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SEPTEMBER 2017 W W W. N R PA . O R G

2017 NRPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE ISSUE Park Design and Civic Health | Economic Benefits of Downtown Parks | Adaptive Tennis

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contents september 2017 volume 52 | number 9 | www.parksandrecreation.org

FEATURES

54 The Economic Benefit of Downtown Parks Whatever their constitution, today’s parks need to be versatile and able to be used for multiple purposes. Parks are the essential places for play in the live/work/play environment that cities across the country are striving to provide. As a result, people expect more from our parks. Cynthia Bowen

62 Place-Based Design and Civic Health Studies show that communities across the United States are facing concerning civic engagement trends — distrust among neighbors, economic and political segregation. The Center for Active Design shares new findings from its Assembly Civic Engagement Survey about how design of parks and public spaces can impact civic life. Suzanne Nienaber

68 The Andrew ‘Pete’ Sanchez Multi-Service Center The Sanchez Center, the hub of New Orleans’ resilient Lower 9th Ward, offers a glimpse of what may be the future of community recreations. Katy Reckdahl

74 Tennis, Everyone Across the country, park departments are offering adaptive recreation, paving the way in the fight against isolation on behalf of individuals with disabilities, and tennis is a huge part of that. Mary Helen Sprecher

2017 NRPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE SECTION

78 We’re Headed to the Big Easy New Orleans is a vibrant, culturally diverse city, filled with rich history, great food and plenty to see and do. It is a city like no other — so carve out a little time to see this gem of the south! Paula Jacoby-Garrett

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contents september

columns 8

departments 12 Research f NRPA Park and Recreation Salary Survey Says… 12 f Park Pulse: Park and Recreation Amenities Popular Among Vacation Goers 14

Perspectives The Future of Community Recreation Barbara Tulipane, CAE

10 Editor’s Letter Hate Has No Place Here Gina Mullins-Cohen

28 Advocacy Educating the New Administration and Congress About Park & Rec Programs Kate Sims

16 Community Center The Parklands of Floyds Fork: Louisville’s 21st Century Legacy Park Charles B. Neer

32 Law Review State Playground Program Disqualified Religious Organizations James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

20 Member to Member f Five Steps to Unlock Your Agency’s Marketing and Branding Potential 20 Neely Bhatt f Overcoming the Flaws of Needs Assessments 24 Ananda Mitra, Ph.D.

38 Future Leaders To Ph.D. or Not to Ph.D.? Kara Kish

42 Conservation

94 NRPA Update f Certification: A Mark of Accomplishment 94 f Tune in to Our New ‘Open Space Radio’ Podcast 95 f Connect Hot Topics 96

Quantifying Green Infrastructure’s Stormwater Capture Potential Serda Ozbenian

46 Health and Wellness

f Member Benefit: New Emergency Network Provider — ePACT 96 f Member Spotlight: Maria Nardi 97

Creating Safe Routes to Parks Dee Meriam, RLA, FASLA, Eric Sauer, Ian Dunn and Tegan Boehmer

f Parks & Recreation Crossword 98 f National ‘Meet Me at the Park’ Grant Recipients Selected 100 f Professional Development Calendar 102

104 Operations

50 Social Equity Whitewashing the Los Angeles River? Gente-fication not Gentrification Robert García and Tim Mok

f The Challenge of Renovating Historic Aquatic Facilities 104 f Become a Parks and Recreation Trendsetter 108

110 Products 112 Marketplace 119 Advertiser Index 120 Park Bench Back to School Sonia Myrick Photo courtesy of Fairmount Park Conservancy. ©Albert Yee

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Page 28

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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 PA’ S L E A D E R S

The Future of Community Recreation Last month, during a planning visit to New Orleans for the 2017 NRPA Annual Conference, I had the opportunity to tour the Sanchez Center, officially known as the Andrew P. Sanchez & Copelin-Byrd Multi-Service Center. It’s located in the Lower 9th Ward, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina nearly 10 years ago. I was taken aback by what I saw, and not because it was a beautiful building with extravagant facilities. In fact, in comparison to many other large community recreation centers I have visited, Sanchez is rather small. It’s what goes on inside the building that made such an impression on me, and what I believe is the future of community recreation. In addition to the traditional recreation programs and activities for community residents, this center also has physicians, nurses, social workers and law enforcement on-site, providing critical services. For example, expectant mothers who complete a series of parenting and health classes can receive points that can be redeemed at a shop located right in the center! Strollers and breast pumps are just two examples of the items available. To help prepare the community’s youth for the future, children participate in the Junior Achievement program where they are taught real-life skills such as money and credit management. Older youths receive assistance in navigating the college application process, in addition to employment training. While the center also provides its large aging population with traditional senior services, it also offers meaningful volunteer opportunities to affirm their role in society. The needs of this community, ravaged 10 years ago by Hurricane Katrina, may be different from other communities, but what was so remarkable is how the staff adapted to those needs. Mission creep may be a concern for some, but the reality is that as the needs of our society change, we must be willing to consider other services. It’s up to every community to decide how to balance traditional activities and programs with those that go beyond what we have come to expect from a recreation center. Sure, this center is not perfect, and there is still a lot that Vic Richard, CEO of the New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission, wants to accomplish, but I believe Sanchez represents the future of community recreation.

BAR BAR A T ULIPAN E, C AE President and CEO

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22377 Belmont Ridge Rd. | Ashburn, VA 20148 703.858.0784 | www.nrpa.org

NRPA’S MISSION: To advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Jack Kardys

Chair of the Board of Directors Stephen Eckelberry

Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department Miami, Florida

Bartlett Park District Bartlett, Illinois

Michael Kelly

Chair-Elect Leon T. Andrews

Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

National League of Cities Washington, D.C.

Karen Bates Kress

Past Chair Susan Trautman, CPRP Great Rivers Greenway District St. Louis, Missouri

Treasurer Michael Kelly Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois

Secretary Jack Kardys Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department Miami, Florida

President and CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE National Recreation and Park Association Ashburn, Virginia

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jesus Aguirre

Advocate Emigrant, Montana

Herman Parker City of San Diego, California, Park and Recreation Department San Diego, California Canada

William “Joe” Turner

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Susan Trautman, CPRP The Great Rivers Greenway District Saint Louis, Missouri

Dr. Howell Wechsler Alliance for a Healthier Generation New York, New York

LIFE TRUSTEES Beverly D. Chrisman

Leon T. Andrews

Anne S. Close

National League of Cities Washington, D.C.

Fort Mill, South Carolina

Neelay Bhatt

New York, New York

PROS Consulting Indianapolis, Indiana

Rosemary Hall Evans

Lexington, South Carolina

James H. Evans

Sugar Hill, New Hampshire

National Wildlife Federation Washington, D.C.

Earl T. Groves

Stephen Eckelberry

Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D.

Bartlett Park District Carol Stream, Illinois

Richmond, Virginia

Robert García

Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

The City Project Los Angeles, California

Kathryn A. Porter

Richard Gulley Balboa Park Conservancy San Diego, California

Roslyn Johnson Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Greenbelt, Maryland

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Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center Austin, Texas

Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Seattle, Washington

Kevin Coyle

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Gastonia, North Carolina

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EDITOR’S LET TER

Hate Has No Place Here These are troubling times in which we are living. And, I don’t think I’m alone when I say that the tragic events last month in Charlottesville, Virginia, were among the saddest and most divisive moments in our nation’s history. It was a day when the First Amendment was uprooted from its foundation and turned on its head. On that day, racist rhetoric erupted in physical violence, resulting in the death of an innocent woman. What should have been nonviolent protests against removing a statue of General Robert E. Lee from a city park, quickly escalated into violence. White nationalists, the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis, some armed with weapons and riot gear, took their anger out on counterprotesters who also descended on the park, and its surrounding area, to denounce these groups by protesting against their hate-filled message. The city of New Orleans has experienced its share of controversy on this very topic. On May 19, 2017, the city removed the last of four Confederate statues that were once prominently displayed throughout New Orleans. Those in opposition believed the government was trying to erase the city’s history and culture. However, in a speech following the statue’s removal, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu explained his decision, stating: “The historic record is clear. The Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and P.G.T. Beauregard statues were not erected just to honor these men, but as part of the movement which became known as The Cult of the Lost Cause. This ‘cult’ had one goal — through monuments and through other means — to rewrite history to hide the truth, which is that the Confederacy was on the wrong side of humanity.” Although this decision has sparked anger and outrage on both sides of the issue, one thing is for certain, New Orleans is a resilient city that can overcome any obstacle in its path — whether by man or Mother Nature. NRPA is proud to host the 2017 NRPA Annual Conference in the Crescent City, which is home to the Sanchez Center, one of the foremost multipurpose centers in the United States. Designed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Sanchez Center serves as a testament to community unity, reminding us all that as a city, we’re stronger together despite our differences. In addition, NRPA recently added an education session, titled “Confederate Memorials in Parks: Symbols of Heritage or Hatred?” to examine the controversy surrounding these monuments. I highly recommend attending this special discussion. No doubt, as park and recreation professionals, we have been placed squarely in the middle of this critical debate. However, parks should be places that unite communities, not divide them. It’s our job to create places that respect the opinions of all community members and welcome people from all walks of life — no matter their race, creed, gender or sexual orientation. While it’s clear not everyone agrees that these monuments should be removed, I’m confident that most people in our industry would, without hesitation, agree racism and hate have no place in parks and recreation — nor anywhere else for that matter.

GINA MULLINS-COHEN Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Publishing Editorial Director 10

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PRESIDENT AND CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLISHING, AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Gina Mullins-Cohen gcohen@nrpa.org EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sonia Myrick smyrick@nrpa.org ASSOCIATE EDITOR Cort Jones cjones@nrpa.org EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR Catrina Belt cbelt@nrpa.org PUBLICATION DESIGN Creative By Design www.creativebydesign.net SENIOR SALES MANAGER EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE Kip Ongstad 703.858.2174 kongstad@nrpa.org SALES MANAGER WESTERN REGION AND ASIA Michelle Dellner 949.248.1057 mdellner@nrpa.org MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Keith Anderson Gerald Brown Ernest Burkeen Brendan Daley Anthony-Paul Diaz Ryan Eaker Robert García Kathleen Gibi Tim Herd Edward Krafcik Todd Lehman Sam Mendelsohn Maria Nardi Lisa Paradis Gil Peñalosa Dr. Kevin Riley Karla Rivera Paula Sliefert Anne-Marie Spencer Stephen Springs Randy Wiger

Research NRPA Park and Recreation Salary Survey Says… By Kevin Roth, Ph.D.

he ability to make a real difference in the lives of people in their cities, towns and counties is what draws many park and recreation professionals to this work. The valuable work of park and recreation agencies could not happen without the dedication of the more than 150,000 full-time professionals who serve these agencies. As rewarding as the work is, however, park and recreation agencies must offer competitive compensation to attract and retain the best people. Beyond base salaries and the possibility of earning a bonus, workers also consider other benefits when choosing an employer, including health care, retirement savings and vacation and sick days. The NRPA Park and Recreation Salary Survey report gives park and recreation agency leaders data on how to attract the best staff. Similarly, this data also provides park and recreation professionals insights on salary and benefits offerings from potential employers. The data presented in this report comes from a 19-question survey that

the NRPA Research team sent to senior-level park and recreation agencies throughout the United States. The survey not only queried about salary data, but also about general benefits and salary policies. It generated responses from 480 park and recreation agencies across the United States, resulting in a 19 percent response rate. The NRPA Park and Recreation Salary Survey report features detailed basesalary and bonus data for five typical park and recreation agency positions: • Park and Recreation Agency Director (or Executive Director or Superintendent), with a median base salary on January 1, 2017, of $98,000 • Planning Director (or Superintendent),

with a median base salary on January 1, 2017, of $85,290 • Director of Finance (or Business Manager or Director of Administrative),

Median Base Salaries on January 1, 2017 and January 1, 2016, and Median Year-to-Year Base Salary Increase Base Salary on January 1, 2017

Base Salary on January 1, 2016

Median Year-toYear Percentage Increase

Park and Recreation Agency Director/Executive Director/ Superintendent

$98,000

$95,000

+2.7%

Planning Director/Superintendent

$85,290

$82,000

+3.0%

Director of Finance/Business Manager/Director of Administrative

$83,575

$77,500

+3.0%

Recreation Director/Recreation Superintendent/Assistant DirectorRecreation

$72,000

$70,900

+2.9%

Park Operations Director/Maintenance Director/Maintenance Superintendent

$70,000

$68,824

+2.8%

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with a median base salary on January 1, 2017, of $83,575 • Recreation Director (or Recreation Superintendent or Assistant Director - Recreation), with a median base salary on January 1, 2017, of $72,000 • Park Operations Director (or Maintenance Director or Maintenance Superintendent), with a median base salary on January 1, 2017, of $70,000 But those “headline” numbers do not tell the full story about what your peers make in our industry. In much the same way that park and recreation agencies differ significantly in size, programming and facility offerings, and scope of mission and funding, they also differ in the responsibilities and, ultimately, compensation of their professional teams. As a result, the NRPA Park and Recreation Salary Survey report provides a broader snapshot of compensation data, including a presentation of not only the median and average salary for each of the five occupations, but also the 10th, 25th, 75th and 90th percentile salaries and bonuses. Agencies with broader missions and offerings and those with greater funding resources may be more apt to pay their employees at the 75th or even 90th percentiles to recruit and retain professionals best suited for their agencies. Conversely, agencies with more modest offerings or funding resources may choose to target compensation levels for their team members that are below the median. There are many factors that can impact a park and recreation professional’s compensation. This report also looks at the relationship between the characteristics of the agency and employee and their salary. These include: • Agency size, as measured by the number of full-time staff employed: In general, base salaries and bonuses tend to be larger at agencies with larger full-time staffs. • Agency type: Cities/towns, counties, special park districts/ regional authorities and agencies located in urban locales. While base salaries and bonuses can vary significantly, both tend to be higher at special park districts and agencies located in urban locales. • Region: The four census regions of Northeast, South, Midwest and West, with significant differences by region. • The highest level of education attained: In general, park and recreation professionals with a bachelor’s degree tend to have larger base salaries than their peers without a four-year college degree, with professionals who have earned a graduate degree (e.g., master’s, MBA, JD, Ph.D.) typically earning even more. • Certification: Many park and recreation professionals have professional certifications. Employees with a professional certification have greater success in moving up in their career, finding jobs or receiving promotions based on the job requirements of the employer. In addition, with certain job titles, park and recreation professionals who have earned one or more profes-

sional certifications (including, but not limited to, the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CRPP) and Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE)) tend to earn more than their peers who do not hold these certifications. • Years of professional experience: Experienced park and recreation professionals earn more than their peers who are relatively new to the field. This column only scratches the surface of the wealth of compensation insights available from this report. There are summaries of key benefits offered to park and recreation professionals, including those for retirement, health insurance and paid time off. Furthermore, the report also has sample job descriptions and organization charts that can help your agency structure its team in a way that best serves its community. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to review the data and insights available with the NRPA Park and Recreation Salary Survey report. Visit www.nrpa.org/publications-research/research-papers/ salary-survey-results/ to download the summarized report or to access the full report. Kevin Roth, Ph.D., is NRPA’s Vice President of Research (kroth@nrpa.org).

