Flores shares state of parks

By JESS HUFF The Lufkin Daily News

It is spring in Lufkin again, and in the gently warming weather, residents are returning to the city’s parks for some much-needed fun.

Lufkin is home to 16 parks, four trails, three spray plays, two community centers, one swimming pool and one recreation center. And even as the cool days melt into a warm summer, the city has begun working on projects planned before and during the pandemic.

“Green Spaces are a way for a city to protect natural resources in different areas of our city,” Parks & Recreation director Rudy Flores said. “These passive areas allow nature to take full bloom while providing a space where park patrons can relax, reduce stress and boost mental health.”

Parks are designed according to the area’s geographical features, so each of Lufkin’s parks was uniquely designed to meet the needs of its closest patrons when it was constructed, Flores said.

“You can always identify an older playground in a park if you see the tall metal slide we all remember from our childhood,” he said. “The slide in question is a concept from the 1970s. You can spot the age of a park or playground because of that decade’s park design or trends.”

Another example of this is in playgrounds built before the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in July 1990. They weren’t readily accessible for residents with physical disabilities and changed dramatically in the 31 years since.

“The outlook for our parks seeks to form a clear vision to meet our current community’s diverse and changing needs,” Flores said. “Some of the park concepts that are currently trending are technology-enabled interactivity, nature-based design, intergenerational and inclusive design, physical distancing, to name a few.”

The National Recreation and Park Association Magazine in 2017 published an article reviewing the use of technology to engage and inspire children using city parks. Cities across the U.S. have begun including technology into their park plans, the magazine reported. Whether it is the addition of Wi-Fi or the placement of charging benches, cities like Los Angeles are focused on bringing residents to their public amenities by plugging the community in.

Lufkin implemented something similar to this concept in 2019 with the addition of workout stations to the Azalea Trail with which patrons need only scan a QR code with their phones to be provided with short drills they can implement on their walk.

And almost contrasting the goals with bringing technology to nature, some designers believe parks should encourage