights Reserved. 866-882-9170

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park essentials IMPORTANCE & BENEFITS OF LOW HAZARD AIRLESS SPRAYING te No e th t h tig ot sp h t wi no pray ers ov

WHY USE NORDOT ® ADHESIVES? Professionals prefer NORDOT® Adhesive’s airless spray properties because they have negligible overspray and minimal airborne adhesive mist. This is essential for the safety of the installers and others onsite. Other benefits include installations that are faster, stronger, and more profitable. NORDOT ®.

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iZone Imaging.......................................................................................... 7 John Deere............................................................................................ C4 Kay Park Recreation............................................................................ 69 Landscape Structures Inc..................................................................... 3 Lincoln Aquatics....................................................................................62 Little Tikes Commercial...................................................................... 19 L.W. Bristol Classics............................................................................. 69 Miracle Recreation.................................................................................21 Most Dependable Fountains............................................................... 7 Musco Sports Lighting.........................................................................17 National Construction Rentals.................................................. 62, 69 Nice Rink ................................................................................................68 Pacific Surf Designs.............................................................................25 Percussion Play......................................................................................68 Pilot Rock/RJ Thomas Mfg. Co........................................................29 Playworld.................................................................................................23 Poligon......................................................................................................31 Polly Products....................................................................................... 69 Recreation Resource Management..................................................71 Shade Systems..................................................................................C2, 1 SLG Lighting.......................................................................................... 33 Spectrum Aquatics.............................................................................. 70 Synthetic Surfaces............................................................................... 70 ULINE.......................................................................................................57 Vermont Systems.................................................................................35

advertiser index

ACTIVE Network...................................................................................63 American Swing Products..................................................................63 Aquatix by Landscape Structures...................................................... 5 Away With Geese.................................................................................63 BCI Burke Playgrounds..................................................................9, 64 Bobcat.......................................................................................................13 Bright Idea Shops, LLC........................................................................63 CivicRec...................................................................................................59 Classic Recreation Systems.............................................................. C3 Discount Playground Supply............................................................. 41 DOGIPOT............................................................................................... 64 Doty & Sons...........................................................................................65 DuMor.......................................................................................................15 Easi-Set Buildings ................................................................................65 Evoqua Water Technologies..............................................................45 ExCell Kaiser.......................................................................................... 66 Fortress Building Products..................................................................51 Fountain People/Water Odyssey.....................................................47 Gama Sonic USA..................................................................................39 GameTime............................................................................................. 66 GARED.................................................................................................... 66 Goldenteak/The Wood Carver, Inc................................................. 66 Great American Business Products.................................................67 Greenfields Outdoor Fitness............................................................... 11 Gyms for Dogs......................................................................................67

(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 ©2021 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

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW ROCHELLE PARKS AND RECREATION

Making History in New Rochelle Located in southeastern New York, with nearly 80,000 residents, the City of New Rochelle is approximately 20 miles north of New York City. Founded by French Protestants — known as Huguenots — who fled religious persecution in 1688, many of the settlers were artisans and craftspeople from the City of La Rochelle, France — thus the name “New Rochelle.”

In March 2020, history was made just down the street from New Rochelle’s City Hall. A local lawyer became the second confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state. Schools were immediately closed, all public gatherings were canceled and neighborhood residents sheltered in place. The National Guard was sent in for precautionary measures.

At that time, the idea of hosting any form of summer recreation for youth seemed like a pipedream. However, New Rochelle’s Parks and Recreation Commissioner William Zimmermann looked at the challenge as an opportunity, rather than a roadblock.

“We learned throughout the pandemic that park usage was at an all-time high and residents of all ages were craving our city’s parkland and open green spaces,” says Commissioner Zimmermann. “That was the moment we knew we had to get creative for Summer 2020.”

Zimmermann and his staff worked together to form “Outside The “Outside the Box in Our Parks” program was offered free the Box in Our Parks.” Although camps and organized team sports of charge and hosted at parks were not permitted statewide, small outdoor group recreation in and athletic fields citywide for parks, under the proper supervision and COVID-19 protocols, were children of all ages. permitted. The newly created program was offered free of charge and hosted at parks and athletic fields citywide for children of all ages. Traditional summer day camp was replaced by small groups of 15 to 20 children participating in yoga, fitness classes, kayaking, gardening and other activities outdoors that promote healthy and safe fun.

As a respected professional from the field with 46 years of experience at multiple municipalities in New York State, along with past service on the NRPA Board of Trustees, Commissioner Zimmermann thought he had seen it all. “Personally, I’ve managed through several national disasters and, of course, being in the New York metropolitan area, we endured the tragedies of September 11 in an intimate way.

Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic experience has been the most unique,” he reflects. “You never knew what the next challenge or roadblock would be. But I could not be prouder of the way our staff rose to the occasion and put so many smiles on children’s faces across our city.”

New Rochelle is rich in history in many ways. In the heart of New Rochelle lies historic Lincoln Park, once the site of Lincoln Elementary School. The area was the focus of a 1961 landmark decision that garnered nationwide attention in a desegregation case that eventually made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The decision would lead to the first-ever court-ordered closing of a segregated school in the North. When entering Lincoln Park, visitors immediately come upon the anniversary dedication plaque. The sign reads: “On this site stood Lincoln School, the first segregated school in the North to be closed by a court order. This tablet honors all who participated in this struggle for equality in education and commemorates the 25th anniversary of the landmark Taylor v. Board of Education of New Rochelle decision of 1961, a milestone in the search for unity in the midst of our diversity.” It was only fitting that this historic site would become the first location in the city for the “Outside the Box in Our Parks” recreation program.

“Summer 2020 will be remembered as a season of recreational challenges we will never forget,” adds Zimmermann. “But through creativity, hard work and trust from our local leaders, parents and children, our department successfully filled a huge community void. For this type of unprecedented recreation to also take place at one of the most historic locations in our area made it an even more special summer of 2020.”

– Vincent Parise, Deputy Commissioner for City of New Rochelle Parks and Recreation

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PARKS & RECREATION SEPTEMBER 2021 ◆ THE EQUITY ISSUE ◆ MITCHELL SILVER’S NEXT CHAPTER ◆ LYNNBROOK PARK: BEYOND THE DESIGN