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Parks & Recreation

NRPA Park Pulse Each month, through a poll of Americans that is focused on park and recreation issues, NRPA Park Pulse will help to tell the park and recreation story. Questions span from the serious to the more lighthearted, and with this month’s poll, we take a closer look at what Americans say is important to them when choosing a vacation destination.

Park and Recreation Amenities Popular Among Vacation Goers A Park Pulse poll conducted by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) asked 1,013 Americans ages 18+ what’s important to them when choosing a vacation destination. Most Americans take local park and recreation amenities, such as parks, trails, beaches and botanical gardens and museums, into strong consideration when planning a vacation.

58% of Baby Boomers prefer areas with scenic views and wildlife.

Areas that offer recreation options for kids and adults are important among Gen X’ers and Millennials. A signiﬁcant number of Americans prefer areas that are pedestrian-friendly and easily walkable.

Nearly half of all Americans say they prefer vacation destinations that are secluded and relaxing.

www.nrpa.org/Park-Pulse ©2017 National Recreation and Park Association The National Recreation and Park Association Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,013 nationally representative Americans, ages 18+, between June 5th and 12th, 2017, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas have been set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. adult population 18 and older. The margin of error for this study is +/- 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

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Community Center The Parklands of Floyds Fork: Louisville’s 21st Century Legacy Park By Charles B. Neer

ouisville, Kentucky’s century-old legacy of open spaces, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1890s, was intentionally created on lands away from the center of town. This was in keeping with Olmsted’s vision of, in his words, “bringing nature into the neighborhoods.” Now, more than 100 years later, The Parklands of Floyds Fork follows Olmsted’s model by functioning as a green infrastructural framework to proactively guide the metro area’s future growth through the heart of the last major undeveloped section of eastern Louisville. The Parklands of Floyds Fork is a 20mile, 4,000-acre addition to the Louisville Park System inspired by the belief that great parks can shape a city, grow along with a city and serve as the seedling from which a city’s best and most livable neighborhoods grow. The Parklands includes four major parks — Beckley Creek Park, Pope Lick Park, Turkey Run Park and Broad Run Park — linked by a park drive, an urban trail system and a remark-

able water trail, all tracing Floyds Fork, a classic Kentucky stream. They provide residents of the city and region with access to outdoor amenities, such as trails for hiking and biking, sports fields and natural areas to promote both physical and mental health, free of charge and accessible to everyone. This public/private project is unique in the region and unlike anything currently in development across the country.

Ted Wathen

More than 14,000 students visited The Parklands in 2016 for nature-based education.

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Regional Green Infrastructure: the Olmsted Legacy Through 80 separate real estate transactions, the nonprofit organization, 21st Century Parks, has purchased nearly 4,000 acres of land to create The Parklands and applied legal protections that assure public access and use in perpetuity. Though this project preserves so much land from future urban development, The Parklands is more than a site-specific preservation project. The intent has been to not only immerse people in nature, but to proactively use open space as an agent in shaping future development on a regional scale. The Parklands is evolving into the central feature of a more fully integrated open space network, serving a greater role in the provision of park and recreational needs for existing and emerging communities in this part of Louisville. A conceptual framework for this integrated network includes visual and physical connections via foot, bike and car (and potential future transit options) to adjacent or nearby uses, such as other parks, nature preserves, village centers and special features. The Louisville Loop is a 100+-mile multiuse trail being implemented by Louisville Metro Parks around the entire city of Louisville, and more than 19 of these miles have been implemented by 21st Century Parks as part of The Parklands. Following The Parklands’ construction in 2016, Louisville Metro Government has issued planning request for propos-

Aerial view of The Parklands’ Beckley Creek Park, overlooking the Egg Lawn and the Humana Grand Allée.

Public & Private Partnerships A project the size of The Parklands could not be achieved without the dedicated commitment and leadership of public and private organizations and community leaders to actualize and operate the park. 21st Century Parks strategically partnered with the land trust, Future Fund and Louisville Metro Parks to secure the land for the park. The cost of park development and land acquisitions for The Parklands totaled $125 million and was paid for by a capital campaign. More than $60 million was donated by private individuals, corporations and foundations with the rest of the funding coming from the public sector. These included a federal transportation appropriation secured by Sen. Mitch McConnell for park development, the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s contribution for park infrastructure and Louisville Metro Government’s contribution for The Parklands’ first playground. A grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust is funding habitat restoration and management of natural areas, which act as an educational resource for park users. Partnerships were also established with various community organizations and privately operated vendors to offer programming and an enhanced park experience to visitors. Annual operations of The Parklands are funded by memberships and private donations, as well as an endowment established and managed by 21st Century Parks. Together, this public/ private partnership has assumed the charge of ensuring that the vision for The Parklands materialized and that it plays a significant role in the daily lives of all Louisville residents for generations to come. Design Intent and Development of a “Florknacular” Developed largely from scratch utilizing a combination of farmland, undevelopable slopes and wet bottomlands, the planning and design firm of WRT devised three strategies to organize The Parklands: framework, connectivity and theater. The framework shapes the spatial context of the park, including preservation and restoration of the forest, meadows, wetlands and watercourses. The connectivity component includes Floyds Fork itself, the park roadways, the Louisville Loop, the bridges and

Ted Wathen

als for developing the areas adjacent to The Parklands, illustrating the impact that parks can have as city-shaping generators.

other paths that provide access through an immersive natural experience. The theatrical component includes development with an ecological and recreational focus, providing distinctive places for people to gather and play. WRT, along with local architect Bravura, developed a formal

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Parks & Recreation

Community Center

design language that emanated from the site — a Floyds Fork vernacular — “Florknacular.” Bringing a sense of orientation to such an expansive land area is a system of ecologically responsive trails and roadways that wind along the watercourse. The kinetic shapes of the pathways, plantings and buildings reflect the fluid action of water. People encounter and experience the creek by “flowing” along the trails, “leaping” over the bridges and “diving” through the water. Into this sinuous system of passages are inserted numerous trailheads and gathering spaces, along with two geometrically contrasting features, the Egg Lawn and the Grand Allée.

Plan by WRT

Materiality Defines Sense of Place The design and materials reflect the natural and cultural heritage of the Kentucky bluegrass region, which creates a distinctive local identity tuned to the spirit of the place. Locally sourced limestone was used extensively throughout the park in the iconic “Leaping bridges” and dry-laid rock fences, but also in the site benches, canoe launches and stonefines trails. The family of site structures were constructed from ebony-stained cedar siding with yellow pine interiors that recall the imagery of tobacco barns once prevalent to the region, a few of which are preserved throughout the park. The Louisville Loop paving material reveals the floodplain datum by using asphalt outside and concrete inside the floodplain, forming a memorable white line in the landscape paralleling the Fork. Native plantings provide significant habitat value and benefits to pollinators and wildlife, while also improving water quality through 7 miles of riparian buffer restoration. Depiction of the four parks connected by a collection of properties, called The Strand, which make up The Parklands. 18

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The Parklands Experience The Parklands was completed in April 2016 and, that year, visitor attendance reached 2.6 million, making The Parklands one of the top 50 urban parks in the nation — for 2017, visits to the park are estimated to reach 4.0 million. The Parklands addresses a range of public health concerns, such as nature-deficit disorder with an ambitious programming and a nature-based curriculum to engage students at the region’s K-12 schools through hands-on science and natural history education — more than 14,000 students in 2016 alone have already benefited from the programming. The Parklands addresses active lifestyle by providing a broad range of physical fitness challenges that encourage cardiovascular health, for people of all ages, including hiking/ biking trails, paddling trails, sports fields, playgrounds/spray grounds and adventure sports hubs. Agriculture is a part of The Parklands experience and local farming creates a positive connection between people and land through community gardens, farmers markets and the conversion of almost 400 acres to support sustainable agricultural. The Parklands will preserve a vanishing landscape and enhance nearly 80 percent of the land for forestland and restored native meadows and wetlands. This creates 15 miles of urban habitat corridor with improved water quality and stormwater management, reduction of the urban heat island effect, filtration of pollutants, carbon sequestration and habitat protection. The Parklands demonstrates how parks as green infrastructure provide multiple benefits for the public, including transportation connectivity, flood mitigation, habitat protection, as well as physical health, environmental education and cultural enrichment. Charles B. Neer is the Senior Associate Landscape Architect for WRT Design (cneer@ wrtdesign.com).

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Member to Member Five Steps to Unlock Your Agency’s Marketing and Branding Potential By Neelay Bhatt

hat if you could increase community participation in programs and use of facilities by 15 percent by investing as little as 2-3 percent of your operating budget on X initiative? What if, at the same time, you could obtain anywhere from $2 to $12 return on an investment for every $1 of your agency’s expenditures on X? And, what if I told you that despite the clear gains of investing in X, the vast majority of park and recreation agencies still don’t do it adequately? The X factor here is marketing and branding, two areas everyone thinks they know how to do well but few end up truly doing well. So, how can agencies begin to have productive dialogues about marketing and branding initiatives when their definitions are unclear and poorly defined? The common mistake is that people often use the words “marketing” and “branding” interchangeably, and it’s important to dif-

ferentiate between the two. For example, a website overhaul or a sporadic social media presence is considered marketing, while modifying a logo or color scheme is considered branding. In simple terms, marketing is what you do; branding is who you are. Unlocking your agency’s full marketing and branding potential requires a multipronged approach and consistent execution over time. Following are five steps to give you a jump start:

The author Neelay Bhatt at a TED Summit.

Eliminate the ‘Oh, I didn’t know you offered that!’ Excuse Over the course of hundreds of master plans, business and strategic plans nationwide, the one theme we consistently hear from community members is that there is a lack of awareness about park and recreation facilities and program offerings. According to national benchmark data by ETC Institute, the nation’s leading community-based market research firm, across park and recreation agencies, one out of every four (24 percent) respondents cited, “I do not know what is being offered,” as a reason for not using park and recreation facilities or participating in programs. This barrier is second only to, “We are too busy,” selected by 34 percent of respondents. The silver lining here is that addressing a lack of awareness is a lot easier and is inexpensive compared to other concerns, like facilities are “too far from residence” (12 percent) or you “do not have the right equipment” (8 percent), which would require massive infrastructure overhaul.

The Moment of Zen: ‘Control the controllable’ — developing and implementing a marketing and branding strategy is a low-hanging fruit to impact participation.

Good Marketing = Storytelling with a Focus on the “Why.” For all the wonderful work that park and recreation agencies do nationwide, we could certainly do a better job telling our own stories. Agencies are often limited by citywide or countywide communications departments pushing for a consistent voice

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and controlling messaging. While consistency is a good thing, it is imperative for agencies to educate communications at the 30,000foot level of the need to differentiate park and recreation agencies from the others. Unlike police, fire or public works departments, park and recreation agencies compete with public or private entities or simply with Netflix binge-watching, Snapchat and video games for residents’ time. For residents, parks are a choice and our storytelling must be compelling enough for them to choose us. Marketing is too often focused on simply providing information by telling people what is offered, where is it offered and how to participate. The key is to shift your storytelling from being informational to being inspirational. Good storytelling highlights features and advantages of events programs, but great storytelling highlights their benefits for the participants. By the end of your story, your customers should have the answers to questions like: • Why should I participate in that special event? • Why should I send my kid to your summer camp? • Why should I purchase a membership at your recreation center? • Why should I enroll my kids in swimming lessons? • Why should I support the upcoming bond referendum, levy or fee increase?

The blue and green in the Five Rivers MetroParks logo against a backdrop of sky and grass that the colors symbolize.

digital presence, partner events (the Adventure Summit in partnership with Wright State University), national events (National Bike to Work Day) — it ensures that every touch point and user interaction with its brand showcases a consistent look and feel. The City of San José Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) recently unveiled its new branding, focused on “Building Community Through Fun.” The underlying premise was to showcase the importance of what park and recreation agencies do nationwide — building a sense of community and bringing people together. The cherry on top: “We Have Fun” while we do the crucial tasks of building communities and changing lives. The branding took off so well that the mayor of San José referred

The Moment of Zen: Great marketing is about telling your story based on the “Why.”

