COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

ROUND 1: PARK USE AND FAVORITE MEMORIES

A first round of community engagement sessions were held in spring 2023 to gather information about what D.W. Field park means to community members and where in the park people like to visit. The sessions were held during two park-related events on a Saturday in early May: the Kids Road Race and the Keep Brockton Beautiful Day thank you barbecue.

The Kid’s Road Races happen weekly on Saturdays during the spring and fall. These intergenerational events have been held consistently for the last 45 years by a group of dedicated volunteers. The road race is a 2-mile loop through the park for youth and costs just one dollar to register. People come from Brockton and surrounding towns to participate each week. Many parents of runners today participated when they were kids themselves. The Keep Brockton Beautiful Day BBQ was an appreciation event for around 70 people who spent the morning picking up trash in and around Brockton’s open spaces.

At both events, people were asked to share favorite memories of the park, places they like to visit, and improvements they thought the park would benefit from.

Favorite Places

ROUND 2: CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FEEDBACK

A second community engagement event was held to get community input on initial conceptual designs for two of the project’s focus sites: Oak Street Parking Lot and The Beach on Waldo Lake.

Because of a cold and rainy forecast, the event was held on Zoom. It was advertised to the listserv of 170 people who have signed up to receive email updates about the Park Revitalization Initiative, as well as sent to contacts of the client core team members. Fifteen people attended the event, and most shared feedback about the designs. Participants offered their perspectives as long-time residents of Brockton who live near the park, as grandparents who bring their grandchildren to the park, as cyclists, and as members of the steering committee for the initiative.

Oak Street

Participants were in favor of:

• Keeping the same amount of, or expanding, parking

• Permeable surfaces replacing asphalt parking

Community - Desired Improvements

• Bathrooms by the Tower

• Slowing traffic

• Car-free days

• Trashcans

• Lighting

• Safety measures around amphitheater

Favorite Activities

• Access to the water

• Separate lanes for bikes, cars and pedestrians

• Solar panels

Other questions and concerns:

• What are the materials and maintenance involved in permeable surfaces? What are the ecological implications of water infiltrating directly below cars?

• Should the lawn be a meadow for wildlife and scenic views or a place for walking and informal sports activity?

• People noted that there other places in the park farther away from the main road that may be better suited to sports activities.

Waldo Beach

Participants were in favor of:

• Large places to gather and enjoy the water, including waterfront steps

• Waterfront views being accessible from cars and bikes in addition to pedestrians

• Pulling the road away from the water

• Increasing vegetation and shade

• A boardwalk

Other questions and concerns:

• When and where are interactions with wildlife appropriate?

• Could permeable parking be added here?

• There should be a clear physical boundary between cars and pedestrian areas.

Limitations

“Mom forbade my father to let their 5 year old daughter steer the sled during a snow day. No front tooth later... Dad had a lot of explaining to do!!!”

“International day by the Oak Street Parking Lot, late 80s/early 90s, churches and cultural food celebration”

“My husband proposed in 1967 at the amphitheater.

We fed the ducks with our kids, and still drive around.”

Across the community engagement events for this project, participants were not fully representative of the population of Brockton. There was disproportionately high representation of white participants. The D.W. Field Park Initiative could be an opportunity for immigrants, low income community members, and residents of color in Brockton to meaningfully participate in designing a park that is inviting and inclusive. Prioritizing input and guidance from these communities should be an important part of outreach and engagement going forward. Hosting more in-person sessions in the park and partnering with community organizations may be two strategies to explore to meet the Initiative’s goal of representative engagement.