Build a Brand that Reflects Your Values Your brand identity plays a huge role in how people perceive your agency and trust what you do. A consistently narrated story that reflects your values and is aligned with your offerings is a start in building trust in your brand. Agencies’ logos and branding often fail to reflect their personality or what they stand for. From logos to tag lines and external signage, agency branding often simply reflects what has been there and, thus, it persists. In addition, while agencies are good at ensuring their own branding is consistent, many fail to monitor external offerings and/or partners’ co-branding with them. How many times have you gone online and found one of your partners using an old logo digitally or even in print? Inconsistent sizes, different fonts, or worse, digitally altering your logo and branding to ‘fit’ what the partner is doing can be a challenge to monitor, but it is critical that you do so. Five Rivers MetroParks in Dayton, Ohio, is an example of an agency that tells a good brand story and integrates it across its entire operations. It is focused on conservation leadership and connecting people with nature. So, starting with its brand story — the blue and green symbolizing the outdoors (the sky and the land) and the consistent integration of its brand in park signage, W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 |

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to the PRNS director as the “Director of Fun!” However, this department also has one of the best-known gang-prevention programs in America. It serves the toughest of neighborhoods and the poorest of the poor and truly impacts people’s lives, but the staff enjoys what it does and showcases its passion for serving the community in a fun, memorable way. The Moment of Zen: Your brand is your reputation. Guard it zealously because it’s extremely hard to build and very easy to lose. A great example of this is United Airlines (http://ow.ly/ W8aS30eDhyl).

Invest in Resources All the previously mentioned ideas would simply remain ideas on paper unless agencies prioritize spending on marketing and branding. Following are some important recommendations on this front: • Develop an integrated marketing and branding plan that informs your action plan and spending priorities. • Ensure dedicated staffing (even a parttime one if you are a small agency) for marketing. • Create a college internship position for a social media manager to maximize your social media outreach. • Build a brand guide that clearly articulates the way you do things for all aspects of your branding (i.e., logo and color scheme use, font and sizes, email signatures, tone and language, social media dos and don’ts). • Invest in professional design and copywriting support. Too often, agencies have programmers design brochures, flyers, etc., without adequate training or specialization. There are resources, such as www.fiverrr.com, www.freelancer.com and www.upwork.com, that allow you to hire freelancers. Another option is to partner with local design schools or colleges to have students collaborate on projects

Parks & Recreation

The San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services’ new “Building Community Through Fun” branding.

with you. • Provide ongoing staff training, starting with the onboarding orientation, to ensure all full-time, part-time and seasonal staff are aware of your storytelling and your brand promise. • Lastly, ensure that your marketing team has a seat at the table in all key decision-making. During a recent master planning project with Gold Medal Agency, Elmhurst Park District (EPD), Illinois, it was encouraging to see their marketing staff present at every key meeting, from the hiring interview through to the final plan presentation (see www.epdvision2020. com). This ensured that the entire planning process consistently reflected the agency’s voice and every aspect of community engagement was influenced by its lens to maximize participation. It comes as no surprise then that when lack of awareness (“marketing”) is cited as a barrier to participation by 24 percent of respondents nationally, EPD had only 10 percent of its respondents make that statement — a testament to the effectiveness of its marketing team’s efforts and the importance accorded by the district to its marketing and branding efforts. If you’re still hesitant about making the financial investment, keep this case study in mind: Genesee County Parks and Recreation, Michigan. This agency first conducted a marketing return on investment (ROI) analysis a few years ago by assessing its direct spending on all advertising for its Halloween event. It tracked total print and digital spending on Halloween ads by region and compared it to total visitors from those areas to this event. The agency found that $31,000 in marketing and advertising spending resulted in more than 32,000 visitors, generating revenues of $424,000 through direct ticket sales, for an ROI of more than $13 in

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revenue for every marketing and advertising dollar spent. A similar assessment conducted across all its other events resulted in an ROI ranging from $2 to $12.71 in direct revenue generated per dollar spent on marketing/advertising. The Moment of Zen: Marketing is not an optional “nice-to-have” amenity. It is a smart investment.

Embrace Change Technology and marketing mediums are constantly evolving, and we hear how artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, autonomous driving, etc., will affect how we do things in the future. Invest in technology to enhance the user experience and maximize outreach in the digital age (e.g., responsive design websites, standalone apps and even separate social media accounts, if absolutely needed — see www.keephappifeet.com). The Moment of Zen: You can choose to change or be forced to change, but change you will — so embrace it.

With ever-increasing choices and competition, dedicated and specialized marketing and branding is a critical tool to an agency’s survival. These strategies are meant to be a road map to help you tell a compelling story that inspires your community to participate, support and advocate for its park and recreation agencies. Neelay Bhatt is Vice President of PROS Consulting Inc. (neelay.bhatt@prosconsulting.com).

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Member to Member

Overcoming the Flaws of Needs Assessments The new realm of big data By Ananda Mitra, Ph.D.

sing survey questionnaires with multiple-choice questions has been the traditional form of doing needs assessments in the recreation industry. The process involves collecting attitudes, behaviors, needs and demographics information from the citizens served by public recreation agencies. The impetus of “positivist” social science has been to rely on this form of data collection, and related statistical quantitative analysis, to delve into the intricacies of what a community truly thinks about leisure and recreation opportunities and the associated needs. This is the best method available to decision makers for planning the future of recreation in the communities they serve. Entire master plans are designed and executed based on the numerical data that serves to encapsulate the narrative of a community. Yet, the decisions made using such data often result in investments that might not prove to be as successful as expected. This is often because the only voice the community had in building this narrative comes from

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pre-defined questions. And, those questions allowed for responses measured on a five- or seven-point scale with terms such as “strongly agree” in response to statements that the planners and architects crafted to the best of their ability, without discovering the nuances of the narrative that defines the character of a community.

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Surveys and Public Meetings This method, although widely used by many industries, lacks the ability to capture the details of the narrative of the community. Consequently, decisions made based on this survey data are often flawed. Consider, for example, the presidential polling data in the United States that has, on several occasions, completely missed the opinion of the nation. Sometimes, the numerical data is accompanied by data gathered in public meetings. The data gathered in this forum usually is statistically biased and only garners unreliable data. These public meetings attract the vocal minority — the “squeaky wheels” of the community if you will — who then become the representation of the silent majority who are not at these meetings. Thus, there are two issues with the data from surveys and public meetings. Either the authentic narrative of a community is inaccessible because the “voice” of the community is reduced to numeric responses from “randomly selected” representatives of the community who are expected to respond with the numbers on multiple-choice questions, or the generalized voice of the community is hijacked by the people who attend the public meetings. To add to the confusion, unscrupulous researchers can effectively mask response rates — percentage of the randomly selected sample who completed a questionnaire — and hypnotize recreation professionals with arbitrary promised numbers, such as “500 completed responses,” with nonresponse error skyrocketing to 90 percent and higher. Not only is the data incomplete because emotions are reduced to

five-point scales, but also the source of the data is unreliable because only the self-selected chose to respond. However, with the increasing popular access to digital technologies, there are other options that can supplement the traditional “social science” numerical data and help to enrich the narratives about communities. Digital Networks The advent of digital networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, allow community members to present their points of view, in their own language. The community is no longer limited by prepared questionnaires that offer researcher-produced statements that respondents could only agree or disagree with, or by the vocal special interest groups that mob the public meetings.

This digital space is an opportunity that the public recreation industry should embrace. There, the decision makers in public recreation can capture the narratives told by the people they serve. Just as the hospitality industry has turned to platforms, such as TripAdvisor, the public recreation industry needs to actively solicit the voices of the people it serves. This could be as simple as a feedback button on the agency website, where citizens can state an opinion, leave a comment, praise or a complaint, or talk about what they want for their community or how they want to spend their leisure hours. These statements are no longer censored by pre-defined questions and rigid responses on a survey, or limited to a set time for a attending public meeting. In the realm of traditional survey research, these were called “open-ended” ques-

tions, and those responses would fall into the “other” or “comment” part of a questionnaire. Quite often, these responses were given cursory attention and relegated to coders who would type out the response in the hope that some decision maker would browse through the typed pages at some time. The Narrative Paradigm The situation has changed significantly with the availability of tools for analysis of textual data where computer software can be used to create meaningful analysis of open-ended responses. The process is based on the narrative paradigm, suggested by Professor Walter Fisher in the 1980s, which claims that it is possible to understand the opinions of a community by seeing the story that emerges from the comments offered by its members. Given

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A narrative map

the fact that there is virtually no limit to the amount of data that can be collected and analyzed, very large amounts of information can be collected and then analyzed to create a visual representation of the story that emerges from the comments. These visuals, also called “narrative maps,” can then become the source for the creation of the specific narrative about the behavior and opinions of those who voice themselves. The narrative map, above, is based on responses to an open-ended question about the feelings of 350 respondents. As the map shows, people are often conflicted about their opinions, and it is unrealistic to consider that they have either clear-cut positive or negative opinions. The line between the ‘negative opinion’ and ‘positive opinion’ suggests this duality of opinion. However, the thick connection between ‘parks’ and ‘positive opinion’ also suggests that people are relatively happy with the parks, just as people are happy with the ‘location’ of the parks. These maps are read by looking at the size of each node (e.g., the larger blue circle for ‘positive opinion’ suggests that many respondents used positive supportive language in their comments), and the thickness of the lines shows the strength of the relationship between nodes. For instance, these respondents felt that the location of the parks tends to allow for family use of the parks. I urge the reader to consider this map carefully and elicit other information encapsulated in it. 26

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It is possible to create maps periodically to see how the story changes as decision makers implement changes in the community, and, thus, retain a constant sense of the pulse of the community by following exactly what people are saying about recreation and leisure in a community.

...a more complete and robust narrative can be obtained by the combination of numerical data and the narrative data extracted from narrative maps. This approach releases the decision-making process from the constraints of charts, graphs and percentages and harnesses the voice of the people. It is this voice that makes up the notion of “big data,” which has become a mantra in contemporary discussion about the way in which information is transforming decision making. The volume of “big data” related to community opinions and behaviors is only expected to increase, as more people can be queried about their needs and interests. This wealth of data needs to be har-

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nessed and analyzed in a meaningful way. The cost of doing this is minimal, since data collection using the internet is relatively inexpensive, compared to mailing out printed questionnaires or interviewing people on the phone. The computational needs are not exorbitant (the computer program used to create the map above is under $2,500). All that’s needed is the will of the decision makers and elected officials to invest in listening to the communities they serve. Eventually, a more complete and robust narrative can be obtained by the combination of numerical data and the narrative data extracted from narrative maps. Both have their specific limitations, but in combination they can produce a story that not only shows the percentage of people who would express a need for a new facility, but also offers greater depth in relation to the specific needs. These methods complement each other with the properly conducted numeric part offering generalizable data and the narrative maps, allowing many community members to weigh in with their feelings in their own language. The limitation of sample size in the case of the numeric data is offset by the “richness” of the big data analysis, whereas the linguistic biases of the voices of the people is offset by the statistical rigor of the numeric data. It would be particularly useful for recreation professionals to embrace this “mixed method” approach to more effectively arrive at decisions about how to spend the limited resources available.

Additional resources on the web: www.themediawatch.com www.narbs.info Ananda Mitra, Ph.D., is Professor of Communication at Wake Forest University (ananda@sayithere.org).

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ADVOCACY

USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue hands out healthy breakfasts to Young Explorers summer campers at the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center in Washington, D.C.

Educating the New Administration and Congress About Park & Rec Programs By Kate Sims

A Young Explorer at Turkey Thicket’s summer camp enjoys a free, healthy breakfast.

RPA’s Public Policy team was hard at work this summer inviting politically appointed cabinet members of the new administration and members of Congress to visit park and recreation programs and see firsthand the critical impact parks have on local communities throughout the country. Of significance were the visits by the new Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and former Governor of Georgia, Sonny Perdue, and the newly appointed Chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. NRPA and the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) were honored to host Secretary Perdue at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 20, to see summer meals in action. The secretary, 28

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a big fan of breakfast, helped serve a healthy breakfast of yogurt, granola and fruit to the Young Explorers (ages 3–5) of Turkey Thicket’s summer camp. Turkey Thicket is just one example of sites across D.C., and the nation, that offer

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Secretary Perdue speaks to the local media about the importance of the USDA’s child nutrition programs.

free breakfast and lunch to children either enrolled in their camps or coming to simply play at their rec centers this summer. These meals are made possible by the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). In Congress, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce has jurisdiction over the USDA’s child nutrition programs. NRPA and Mount Airy Parks & Recreation were thrilled to be joined by Rep. Foxx, on Thursday, August 3, for “Hero Day,” a Park Champion event at Riverside Park in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Hero Day highlighted the role of the local police, fire department and recycling department, among others, to the participating children, in addition to several interactive activities. Chairwoman Foxx then assisted in handing out free summer lunches to the children and remarked on the value of children having access to activities and to meals over the summer months.

Turkey Thicket is just one example of sites across D.C., and the nation, that offer free breakfast and lunch to children either enrolled in their camps or coming to simply play at their rec centers... Nationally, local park and recreation agencies are one of the top providers of out-of-school time programming in the United States. In fact, according to the NRPA Out-of-School Time Survey Results (http://ow.ly/bbYY30esaga), nine in 10 agencies offer at least one out-of-school time program. Moreover, park and recreation agencies are the second largest provider of outof-school time meals. Fifty-seven percent of park and recreation agencies provide meals through the USDA meal programs, including SFSP, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Since 2010, with support from the Walmart Foundation, NRPA has provided $9 million in private grant funding to the park and recreation field supporting federal programs; served 76,878,790 meals through SFSP, CACFP and NSLP at park and recreation sites; impacted 4,185,238 youth at park and recreation sites; and served 273 communities. In addition, agencies leverage their role as meal providers to create healthier environments that provide access to nutritious foods and physical activity opportunities through NRPA’s Commit to

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Above: Secretary Perdue with one of Turkey Thicket’s Young Explorers. Left: Perdue greeted by Kevin O’Hara, NRPA’s vice president of urban and government affairs.

It is vital for the new administration and Congress to understand the critical role that out-of-school time meals and programming play in the lives of millions of children and families across the country... Health initiative. Since 2014, 1,550 park and recreation sites across the country have committed to implementing the evidence-based Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards at their sites, impacting more than 280,000 youth. Through Commit to Health, children in summer camps at park and recreation sites report a 20 percent increase in fruit and vegetable knowledge, and child and adult healthy eating behaviors are improved. Children, adults and park and recreation staff report increases in consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and water, as well 30

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as decreases in sugary beverage intake. It is vital for the new administration and Congress to understand the critical role that out-of-school time meals and programming play in the lives of millions of children and families across the country during the summer and after the school day ends during the school year. Park and recreation agencies are at the forefront of this work, keeping kids safe, active and learning, while also serving up healthy, nutritious meals. However, the role parks and recreation plays in the out-of-school time space is just one example of what can be

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highlighted for the new administration and Congress. We are proud to serve communities in a variety of ways and through our three Pillars: Health and Wellness, Conservation and Social Equity. Our hope is to leverage the work being done locally, now, perhaps more than ever before, to ensure that our work is understood and valued by the administration and Congress and that the federal resources we utilize to support our work is protected. The administration and your members of Congress need to hear from you to better understand the impact of park and recreation programs in your community. You can have your voice heard by reaching out to your elected officials through our Advocacy Action Center (www.nrpa.org/our-work/advocacy/ advocacy-engage/) or by inviting them to see the great work you’re doing firsthand. NRPA’s Public Policy team is dedicated to assisting you in building these relationships through the Park Champion initiative. To sign up as a Park Champion and access our step-by-step guide to inviting officials to your community, go to www.nrpa.org/our-work/advocacy/ park-champions/park-champion-advocacy-toolkit/. Kate Sims is NRPA’s Government Affairs Manager (ksims@nrpa.org).

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L AW R E V I E W

State Playground Program Disqualified Religious Organizations By James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.

he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted research on the use of recycled tire crumb in playgrounds and on playing fields (https:// www.epa.gov/chemical-research/federal-research-recycled-tire-crumbused-playing-fields). In a December 2016 report, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found “no specific chemical hazards from recycled tires in playground surfacing,” but cautioned “mouth contact with playground surfacing materials, including mouthing, chewing or swallowing playground rubber” should be avoided (https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Crumb-Rubber-Safety-Information-Center). Several jurisdictions have programs promoting the use of recycled tires to provide scrap tire chips as ground cover and scrap tire matting in the safety surface material for playgrounds. Such programs reduce the number of used tires otherwise destined for landfills and dumpsites. One such jurisdiction is Missouri. In Missouri, the state’s Department of

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Natural Resources administers a “Scrap Tire Program,” which offers reimbursement grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations that purchase playground surfaces made from recycled tires. The program is funded through a fee imposed on the sale of new tires in the state (https://dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/tires/ tirefinassistance.htm and https://dnr. mo.gov/pubs/pub2425.pdf).

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One would not expect that administration of a rather modest recreational grant program involving recycled tire scraps would prompt a significant case and controversy for review and a published opinion by the Supreme Court of the United States, but it did. In so doing, the Supreme Court further delineated the relationship between the government and religious organizations within the context of the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. The Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause in the First Amendment embody the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom from two different perspectives. The Establishment Clause focuses on the government’s relationship with religion. The Free Exercise Clause focuses on the ability of groups and indi-

viduals to practice their religion free of governmental interference. While the Establishment Clause ensures the separation of church and state, the Free Exercise Clause prohibits the government from discriminating against the religious status of a group or individual. The Establishment Clause precludes excessive governmental “entanglement” with religion, prohibiting governmental sponsorship or showing any preference or favoritism to a particular religious view. In contrast, the Free Exercise Clause precludes governmental interference with the ability of groups and individuals to adhere to their religious beliefs, prohibiting governmental action that effectively disqualifies or penalizes individuals and groups based on their religious status. Religious Identity Discrimination In the case of Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer, 582 U.S. ___ (2017), 2017 U.S. LEXIS 4061 (U.S. 6/26/2017), the Supreme Court of the United States recognized that the denial of eligibility for a state grant to provide surfacing for a church playground might seem of little consequence, resulting “in all likelihood, a few extra scraped knees.” The Supreme Court, however, found the legal consequence to be much more significant within the context of the scope and applicability of the Free Exercise Clause in the First Amendment. As described by the Supreme Court, the Free Exercise Clause “protects religious observers against unequal treatment and subjects, to the strictest scrutiny, laws that target the religious for special disabilities based on their religious status.” Accordingly, absent a “state interest of the highest order,” the Court acknowledged that it would impose an unconstitutional penalty on the free exercise of religion for the government to deny “a generally available benefit solely on account of religious identity.” Facts of the Case The Missouri Department of Natural Resources offers state grants to help public and private schools, nonprofit daycare centers, and other nonprofit entities purchase rubber playground surfaces made from recycled tires. Trinity Lutheran Church applied for such a grant for its preschool and daycare center and would have received one, but for the fact that Trinity Lutheran is a church. The department had a policy of categorically disqualifying churches and other religious organizations from receiving grants under its playground-resurfacing program. The Trinity Lutheran Church Child Learning Center is a preschool and daycare center that’s open throughout the year to serve working families in Boone County, Missouri, and the surrounding area. Established as a nonprofit organization in 1980,

Several jurisdictions have programs promoting the use of recycled tires to provide scrap tire chips as ground cover and scrap tire matting in the safety surface material for playgrounds. the center merged with Trinity Lutheran Church in 1985 and operates under its auspices on church property. The center admits students of any religion, and enrollment stands at about 90 children ranging from ages 2 to 5. The center includes a playground that is equipped with the basic playground essentials: slides, swings, jungle gyms, monkey bars and sandboxes. Almost the entire surface beneath and surrounding the play equipment is coarse pea gravel. Youngsters, of course, often fall on the playground or tumble from the equipment. And when they do, the gravel can be unforgiving. In 2012, the center sought to replace a large portion of the

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pea gravel with a pour-in-place rubber surface by participating in the Missouri Scrap Tire Program. Due to limited resources, the department cannot offer grants to all applicants and so awards them on a competitive basis to those scoring highest based on several criteria, such as the poverty level of the population in the surrounding area and the applicant’s plan to promote recycling. When the center applied, the department had a strict and express policy of denying grants to any applicant owned or controlled by a church, sect or other religious entity. That policy, in the department’s view, was compelled by Article I, Section 7 of the Missouri Constitution, which provides: That no money shall ever be taken from the public treasury, directly or indirectly, in aid of any church,

In 2012, the [Trinity Lutheran Church Child Learning] center sought to replace a large portion of the pea gravel with a pour-in-place rubber surface by participating in the Missouri Scrap Tire Program. sect or denomination of religion, or in aid of any priest, preacher, minister or teacher thereof, as such; and that no preference shall be given to nor any discrimination made against any church, sect or creed of religion, or any form of religious faith or worship. In its application, the center disclosed its status as a ministry of Trinity Lutheran Church and specified that the center’s mission was “to provide a safe, clean and

attractive school facility in conjunction with an educational program structured to allow a child to grow spiritually, physically, socially and cognitively.” After describing the playground and the safety hazards posed by its current surface, the center detailed the anticipated benefits of the proposed project: increasing access to the playground for all children, including those with disabilities, by providing a surface compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; providing a safe, long-lasting and resilient surface under the play areas; and improving Missouri’s environment by putting recycled tires to positive use. The center also noted that the benefits of a new surface would extend beyond its students to the local community, whose children often use the playground during non-school hours. The center ranked fifth among the 44 applicants in the 2012 Scrap Tire Program. The department ultimately awarded 14 grants as part of the 2012 program. Despite its high score, the center was deemed categorically ineligible to receive a grant because it was operated by Trinity Lutheran Church. In a letter rejecting the center’s application, the program director explained that, under Article I, Section 7 of the Missouri Constitution, the department could not provide financial assistance directly to a church. Road to the Supreme Court Trinity Lutheran sued the director of the department in federal district court. The church alleged that the department’s fail-

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ure to approve the center’s application, pursuant to its policy of denying grants to religiously affiliated applicants, violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. Trinity Lutheran sought a court order prohibiting the department from discriminating against the church on that basis in future grant applications. The federal district court granted the department’s motion to dismiss. The Free Exercise Clause, the district court stated, prohibits the government from outlawing or restricting the exercise of a religious practice, but it generally does not prohibit withholding an affirmative benefit on account of religion. Accordingly, the district court held that the Free Exercise Clause did not require the state to make funds available under the Scrap Tire Program to religious institutions like Trinity Lutheran. The Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed. The federal appeals court recognized that it was “rather clear” that Missouri could award a scrap tire grant to Trinity Lutheran without running afoul of the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution. That being said, the federal appeals court found the Free Exercise Clause did not compel the state to disregard the antiestablishment principle reflected in its own constitution. Viewing a monetary grant to a religious institution as a “hallmark of an established religion,” the federal appeals court concluded that the state could rely on an applicant’s religious status to deny its application. The Supreme Court of the United States granted the church’s certiorari petition to review these lower court decisions to determine “whether the Department’s policy violated the rights of Trinity Lutheran under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.”

ri announced that he had directed the department to begin allowing religious organizations to compete for and receive department grants on the same terms as secular organizations. If this action

actually eliminated any dispute or controversy, with nothing left to decide, the Supreme Court could have dismissed review of this case as “moot.” However, in this particular instance,

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L AW R E V I E W

the court found the department’s action did not moot this case. In so doing, the court noted: “such voluntary cessation of a challenged practice does not moot a case unless subsequent events make it absolutely clear that the allegedly wrongful behavior could not reasonably be expected to recur.” In this particular instance, the parties agreed that nothing would prevent the department from reinstating its policy in the future based on the source of the department’s

lenges under the Free Exercise Clause, the court would distinguish between laws that are “neutral and generally applicable without regard to religion” and laws that “single out the religious for disfavored treatment.” Accordingly, the Supreme Court noted that the Free Exercise Clause would prohibit governments from “discriminating in the distribution of public benefits based upon religious status or sincerity.” Specifically, in the opinion of the Su-

When the center applied, the department had a strict and express policy of denying grants to any applicant owned or controlled by a church, sect or other religious entity.

original policy in the Missouri Constitution. Accordingly, a real controversy and dispute remained for the Supreme Court to determine whether the existing interpretation of the Missouri Constitution posed an unconstitutional irreconcilable conflict with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Free Exercise Clause As cited by the Supreme Court: “The First Amendment provides, in part, that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.’” In this particular instance, the Church and Department both agreed that “the Establishment Clause of that Amendment does not prevent Missouri from including Trinity Lutheran in the Scrap Tire Program.” That being said, the Supreme Court recognized that “there is ‘play in the joints’ between what the Establishment Clause permits and the Free Exercise Clause compels.” In considering constitutional chal36

Parks & Recreation

preme Court, it would effectively penalize the free exercise of constitutional liberties to “condition the availability of benefits upon a recipient’s willingness to surrender his religiously impelled status.” In this particular instance, the Supreme Court found: “The Department’s policy expressly discriminates against otherwise eligible recipients by disqualifying them from a public benefit solely because of their religious character”: [T]he Department’s policy puts Trinity Lutheran to a choice: It may participate in an otherwise available benefit program or remain a religious institution. Of course, Trinity Lutheran is free to continue operating as a church...But that freedom comes at the cost of automatic and absolute exclusion from the benefits of a public program for which the Center is otherwise fully qualified. And when the State conditions a benefit in this way...the State has punished the free exercise of religion.

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In response, the department contended “merely declining to extend funds to Trinity Lutheran does not prohibit the Church from engaging in any religious conduct or otherwise exercising its religious rights”: Here the Department has simply declined to allocate to Trinity Lutheran a subsidy the State had no obligation to provide in the first place. That decision does not meaningfully burden the Church’s free exercise rights. And absent any such burden, the argument continues, the Department is free to heed the State’s antiestablishment objection to providing funds directly to a church. The Supreme Court agreed “the Department has not criminalized the way Trinity Lutheran worships or told the Church that it cannot subscribe to a certain view of the Gospel.” That being said, the Supreme Court noted the department itself had acknowledged the Free Exercise Clause protects against “indirect coercion or penalties on the free exercise of religion, not just outright prohibitions.” In so doing, the Supreme Court reiterated the principle that the liberties of religion and expression may not be infringed by the denial of or placing conditions upon a benefit or privilege. In this particular instance, the Supreme Court noted: “Trinity Lutheran is not claiming any entitlement to a subsidy.” On the contrary, the court found Trinity Lutheran simply “asserts a right to participate in a government benefit program without having to disavow its religious character.” As characterized by the court, in this case, the discrimination against religious exercise was not the denial of a grant, but the refusal to allow the church “to compete with secular organizations for a grant,” solely because Trinity Lutheran is a church. In the opinion of the Supreme Court, the “imposition of such a condition

upon even a gratuitous benefit inevitably deters or discourages the exercise of First Amendment rights.â€? Specifically, the court found â€œno question that Trinity Lutheran was denied a grant simply because of what it is â€” a church.â€? Moreover, the court noted that Trinity Lutheran was not seeking funding for an â€œessentially religious endeavor,â€? which would endorse religion in violation of the Establishment Clause. On the contrary, in this particular instance, the court found nothing religious could be said about Trinity Lutheran seeking to compete for funding in â€œa program to use recycled tires to resurface playgrounds.â€? On appeal, the department had emphasized Missouriâ€™s â€œconstitutional tradition of not furnishing taxpayer money directly to churches.â€? In so doing, however, the Supreme Court found Missouri had put Trinity Lutheran to â€œthe choice between being a church and receiving a government benefit.â€? As applied to this playground grant program, in the opinion of the Supreme Court, â€œ[t]he rule is simple: No churches need apply.â€? Accordingly, the Supreme Court concluded such â€œexpress discrimination based on religious identity with respect to playground resurfacingâ€? was unconstitutional: The State in this case expressly requires Trinity Lutheran to renounce its religious character in order to participate in an otherwise generally available public benefit program, for which it is fully qualified...[S]uch a condition imposes a penalty on the free exercise of religion that must be subjected to the â€˜most rigorousâ€™ scrutiny. Under that stringent standard, only a state interest â€˜of the highest orderâ€™ can justify the Departmentâ€™s discriminatory policy. Yet the Department offers nothing more than Missouriâ€™s policy preference for skat-

ing as far as possible from religious establishment concerns. In the face of the clear infringement on free exercise before us, that interest cannot qualify as compelling. As a result, the Supreme Court found that the state had â€œpursued its preferred policy to the point of expressly denying a TXDOLÂż HG UHOLJLRXV HQWLW\ D SXEOLF EHQHÂż W VROHO\ EHFDXVH RI LWV UHOLJLRXV FKDUDFWHU Â´ The Supreme Court, therefore, concluded WKH GHSDUWPHQWÂśV SROLF\ ÂłJRHV WRR IDUÂ´ LQ YLRODWLRQ RI WKH )UHH ([HUFLVH &ODXVH In the opinion of the Supreme Court, â€œthe exclusion of Trinity Lutheran from D SXEOLF EHQHÂż W IRU ZKLFK LW LV RWKHUZLVH TXDOLÂż HG VROHO\ EHFDXVH LW LV D FKXUFK LV RGLRXV WR RXU &RQVWLWXWLRQ DQG FDQQRW VWDQG Â´ $FFRUGLQJO\ WKH 6XSUHPH &RXUW reversed the judgment of the federal apSHDOV FRXUW DQG UHPDQGHG >L H VHQW EDFN@ WKLV FDVH WR WKH ORZHU FRXUWV ÂłIRU IXUWKHU SURFHHGLQJV FRQVLVWHQW ZLWK WKLV RSLQLRQ Â´ 2Q UHPDQG WKH FRXUWÂśV GHFLVLRQ ZRXOG SUH vent the state from ever reinstating the preYLRXV SROLF\ WKDW KDG GLVTXDOLÂż HG UHOLJLRXV organizations from competing and receiving department grants on the same terms as HOLJLEOH VHFXODU RUJDQL]DWLRQV LQ 0LVVRXULÂśV 6FUDS 7LUH 3URJUDP ,Q WKH DOWHUQDWLYH WR SDVV FRQVWLWXWLRQDO PXVWHU 0LVVRXUL FRXOG either terminate this grant program altogether or amend the program to exclude all QRQSURÂż W RUJDQL]DWLRQV DQG OLPLW JUDQWV WR SXEOLF HQWLWLHV Note: Links to First Amendment Establishment Clause & Free Exercise Clause related articles in 3DUNV DQG 5HFUHDWLRQ can be found at ZZZ SDUNVDQGUHFUH DWLRQ RUJ 6HSWHPEHU VWDWH SOD\ ground-program-disqualified-religiousorganizations James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D., is an Attorney and Associate Professor in the School of Recreation, Health and Tourism at George Mason University (jkozlows@gmu.edu). Webpage with link to law review articles archive (1982 to present): http://mason.gmu.edu/~jkozlows.

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FUTURE LEADERS

To Ph.D. or Not to Ph.D.? By Kara Kish

hile this might not be the question, it is certainly a unique question I have heard recently. Two summers ago, I made the decision to return to school, part-time, and began a Doctor of Philosophy program. I have since been approached by many young professionals who convey their curiosity or interest in pursuing a Ph.D. as well. The answer to the question, “To Ph.D. or not to Ph.D.?” is complicated and only appropriate for each individual to personally answer. I write this article for those young professionals struggling with the same question, and it brings me to the first question a young professional must ask before going to back to school:

A commitment to learning and a commitment to professional development is a pursuit common in all successful park and recreation professionals. 38

Parks & Recreation

Is a Ph.D. necessary to obtain my career goals as a park and recreation professional? In the current field of public parks and recreation, the answer is “no.” Advanced degrees, certifications and years of service are often prerequisites for executive-level positions; however, I have yet to see a job announcement that requires, or even prefers, a Ph.D. Ph.D. programs generally are not designed for those wishing to remain practitioners. Instead, they seek to prepare in-

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dividuals to conduct research and teach. It’s my opinion that professional achievements, years of service and an advanced degree will continue to be the standard for the foreseeable future. I offer this statement with caution, as it would be unfair for me to say that professional preferences will not change. What if I want to teach at a university? Do I need a Ph.D.? This is the second question I often hear. If your career goals are to enter the field of academia and pursue a tenured faculty position, a Ph.D. is necessary. However, a Ph.D. is usually not required to serve as a lecturer or adjunct professor. Most universities contract with practitioners who hold a master’s degree to serve as faculty members, educating students in their subject-matter expertise. I currently serve as an adjunct professor, without a Ph.D., at Indiana State Uni-

versity — a situation that’s commonplace for many other park and recreation professionals across the county. Is obtaining a Ph.D. worth the personal resources you must commit? I’m often asked this question as a retort to the previous two questions. Pursuing a Ph.D. while serving as a full-time professional will require time, money and often your sanity. If you determine that earning a Ph.D. is a worthy investment, you will sacrifice all three and will struggle to maintain a personal/professional/academic balance. Fortunately, this is a finite commitment that will end with the hopeful outcome of earning a doctoral degree.

For me, determining the necessity of obtaining a Ph.D. did not come as a matter of necessity, but rather as a matter of personal pursuit and desire. Below are some of the factors that contributed to my decision: Undoubtedly, I love to learn, but I also really, really love school and the academic environment. I know many people who love to learn: to grow their base of knowledge and discover new viewpoints within their field of practice. I would argue that loving to learn and loving school are not necessarily the same. I made the personal decision to

go back to school, to learn in a professional academic environment. I have a personal goal to contribute to the body of knowledge in parks and recreation through research. Completing

my dissertation and conducting subsequent research, as well as seeking publication in a peer-reviewed journal will be possible and aided with the academic training of a doctoral program.

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FUTURE LEADERS

This commitment does not require an advanced degree, only an interest and willingness to engage. Could this be a possible second profession? I’m not sure that I would ever have interest in trading the world of public administration for the world of academia. Would I have interest when I graduate…in 10 years…once I retire from public service? I do not know the answer today. I do know that I love the classroom, I love sharing real-time professional practices and situations with the students, and I love preparing students to serve as my peers in the profession. The possibility that I could pursue a second career at any time is appealing. I would like to clarify that all of these

things are possible without a Ph.D. as well. A commitment to learning and a commitment to professional development is a pursuit common in all successful park and recreation professionals. This commitment does not require an advanced degree, only an interest and willingness to engage. We constantly learn from our peers, through conferences, from reading publications and research, and through mentorships. For those wanting to contribute, peer-reviewed research is certainly not the only vehicle. Professionals can contribute to the body of knowledge that serves our field by serving on com-

mittees, boards and in various leadership roles. And finally, there are multiple career paths park and recreation professionals are highly qualified to obtain if they choose to leave the direct provision of park and recreation services. My decision to pursue a Ph.D. was extremely personal, and yours will need to be as well. What I have found to be the common thread of current practitioners who hold Ph.Ds. is that their personal responses were like mine. They enjoy and choose to serve as practicing professionals, but they also feel called to be a part of the academic thread that propels our profession forward. Kara Kish, MPA, CPRE, CPSI, is the Superintendent of the Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department, and an Adjunct Professor and Ph.D. student at Indiana State University (kara.kish@vigocounty.in.gov).

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Quantifying Green Infrastructure’s Stormwater Capture Potential

McKinley Park, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

By Serda Ozbenian

hen it rains in highly urbanized areas, water that would normally soak into the ground becomes runoff, picking up litter, sediment and various other pollutants as it travels over impervious surfaces. This stormwater runoff carries pollutants directly to streams and rivers, where it can cause flooding, water-quality issues and erosion. Public parks, which often contain large swaths of land, are great sites for green infrastructure stormwater management because they offer multiple opportunities for slowing and capturing the destructive force of stormwater runoff — cleansing it of pollutants with vegetation and infiltrating it back into the ground, thereby preventing flooding, recharging groundwater tables and protecting watersheds. The amount of stormwater that can be captured and treated in a green infrastructure installation depends on several factors, including the permeability of the soil at the site and the placement and size of the green infrastructure features. With

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funding from NRPA’s 2016 Great Urban Parks Campaign, four grant recipients — Boone Park West in Atlanta, Georgia; McKinley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Ambrose Kennedy Park in Baltimore, Maryland; and Montbello Open

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Space in Denver, Colorado, are showing how they are improving the quality of the environment in their communities. All four grant recipients are increasing the permeability of their sites by intentionally designing their projects to capture and hold stormwater flowing into their parks using a practice called bioretention. This type of design diverts stormwater into specially designed, low-lying drainage areas that contain native, deep-rooted plants in a specifically engineered soil mix (if necessary). Bioretention areas can temporarily be flooded without damage, while the stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces either slowly percolates into the soil or

slowly evaporates in a process called evapotranspiration, thereby mimicking natural areas. As the water soaks into the ground, it is taken up by plants, and evaporates into the air, pollutants from runoff are removed through natural processes, instead of just cycling into streams and drinking water supplies as it does with traditional ‘gray’ stormwater management.

and a rain garden, will reduce the negative impacts of an estimated 7,450,000 gallons of stormwater runoff annually from the surrounding streets and neighborhoods. Treating this volume of stormwater by green infrastructure methods demonstrates the significant potential for Boone Park West to relieve pressure on Atlanta’s combined sewer system and reduce localized flooding in the surrounding community.

BOONE PARK WEST Key stormwater management features/practices: Infiltration lawns Rain garden Bioswales Stormwater capture potential: 7,450,000 gal./yr. The Boone Park West project will establish a new 3.5-acre public park in the English Avenue neighborhood on the west side of the city of Atlanta in the Proctor Creek watershed. Proctor Creek, which empties into the Chattahoochee River, Atlanta’s main source for drinking water, was historically an asset and source of pride for the surrounding communities. Over many years, however, the creek’s upper watershed has become highly impervious from development, resulting in large volumes of stormwater runoff when it rains. This runoff is the biggest threat to water quality and habitat in Proctor Creek. Often, it is blamed for neighborhood flooding, and it puts a strain on the area’s sewer infrastructure. In recognition of these challenges, in 2013, the federal government designated Proctor Creek one of 11 priority waterways under the Urban Waters Federal Partnership. The green infrastructure retrofits to Boone Park West, which includes the installation of two bioswales, two infiltration lawns

MCKINLEY PARK Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Project sponsor: Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

Key stormwater management features/practices: Rain gardens Bioswales Subsurface stormwater storage Stormwater capture potential: 1,600,000 gal./yr. McKinley Park is a 78.5-acre community park in the Beltzhoover neighborhood of Pittsburgh. It is the only park within

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Atlanta, Georgia Project sponsor: Park Pride

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walking distance for area residents and has been a public asset since the 1870s. However, the park’s steep topography, lack of accessible paths, poorly defined entrances and deferred maintenance issues discourage neighborhood access, limiting public use of the park. Stormwater runoff negatively impacts community use as well as the park’s ecology. This renovation project involves the installation of green infrastructure features in the upper portions of McKinley Park, in an area known as Chicken Hill, to reduce the volume of street runoff that discharges into the combined stormwater and sanitary sewer that flows underneath the park. Green infrastructure improvements will reduce flooding and other negative impacts from the deteriorating gray infrastructure and positively contribute to improving water quality and the health of the impaired Saw Mill Run watershed. The green infrastructure features are designed to route stormwater through treatment areas of rain gardens and bioswales prior to draining into slow-release, underground subsurface storage that will slowly release and infiltrate storm overflows. Complementary improvements, being implemented in partnership with the city of Pittsburgh, include accessible trails, a new shelter, a hill slide and overlooks. The anticipated annual stormwater capture potential for McKinley Park is approximately 1.6 million gallons throughout a typical year. 44

Parks & Recreation

AMBROSE KENNEDY PARK Baltimore, Maryland Project Sponsor: Parks and People Foundation

Key stormwater management features/practices: Large bioretention area Removing impervious surfaces Planting native trees and plants Stormwater capture potential: 232,960 gal./yr. Ambrose Kennedy Park is a 1.75-acre community park located in the Jones Falls watershed of Baltimore City, in one of the high-priority neighborhoods identified in Baltimore’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System and Watershed Implementation Plan. This green infrastructure project calls for the removal of more than 17,600 square feet of impervious asphalt and replacing it with natural soils and native Maryland plants. These improvements will restore a natural land-

scape and eliminate 393,950 gallons of runoff annually from entering Jones Falls and eventually the Chesapeake Bay. A large bioretention area will treat runoff from an additional drainage area of 30,684 square feet. This equates to an annual capture volume of roughly 232,960 gallons per year. All the green infrastructure features in the park have been identified by the city as appropriate strategies to meet the city’s stormwater reduction requirements. The green infrastructure components of this project will also measurably reduce urban heat island effect in this park, cooling what is otherwise a hot, barren expanse of asphalt in a community where there is little shade.

MONTBELLO OPEN SPACE Denver, Colorado Project Sponsor: Environmental Learning for Kids Key stormwater management features/practices: Bioswale Rain gardens Impervious surface disconnections Infiltration Stormwater capture potential: 2,228,734 gal./yr.

Ambrose Kennedy Park

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The Montbello Open Space project in the far northeast section of the city and county of Denver, Colorado, involves the restoration of 5 acres of undeveloped parkland in Montbello, one of the city’s largest neighborhoods. Current gray stormwater infrastructure in the neighborhood is unsafe and aging. The new park is designed specifically to mimic the native Colorado prairie ecosystem; employ green infrastructure techniques to improve stormwater flow; accommodate frequent storms; withstand a 100-year flood event; improve water and environmental quality; and improve wildlife habitat in this arid

Montbello Open Space

landscape. The design calls for regrading the site into a gently rolling prairie topography with a central arroyo, or broad drainage swale, to contain stormwater and reduce flow into the city’s stormwater management facilities. Surface drainage from parking areas and planned building roofs will be routed

through a series of tiered rain gardens into a central rain garden and large 7,500-footlong bioswale, the focal point of the park. To allow for additional infiltration, water will collect on the park site prior to releasing the flows into a detention pond on the health clinic site, thereby capturing and filtering all water that flows into the public storm sewer. Three of the green infrastructure projects are slated for completion by the end of this year, with the fourth planned for completion in July 2018. NRPA will continue to use them as demonstrations for

professional training and development purposes to show how park and recreation agencies, in partnership with private nonprofits and municipal water utilities, can achieve greater environmental benefits than traditional gray infrastructure by implementing green stormwater infrastructure installations in parks.

Coming to the 2017 NRPA Conference? Learn more about these projects and hear from the project sponsors themselves at the “Great Urban Parks Campaign: 4 Green Infrastructure Stormwater Management Projects in Parks,” Session 110, Tuesday, September 26, 1 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Serda Ozbenian, MS, is NRPA’s Conservation Program Manager (sozbenian@nrpa.org).

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Parks & Recreation

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Creating Safe Routes to Parks By Dee Merriam, RLA,FASLA, Eric Sauer, Ian Dunn and Tegan Boehmer

he U.S. Surgeon Generalâ€™s 2015 report Step It Up! The Surgeon Generalâ€™s Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities notes that just 22 minutes a day of physical activity, such as brisk walking, can improve your health. To encourage walking, the report recommends creating desirable destinations, such as parks, that are close to home and accessible by well-maintained sidewalks and pedestrian-friendly streets. Why focus on improving walking routes to parks? In addition to being good for you, walking is an option that is available to most people. If people can walk to a park, then they can likely ride a bike or drive there. However, the opposite is not true. Distributing parks based on biking or driving distances excludes regular access for many people and reduces the health benefits they provide when they are walking destinations. Measuring walking access to parks is a good starting point to link parks with public health goals. In collaboration with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, the Na-

Parks & Recreation

tional Recreation and Park Association developed a Safe Routes to Parks action framework (www.nrpa.org/Safe-RoutesTo-Parks/) for local governments. An early step in the framework is to determine walking access to parks within the entire jurisdiction and for specific sites. An acceptable walking distance will vary for individuals based on their age, ability and health, and within different environments. A half mile has been recognized as the distance that most people are able and willing to regularly walk to a destination. Five Rivers MetroParks Case Study Five Rivers MetroParks (FRMP) in

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Dayton, Ohio, used the Active Living by Design measures as part of its Safe Routes to Parks program. FRMP wanted to understand how many residents live within a half mile of its parks, and more importantly, how many residents live within a half-mile walk route of each park. The measures provide objective, actionable data that can be used to identify park system gaps and where infrastructure changes will make a difference. By mapping areas that do and do not have park access, FRMP can identify the level of service that it provides across the jurisdiction and by demographic subpopulations. These data allow FRMP to compare the impact of projects and evaluate options for land acquisition and site development. Several decisions were made before starting the analysis. First, the primary focus would be on parks controlled by FRMP. Second, it was assumed that all

Active Living by Design’s Walking Access to Parks Measure streets are walkable. Third, that the walk route service areas would be created using 100-meter buffers on both sides of the streets. FRMP Results Measure 1– Proximity to Parks According to the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (NEPHTN), 39 percent of people nationwide live within a half mile of a park boundary. FRMP also looked at data for the parks in its system and found that just over 15 percent of the county’s population (82,893 people) lives within a half mile of a FRMP park.

In an October 2016 blog, titled “Active Living by Design,” the following three ways to measure walking access to parks were proposed: Proximity: Percent of a jurisdiction’s population living within a half mile of a park boundary. Proximity is necessary for walking access, but living near a park boundary does not mean you have a short walk to its entrance. Walking access: Measuring the percent of a jurisdiction’s population with less than a halfmile walk route to a park entrance not only identifies park system gaps, but also shows who has a walk route to a park. Park connectivity: This measure of the proportion of people living within a half mile of the park boundary who have less than a halfmile walk route to a park entrance is useful for determining where new access points and shorter walk routes will make the biggest impact on increasing access to parks. It can also be used to coordinate reviews of new subdivisions and development projects that might be leveraged to improve park access.

Measure 2 – Walking Access to Parks Only 4 percent of the county’s population lives within a halfmile walk route to the entrance of a FRMP park. Future efforts might include working with other city and county agencies to identify park entrances for all parks in the county to obtain a better understanding of walking access. Data from measures one and two allow FRMP to compare itself to other jurisdictions and to track progress over time. Measure 3 – Park Connectivity The percent of residents living within a half mile of a park boundary who also have a walk route under a half mile ranged from 0 percent for parks with no developed entrance to 78 percent for RiverScape MetroPark, which has multiple entrances VILLAGE OF OBETZ

Columbus, OH

Graphic 1: Buffers Using Existing Entrances

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Graphic 2: Larger Buffer Due to Added Entrances

and a connected street network. The data and maps generated by measure three are particularly useful. For each of the parks studied, Table 1 shows (1) the population living within a half mile of the park boundary, (2) the population with less than a half-mile walk route to a park entrance and (3) the percent of those who live close to the park who have less than a half-mile walk route to an entrance. Similar data (not shown) were generated for demographic groups. Review of the data revealed parks with lower percentages and the greatest potential to improve park connectivity. In addition, the maps created from this analysis provided a visual understanding of where residents who might benefit from a new entrance live (see graphs 1 and 2). Combined with street maps and aerial photography, the park connectivity maps help identify possible new en-

trances. The impact of the new entrances was tested by revising the network buffer and calculating how many more people would be able to access the park if additional entrances were constructed (shown in Table 1). FRMP identified 25 potential new entrances that could provide more than 10,000 additional resi-

Table 1. Connectivity Data for Selected FRMP Parks PARK NAME

dents with walking access to a park. This analysis also illustrated how physical barriers — highways, rail lines or rivers — can separate large populations from a park. In the future, FRMP could collaborate with other city and county agencies to review neighborhood street networks for opportunities to shorten route dis-

Existing Condition Population within 1/2-Mile Radial

Population within 1/2-Mile Network

Impact of New Entrances

Park Connectivity Network/ Radial

Current Entrances

# of New Entrances

Population % Added Increase within 1/2Mile Network

Added Entrances

Eastwood Metropark

4,749

833

17.5%

River Scape Metropark

2,341

1,828

78.1%

0.0%

Possum Creek Metropark

1,323

104

7.9%

11.5%

Wesleyan Metropark

5,827

3,033

52.1%

651

21.5%

Deeds Point Metropark*

1,784

0.0%

677

2nd Street Market*

1,821

0.0%

794

River Ridge Conservation Area*

1,826

0.0%

981

Sugarcreek Metropark

3,977

1.6%

1,481

2278.5%

Taylorsville Metropark

4,676

676

14.5%

1,486

219.8%

Cox Arboretum Metropark

7,920

1,677

21.2%

1,870

111.5%

82,893

20,693

Countywide^ Total County Population 535,153

0.0%

10,157

*Parks with no defined current entrance point Impact of New Entrances % increase column - For parks with “Existing Condition” values of zero, no % increase was calculated. Used walkability information from ArcGIS Streetmap Premium Network (prohibits walking on highways, on/off ramps, etc.) Population counts are from cleaned 2010 census block data. ^Countywide estimates are not the same as the sum of park-specific estimates. A census block can be within a half mile of more than one park and would be double counted by taking the sum of the park-specific estimates. 48

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By using objective data, planners can make informed decisions that can improve many facets of park planning... tances by making walkable connections and to improve the safety of routes by assessing the presence and quality of sidewalks and street crossings. What Next? FRMP used the data generated by these measures to determine where additional park entrances could impact the greatest number of county residents. After identifying opportunities to improve walking access, walk audits with community members and partners are recommended to both field-verify site conditions and understand barriers. During the audits, environmental and community factors, such as typography, water flow, land use, condition of nearby property, park visibility and public safety should be evaluated. Street safety improvements can be an easy way to increase walking access. The walking audit should include an assessment of intersections, sidewalks and other street improvements within the adjacent neighborhood, as well as how people reach facilities once they are in the park. The analysis can also be used to identify targeted geographic areas for rezoning and subdivision application reviews. Ideally, FRMP would be alerted by the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission when it receives applications for sites that fall within the target areas. This process would provide FRMP opportunities to encourage the development of pedestrian-friendly streets adjacent to parks, connected streets leading to park entrances and improved pedestrian infrastructure in areas near parks. FRMP tracks visitation to its parks using sensors and physical counts. Park users are also surveyed about their transportation modes and trip origination point. FRMP is considering adding questions to its survey about how users traveled to its parks to better understand how many people who drive to the park could walk if there were safe, attractive routes. It can also compare visitor count data over time to evaluate how adding new entrances affects overall park attendance.

the data not only affirmed their understanding of park needs, but also identified additional opportunities. The agencyâ€™s marketing professionals were enthusiastic about having data to show taxpayers the impact of their dollars and maps to explain where and why new projects are needed. By using objective data, planners can make informed decisions that can improve many facets of park planning and illustrate the beneficial effect of parks on the community. Note: This article expands on three of the Common Measures included in the Improving Public Health Through Public Parks and Trails: Eight Common Measures report. To see the full metrics, visit http://go.nps.gov/improving_public_health. Detailed references can also be found at www.parksandrecreation.org/2017/September/creating-safe-routes-to-parks. Dee Merriam, RLA, FASLA, is a former Community Planner at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (dmplaces@gmail.com). Eric Sauer is Planning Manager for Five Rivers MetroParks (Eric.Sauer@metroparks.org). Ian Dunn is a GIS Analyst for CDC/ATSDR (idunn@cdc.gov). Tegan Boehmer is an Epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (tboehmer@cdc.gov).

Conclusion These three park access measures are easy to use. They provide relevant, actionable data. They can be used to track progress, compare conditions, evaluate options, guide initiatives and inform the public. We have shared examples of how data can inform the decision-making process. FRMP planners liked that W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 |

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SOCIAL EQUITY Whitewashing the Los Angeles River? Gente-fication not Gentrification Green displacement threatens communities of color and low-income communities By Robert García and Tim Mok

evitalizing the Los Angeles River once offered hope for a more sustainable, livable and socially just city. There is growing evidence, however, that green displacement is destroying equal opportunity along the river. As neighborhoods become greener, more desirable and more expensive, people who have fought epic battles for a better life for their children, families and neighbors through parks, schools, green jobs, climate justice and river revitalization can no longer afford to live or work nearby. Our nation was founded on the ideal that all of us are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Government agencies and recipients of public

Parks & Recreation

funding must distribute the L.A. River revitalization benefits and burdens fairly for all residents. Civil rights strategies by the people offer hope along the river and beyond. That’s how the people won victories at L.A. State Historic Park, Río de Los Angeles State Park, Baldwin Hills Park and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) $1.4 billion plan to green 11 miles of the 52-mile L.A. River documents that there is not enough park space in the county for people of color and low-income people. This lack of park space contributes to related health disparities, and recipients of public funding need to ensure equal access to benefits from revitalization and compliance with civil rights and environmental justice requirements.

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The plan, generally a best-practice example for equitable planning, does not adequately address displacement, recreation and climate change. Displacement and Gentrification The USACE recognizes that gentrification could cause significant impacts to people through river revitalization, but states “no clear trends have emerged.” However, there is a disturbing pattern of displacement along the river in the 11-mile USACE study area. The percent, number and density of non-Hispanic white people has increased dramatically, even as their presence has declined 0.15 percent throughout the county from 2006 to 2015. In Trópico in northeast L.A., for example, the density of non-Hispanic white people has increased 168 percent, while dropping 19 percent for people of color, and incomes have increased significantly — 18 percent. Diverse allies promote equitable river revitalization through the framework outlined in Equitable Redevelopment for the Los Angeles River (2017). Community goals include healthy, safe parks and recreation, affordable housing, thriving wages, opportunities for diverse enterprises, environmental remediation and funding to prevent displacement. Standards and data to measure equity and progress hold officials accountable and allow for planning and midcourse corrections. “Park poor” and “income poor” standards to invest funds under state law, the L.A. County Department of Public Health study of parks and health, and the County Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment offer methods to prioritize communities with the greatest needs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, gentrification, the transformation of neighborhoods from low to high value, can displace longtime residents and cause businesses to move because of higher rents, mortgages and property taxes. These housing, economic, health and justice issues affect a community’s history and culture and reduce its social capital. Gentrification and displacement often shift a neighborhood’s characteristics — racial or ethnic composition and household income — replacing existing businesses and housing in underserved neighborhoods with new retail and commercial establishments and higher-cost housing. This threatens the social fabric of marginalized communities and exploits their vulnerabilities, reducing their resilience and adaptive capacities. Communities become more susceptible to economic, political, social and environmental shocks and transformations, including the decline of neighborhood networks and support structures. Displacement exacerbates disparities by limiting access to housing, places to play and exercise, quality schools, healthy food, transportation, medical care and social networks, according to the report Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (2017). Displaced residents once again move to areas lacking resources, and displacement can result in financial hardship, reducing income for essential goods and services, and even lead to homelessness. To promote equity, this report offers recommendations on affordable housing, access to parks and recreation, avoiding displacement and civil rights strategies. The High Line park in New York has become an icon of displacement and inequality. Co-founder Robert Hammond says, “We failed” to serve the community. “I want to make sure other people don’t make the mistakes we did.” The High Line, which saw nearby property values spike 103 percent, disproportionately serves non-Hispanic white people and tourists. Urban planner Ryan Gravel proposed the BeltLine in Atlanta, driven by a vision to ensure that people of all income levels could live along the 22-mile green corridor. Gravel recently resigned from the board over the lack of affordable housing, inclusivity and equity. Mark Pendergrast explores what went wrong in his book City on the Verge: Atlanta and the Fight for America’s Urban Future. Displacement is segregation, according to Peter Moskowitz in his book, How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood. Many activists and academics against displacement are themselves gentrifiers, according to the book Gentrifier by John Joe Schlichtman, Jason Patch and Marc Lamont Hill. An alliance of environmental justice, environmental and civil rights activists and organizations have asked the U.S. EPA and the city of L.A. to review recipient compliance with civil rights mandates in river revitalization. The city admits that the river

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flows through the “epicenter of cancer risk” and that people of color and low-income people disproportionately lack park access and suffer from health vulnerabilities. To date, the EPA has not properly addressed compliance and enforcement. River revitalization through a straightforward civil rights compliance and equity plan provides the perfect opportunity for the EPA to take meaningful action to implement its own Environmental Justice 2020 Action Agenda and recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. River L.A., a nonprofit established by the city and a recipient of taxpayers’ grant funds, agrees displacement, recreation and climate are critical to the planning process. It, nevertheless, maintains that “nothing requires equity.” Pressed to comply with civil rights laws promoting opportunity and prohibiting discrimination, its response was that “First and foremost, we are not a government agency.” That doesn’t matter. Civil rights, environmental justice and health equity laws apply to recipients of state and federal financial assistance, and set standards for planning, participation and equitable outcomes. It’s not up to River L.A. to decide if it’s doing enough. The following framework promotes equitable planning, participation and outcomes, and compliance with civil rights, environmental justice, and health equity laws and principles. It is discussed in the National Academies’ report and in Equitable Redevelopment for the Los Angeles River, and is summarized in Take Action Comics: The City Project by Sam García. 1. Explain what you plan to do – for example, revitalize the L.A. River. 2. Analyze the benefits/burdens for all. 3. Consider alternatives to what is planned. 4. Engage people of color and low-income people at every step of the process. 5. Implement a plan to distribute benefits/burdens fairly and avoid discrimination. 52

Parks & Recreation

Recommendations L.A. River revitalization must expand opportunities for everyone to enjoy safe and healthy parks and recreation, fair housing, quality education, quality jobs and climate justice. People have the right to hold officials and recipients accountable for fair use of taxpayers’ dollars. We must watch the impact of projects on the ground to guard against discrimination, even when it’s subtle, implicit or not intentional. Displacement is discrimination, exacerbating the legacy and pattern of segregation, and discrimination is illegal. Equitable planning and civil rights strategies allow everyone to live in a healthy community, free from environmental degradation and discrimination. Government agencies do not hesitate to turn to the courts to protect their interests. Everyday people have the same right to hold government accountable when planning fails. Communities of color and low-income communities traditionally have the least resources and political power. Discrimination is a major barrier to opportunity, holding people back from pursuing their dreams, and we are responsible for eliminating it. The following recommendations would greatly reduce displacement and discrimination: • Recipients of public funding must dis-

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tribute the benefits and burdens of river revitalization fairly, relying on the equitable planning framework. • Government must ensure equal opportunity, free from discrimination. • State and local agencies need to comply with and enforce civil rights, environmental justice and health equity requirements. • Federal agencies need to comply with and enforce these laws. • We must use the laws and regulations we already have to ensure equitable development and equal opportunity: California Government Code 11135, Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the President’s Executive Order 12898 on environmental justice and health equity, and others. • Funders need to promote equal access to publicly funded resources for all. • We the people must organize and stand up for our rights. Together we must remove barriers to opportunity for everyone along the L.A. River and beyond. Robert García is Founding Director-Counsel for The City Project (rgarcia@cityprojectca.org). Tim Mok is the Juanita Tate Social Justice Fellow for The City Project (tmok@cityprojectca.org).

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The Economic Benefit of

Downtown P

arks come in all shapes and sizes. They can be strictly recreational, used to protect environmental and natural areas, or can simply be passive spaces. They can be located in urban or suburban areas and can be linear greenways, small pocket parks or large neighborhood parks. Whatever their constitution, todayâ€™s parks need to be versatile and able to be used for multiple purposes. For example, an open lawn in a park, such as White River State Park in Indianapolis, could be used for downtown concerts once a week, but also become a refuge for workers at lunchtime, an oasis of green for residents living nearby, and be used for group classes, like yoga or aerobics, increasing awareness of the benefits of physical exercise. A park can also be used for a local gathering place where business people conduct a meeting, friends and families meet for an outing together, or where residents happen to bump into each other during evening walks.

Parks & Recreation

Parks By Cynthia Bowen

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Successful parks usually have five elements associated with them. They are engaging, adaptable, authentic, connected and iconic. They should be designed to provide comfort, convenience and enjoyment, fostering social interactions and physical connectivity. And, that design should create an engaging space that attracts people every day and most hours of the day and should be adaptable to support a variety of programming. Parks located in a downtown area need to attract people 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round. They need to be authentic, celebrating the unique and individual identity, heritage and culture of a particular place and contribute to the quality of life of the neighborhood or city. They must be connected to a larger amenity infrastructure of sidewalks, bike paths, green spaces, streetscapes and mixed-use environments that connect neighborhoods, employment centers and cultural districts. And, finally, they should be iconic,

Campus Martius Park, Detroit, Michigan.

Fred Golden Photography

By Cynthia Bowen

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ECONOMIC BENEFITS

their overall quality of life. Therefore, the design of our cities must evolve to take advantage of these trends and meet the needs of the changing population. We used to design parks to be largely green and to be a pastoral setting for the primary purpose of providing an oasis, or respite, from our life. But parks are the essential places for play in the live/ work/play environment that cities across the country are striving to provide. As a result, people expect more from our parks. They must now be green and provide relaxation, as well as offer entertainment, social interaction, communication and unique experiences. They must incorporate all the elements previously mentioned for a highly diverse population of users. Quantifiable Benefits While the intangible benefits of parks are wonderful for people’s quality of life, there are quantifiable economic bene-

Greg Murphy

creating a distinctive and transformative experience where they shift the paradigm and redefine their community. Demographics are influencing the way we design and use parks. The “rebound wave” of Millennials, Baby Boomers and Generation Xers returning to cities from the suburbs are creating unprecedented demand for housing, jobs, educational options, healthy places, mobility options and amenity-rich downtown environments that demand bold, new action when it comes to the design of our parks, public spaces and streets. America’s population is growing older and more diverse. We live in an increasingly connected and competitive world, where resource-intensive lifestyles are not sustainable and the need to get away from technology is increasingly present. As the demographics change, planning for an inclusionary and diverse community should be a priority so that all people have access to parks that will increase

Parks & Recreation

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fits in the return on investment and a city’s tax base that urban planners and designers are seeing. As CityLab noted in its “Why We Pay More for Walkable Neighborhoods,” (https://www.citylab. com/life/2012/05/why-you-pay-morewalkable-neighborhoods/2122/) if your home is located within a walkable area and near a park, the value will likely go up by $81.54 per square foot. According to Americans for the Arts’ “Arts & Economic Prosperity III” report, parks that incorporate local heritage and artists attract more tourists, and residents feel a strong connection to that place. So, for every dollar invested, there is generally a $7 return on the investment. This is why we are seeing communities around the county invest in their amenity infrastructure, which, in turn, spurs private investment. Amenity infrastructure is so critical that it helps potentially undesirable areas transform into hubs of activity and redevelopment. In many cases, the creation of any type of park space on a vacant or under-utilized parcel can lead to new residential, mixed-use or retail area around these parks, all of which increase the quality of life for residents and visitors to that community. As cities compete to attract new businesses and residents, parks increasingly have been utilized by business and marketing strategies for towns and cities. Businesses are attracted to amenities and activities often found in the public realm. These businesses realize that many of the professionals they wish to employ are looking for communities that have well-managed and maintained parks and public spaces. So, how do communities justify the use and investment in parks, public spaces and the associated programming? They use quantitative elements, such as increased tourism, increased resident and visitor spending, the increase in property values adjacent to parks and public spaces, the increase in jobs to meet tourism demands and the increase in occupancy rates around these parks and public spaces.

Campus Martius Park Campus Martius Park in Detroit, Michigan, is located at the intersection of five major streets: Michigan Avenue, Cadillac Square, Fort Street, Monroe Street and Woodward Avenue. It was designed to anchor a twosquare-block district that is the commercial center and heart of downtown Detroit. The park was redesigned to communicate the history, spirit and identity of Detroit and is the reason this area of the downtown has seen reinvestment and redevelopment. A public-private partnership between the city and the nonprofit Detroit 300, which invested $50 million, helped finance the re-routing of several downtown streets to make the area more pedestrian friendly. And, since the construction in 2004, the area has seen more than $500 million in redevelopment in the area adjacent to the park. The Campus Martius District is a 24hour neighborhood, composed of 20,000 office employees, 750 residents living in

loft apartments and condos, more than 35 dining options and 50 retail outlets, and plays host to more than 2 million visitors annually. It is now surrounded by more than 6.5 million square feet of mixed-use space, from the stunning historic architecture of the nearby Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, built in 1924, to the contemporary Compuware and Quicken Loans headquarters. Campus Martius has become a regional destination. The park’s amenities include a unique performance area with a retractable stage to provide flexibility and adaptability of the space, a European-style bistro café that’s open yearround, an ice skating rink in the winter, a sand beach with beach chairs and volleyball nets in the summer, and the Woodward Fountain splash pad that has 100 water jets. In 2010, Campus Martius Park received APA’s designation of Great Places in America: Public Spaces.

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail The Indianapolis Cultural Trail (ICT) in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a world-class linear park that is an urban bike and pedestrian path, connecting neighborhoods, cultural districts and entertainment amenities, and serving as the downtown hub for the entire greenway trail system. Indianapolis, an auto-dominated city traditionally known as the “Crossroads of America,” has transformed itself with a beautiful and safe linear park that has helped to spur a renaissance in downtown living and development along its path. The project has had a transformative impact on the environmental, physical, economic and social health of the Indianapolis community and has served as a catalyst for the city’s rebirth. The ICT began as an innovative, public-private partnership that sought to create a multimodal, interconnected, and safe bicycle and pedestrian system, fea-

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Circus Square Park Circus Square Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is a 4.6-acre park with a central gathering space that integrates the construction of a multipurpose civic park with the adaptive reuse of a historic structure in celebration of the commu-

The Indianapolis [Indiana] Cultural Trail is a world-class linear urban bike and pedestrian park that serves as the hub for the city’s entire greenway trail system.

Parks & Recreation

nity’s heritage and its future. In 2008, an underutilized 3.5-acre block in downtown Bowling Green was constructed as a key downtown recreation activity hub as part of the Bowling Green Revitalization Strategy. The block was designed as a community gathering space that serves as the heart of a revitalized entertainment district. Organized into four quadrants, the site contains an outdoor marketplace; an interactive foundation; a performance plaza and green, civic gardens; a “Heritage Walk”; and concessions and bathroom facilities, in a restored 1921 Standard Oil Station. The park serves as a venue for events, from weddings and private gatherings to festivals, as well as the annual concerts in the park series. A renovated, historic auto dealership building on the site was redeveloped and became home to the Downtown Redevelopment Authority and the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. While the park was under construction, The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce opened a new $4-million building just one block from the park site. In 2009, the $28-million Bowling Green Ball Park, home of the Bowling Green Hot Rods, also opened a short distance from the park. The Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, which offers arts and education opportunities for South Central Kentucky, is the newest addition to downtown Bowling Green. Occupying more than 69,000 square feet with a 1,600-seat theater, the facility’s total construction costs were $28 million. A planned, private redevelopment project, a mixed-use building estimated to cost $25 million, will be located across from the park and will feature shops, restaurants, office space and condominiums.

way has created a powerful “economic development circuit,” which private investors have raced to plug into. And, the growth in the assessed value from these projects has been astronomical. A 2015 study by the Indiana University Public Policy Institute found that the value of all properties within one block of the trail have collectively increased by more than $1 billion since its construction in 2007. There has also been increased spending in businesses located along the trail. On Virginia Avenue, there was more than $30 million in private development in a four-block area in Fountain Square, which brought 245 apartments and more than 27,000 square feet in retail space to the neighborhood. It has also spurred many other developments along other segments of the trail.

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Rundell Ernstberger

turing a distinctive urban design, public art, history and landscape elements, and providing a connective, linear-park experience. The hope was that this system would be a catalyst for economic development, neighborhood redevelopment and talent attraction in an enhanced atmosphere of culture, art, history, sports and tourism — all without using local public funds. The city donated right-ofway for the ICT to be constructed on city property. The design challenge was how to reduce the roadway width of major downtown streets to create space within the public right-of-way for this enhanced urban pedestrian and bicycle system. Although public and private sources funded the project, no city tax dollars were used. A $63-million investment has yielded an unprecedented amount of private investment and key developments along its trail. Neighborhoods have been revitalized and entire downtown districts have been transformed from vacant, underutilized areas to thriving, vibrant, activated mixed-use communities. The project’s remarkable ability to connect all areas of downtown in an electrifying new

Strategies to Minimize Gentrification While there is tremendous economic benefit to having a park located nearby, there are some things that must be considered when planning for improvements or for the creation of a new park.

Rundell Ernstberger

Bowling Green, Kentucky, residents enjoy the community gathering space in Circus Square Park, depicted in an architectâ€™s drawing (top).

Parks can be an economic development engine for a community. However, the design must create a more sustainable, walkable, vibrant, active and connected neighborhood and city. The neighborhood, the public and business owners all need to adopt the park for the benefits to continue to be transformational and provide the necessary support and programming for it to be an active space, including taking part in maintenance and cleanup. There must be a funding strategy for construction, long-term mainte-

nance and programming. Finally, besides design and construction, planning and designers must take special caution and work with local leaders to develop strategies to address gentrification around new parks. For most transformational parks, economic development generally starts to occur on underused and vacant sites. Often, as property values rise, businesses and people who currently live adjacent to the site get relocated because they cannot afford to continue to operate or live there. Strategies to minimize gentrification could include working with community development corporations or other nonprofits to purchase land to build affordable mixed-use buildings. A government jurisdiction could purchase land through a land bank to sell lots to developers who

would build low-to-middle income housing and senior housing. In Boston, the city council voted to reduce or freeze property taxes to protect longtime businesses and residents. However, it does require approval of the state legislature. Cities or nonprofits can also provide maintenance grants to low-to-moderate income families and seniors for upkeep of their property. In some areas, nonprofits are linking neighbors to help those less fortunate maintain their property by cutting grass, painting, fixing siding and porches, etc. Cities can also consider limiting or prohibiting large, luxury developments in areas that are at-risk for gentrification. Finally, changing in zoning regulations that make development easier and more affordable will allow the supply to increase, meeting the demand and, thereby, limiting the effects of gentrification. Cynthia A. Bowen, AICP, LEED AP, is President of the American Planning Association and the Director of Planning for Rundell Ernstberger (cbowen@reasite.com).

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Des PlaceBased

and Civic Health New findings from the Center for Active Design’s Assembly Civic Engagement Survey By Suzanne Nienaber

he Detroit riverfront captures a compelling tale of urban transformation. Home to a thriving industrial base in the early 20th century, the riverfront gradually became marred by crime, pollution and urban decay. In 2003, the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy was formed by a determined, innovative group of civic and community leaders who wanted to reverse these negative trends and create a world-class riverfront park, providing safe, green and accessible recreation space for all. The Conservancy’s work has resulted in an international success story. Today, the riverfront is teeming with activity, attracting millions of visitors each year. Children splash in fountains, people roam butterfly gardens and bike on greenways, and crowds gather for a full schedule of activities, including concerts, festivals and community yoga. “One of the most special things about the riverfront is

Parks & Recreation

that it is a truly welcoming space,” says Detroit RiverFront Conservancy President and CEO Mark Wallace. “You see visitors from out of town and Detroiters who live in the neighborhoods; you see folks who are new to the city and folks who have been here for 85 years. It’s a special place where everyone feels pride in this community, where everyone can get along and be themselves.”

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The Assembly Initiative Stories like this are part of the inspiration behind Assembly, a groundbreaking initiative to understand how place-based design can impact civic life. Studies show that communities across the United States are facing concerning civic engagement trends, such as distrust among neighbors, economic and political segregation, low voter turnout and disinvestment in public infrastructure. At the same time, promising innovations are emerging to support civic life — often through enhancements to parks and public spaces. Assembly’s research efforts seek to further understand this crucial relationship between place-based design and civic health. Assembly is being led by the Center for

Greenery in Regatta Park near the Miami City Hall helps to enhance the pedestrian experience and create atW W W . P A R K S A N D R E C R E A T I O N . O Rtractive G | S E P Tspaces E M B E Rfor 2 0community 1 7 | Parks &gatherings. Recreation

Photo courtesy of Miami Center for Architecture & Design. ÂŠMaggie Fernandez

ign 63

The Workshop Garden in Queens, New York, has transformed a vacant lot near public housing into a community garden that supports civic life.

Active Design (CfAD), a nonprofit organization committed to transforming design and development practice to support healthy, engaged communities. With funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and guidance from a diverse cross section of expert advisers, Assembly embraces community design as an essential tool for shaping four civic engagement outcomes: Civic trust and appreciation — Individuals feel they are part of a collective civic identity. They value local public spaces, and exhibit pride in their community. Participation in public life — Residents regularly make use of enticing public spaces that facilitate equitable access among diverse groups and spark interaction among neighbors and strangers. Stewardship — Individuals feel responsible for public spaces in their community, engaging in maintenance, programming, beautification and advocacy initiatives. Informed local voting — Residents understand the role of local government in shaping their communities. They contact local officials, signal support for issues, and vote in local elections.

©Giles Ashford

CIVIC LIFE

Original Research Is Forging a Path In June 2017, CfAD released original research findings from the Assembly Civic Engagement Survey (ACES), the first study of its kind to examine specific community design features that influence civic life, using large-sample survey methods and visual experiments. ACES was fielded in 2016 to more than 5,000 respondents across the United States, capturing a diverse cross section of economic

©Ben Tran

The Porch at 30th Street Station is one of Philadelphia’s premiere public spaces, featuring lunch from rotating food trucks, pop-up performances, lush landscaping and plenty of places to relax.

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conditions, demographics and population densities. The survey inquired about the respondents’ civic perceptions and behaviors, as well as about design elements and maintenance conditions within their communities, and it generated a trove of data to analyze relationships between characteristics of place and civic life. According to Joanna Frank, president and CEO at the Center for Active Design, “With the publication of ACES findings, we are making strides to build widespread awareness around this compelling field of study and to offer concrete data that civic leaders can use to shape communities.” ACES touches on a range of design topics, many of which have direct implications for practitioners working in parks and recreation. Parks and Civic Life Maria Nardi, director of parks, recreation and open space in Miami-Dade County, recognizes the essential role of her department in facilitating civic life. “People come to parks to be together, to be connected. In Miami-Dade, you have parks, public spaces, and natural and historic areas that are essential hubs for interaction across diverse communities.” In fact, scholarly literature indicates that parks support intercultural and intergenerational interaction, and that people living in neighborhoods with parks are more likely to report a sense of civic trust and willingness to help others. ACES affirms this valuable role of parks in building community connections. More than 30 percent of respondents say they regularly meet and talk to their neighbors at their local park. Further analysis indicates that park access is essential. In fact, even when controlling for a host of demographic characteristics, ACES finds that living within a 10-minute walk of a park is associated with a 2 percentage point increase in civic trust and stewardship. Yet, living near a park means little if it’s inaccessible, and physical design characteristics also play a role in real and perceived park

Popularity Matters When it comes to parks, popularity really matters. ACES respondents who say they live near a popular park that is used by many people also exhibit elevated civic trust (+10 percentage points.) Interestingly, this finding holds true whether or not respondents actually visit the park themselves. Living near a popular park is also associated with increased confidence in local government institutions, including greater satisfaction with the local park and recreation department (+29 percent), the mayor’s office (+13 percent), and even the police (+14 percent).

Courtesy of Center for Active Design

access. People who report that their local park has few entrances, or is surrounded by busy streets that make pedestrian access difficult, score 2 percentage points lower on Assembly’s civic trust index than people with readily accessible parks.

29%

greater satisfaction with their parks and recreation department

14%

greater satisfaction with police

Lisa King, executive director of Summit Metro Parks in Akron, Ohio, recognizes that design and programming can play an essential role in making a park more popular. “One of our sites, Summit Lake, offers a beautiful, natural space in the middle of the city. Yet, many surrounding neighbors are non-swimmers with fears of the water. Our job has been to engage them in creating design improvements and programs to help dispel

those fears. We’ve installed a pop-up nature center, large stones at the edge of the lake, picnic tables, swings, a temporary shelter, along with activities like fishing and bird-watching. The project has taken off like wildfire — GED students are taking nature hikes before class, kids from the neighborhood are fishing every day. We’re thrilled that more and more residents are enjoying Summit Lake.” Maintenance Considerations ACES included detailed questions about the specific amenities available in respondents’ local parks, as well as the maintenance condition of each amenity. Analysis shows that certain park amenities are associated with enhanced civic trust, regardless of their condition. For example, the presence of dog parks and community gardens is associated with higher levels of civic trust, even if they’re a little

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©D.A. Horchner/Design Workshop Inc.

CIVIC LIFE

rough around the edges. On the other hand, maintenance appears to be particularly critical for facilities impacting children and families, such as playgrounds, sports fields and park bathrooms. These amenities are associated with greater civic trust when well-maintained, but significantly diminished levels of civic trust when poorly maintained. “Maintenance is a top priority,” says Lisa King. “We know from feedback how important it is to clean restrooms daily. We want people to love their parks and feel like they sparkle.” Large sculptural letters in Houston’s Midtown District are part of Bagby Corridor, a 10-block streetscape reconstruction and park revitalization.

...ACES finds that living within a 10-minute walk of a park is associated with a 2 percentage point increase in civic trust and

©Bruce Damonte

stewardship.

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The Superior Court of California in San Benito County features seating, greenery and a transparent facade to support a sense of community connection.

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Community-driven stewardship can be essential pieces of the maintenance puzzle. In Philadelphia, residents are encouraged to care for public spaces through an annual “LOVE Your Park Week,” featuring citywide celebrations and service days to activate and beautify neighborhood parks. Jennifer Mahar, senior director of civic initiatives of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park Conservancy, is inspired by the outpouring of stewardship during the celebration. “LOVE Your Park unites residents through collective responsibility. It’s a reminder that parks are for, and by, everyone,” she says. Throughout the year, the Conservancy, in a unique collaborative partnership with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, leads a Neighborhood Park Stewardship Program that mobilizes more than 115 volunteer park friend groups in maintenance, programming and beautification initiatives across the city.

A Cornerstone for Future Research As the first study of its kind to empirically investigate the impacts of design on civic life, ACES represents a major contribution to the field. The full report is available for free download from the Center for Active Design (https://centerforactivedesign.org/ assembly-civic-engagement-survey). Results point to practical opportunities for building on and enhancing community assets, often through relatively low-cost interventions to improve maintenance conditions and make

“How proud are you to live in this community?” “How well do you think the city cares for people in this park?”

Positive Park Signs Increase Civic Trust ACES included a photo experiment to investigate whether the messages on park signs can be used to boost civic trust. The idea came from the City of Charlotte, where the local Parks Department was considering replacing restrictive, rulesbased signs (such as “No loud music” or “No alcoholic beverages”) with positive, inviting, “Can-Do” signs. To test this theory, ACES randomly assigned each respondent only one of the following photos, and asked them to imagine this was a park near their home. They were then asked, “How proud are you to live in this community?” and “How well do you think the city cares for people in this park?”

RESULTS

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public spaces more welcoming and accessible. In conjunction with a range of research efforts, ACES will inform the development of a set of Assembly design guidelines, scheduled for publication in 2018. There is still much more to learn about the relationship between place-based design and civic engagement. Assembly is drawing the road map — defining metrics for civic life, identifying research questions for future experiments, and engaging practitioners who design and manage parks and public spaces. This work has tremendous potential for impacting communities across the country. In Miami-Dade, Nardi reports that the parks department is “focused on design strategies that maximize park access and visibility, provide spaces for social interaction, and incorporate things like shade, water, walkways and signage in a meaningful way. Most importantly, we want to create beautiful spaces that move people and inspire them to share ideas and build community. Our parks serve as the stage for people to come together and live happier, healthier lives.” Note: Detailed references can be found at www.parksandrecreation.org/2017/ September/place-based-design-and-civichealth.

PHOTO 2

PHOTO 3

Courtesy of City of Charlotte

Inviting Participation ACES found that simple changes in messaging can make people feel more welcomed at parks. One experimental survey question was inspired by Charlotte, North Carolina, where the city is augmenting traditional signs about park rules (such as “no loud music” or “no alcoholic beverages”), with positive, inviting “Can Do” signage (such as “You can give a high five!” or “You can take a photo!”). According to Monica Holmes, an urban designer for the city, “Rather than telling people what not to do, we wanted to rethink the role of municipal signs — what if we could use them to spark a sense of fun and positivity?” Analysis reveals that positive messaging can significantly boost civic trust. For example, ACES respondents who were randomly assigned photos that included “You can give a high five!” signs were 11 percent more likely to say they would be “really proud to live in this community” and 9 percent more likely to believe “the city really cares about the people in this park,” compared to those who were shown a traditional, rules-based sign. Such findings resonate with other practitioners seeking to cultivate a sense of welcome. Mark Wallace posits, “Why should signs always emphasize a park’s closing hours, the time you’re not supposed to be there? In Detroit, we’re looking at ways to reframe the same message positively to emphasize open hours and make people feel more welcome.”

PHOTO EXPERIMENT

ACES incorporated a series of photo experiments to delve into the causal impacts of design on civic perceptions. For each photo experiment, respondents were randomly assigned one photo from a set of images that were identical, save for modification to a particular design element. After respondents viewed their assigned photo, they were asked a series of questions about their perceptions regarding civic life. Since the photo treatments were randomly assigned, any difference in civic engagement measures can be directly attributed to the differences in design.

Suzanne Nienaber is Partnerships Director for the Center for Active Design (suzanne@ centerforactivedesign.org).

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The Andrew ‘Pete’ Sanchez

Multi-Service Center The hub of New Orleans’ hard-hit Lower 9th Ward By Katy Reckdahl

his fall, as Louis Duplessis prepared for his first day of seventh grade, he walked with his mom from their home to the nerve center of his neighborhood — the corner of Caffin Avenue and North Claiborne Avenue — in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. Because it’s bounded by water on three sides, the Lower 9 can feel like its own small town, separated from the rest of New Orleans by the Industrial Canal, a shipping channel that connects Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River. That day, Louis and his mom made their first stop at the corner of Caffin and Claiborne to check on a few last-minute back-to-school details at Dr. Martin Luther King Charter School. Then, they walked across the street to make sure his registration was current at the Andrew “Pete” Sanchez Multi-Service Center, run by the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission or NORD. In 2015, neighbors cut a ribbon to open the sparkling, 65,000-square-foot Sanchez Center. The previous community center had been dedicated in 1977 but was ruined in 2005 when federal levees, lining the Industrial Canal,

gave way after Hurricane Katrina and sent a wall of floodwater onto the neighborhood. Many houses floated from their foundations and helicopters spent days rescuing people from rooftops. The Sanchez Center’s breadth of services and spaces is impressive. On its first floor, it holds a full-size swimming pool;

a dance studio with sprung floors; a large exercise center with treadmills, stationary bicycles and other fitness equipment; a full-size gymnasium connected to a large performance stage; a commercial kitchen; a police substation; and a large senior-citizen center, along with offices that include a parent resource center. Upstairs is a full-service health clinic, a breast-feeding room for nursing mothers, a sound-proof music room used for piano and strings instruction, classrooms with electronic whiteboards used for structured afterschool and enrichment programming, an arts-and-crafts room, and a teen center that NORD CEO Victor Richard describes as an intentional “space for teens to loiter.” Louis, 12, sees the new Sanchez as an essential part of his year. “I know I’m going to play basketball; maybe football too,” he says. After school, he might walk upstairs to take part in The Loft, a men-

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M U LT I S E R V I C E C E N T E R

toring, enrichment and homework assistance program. Between times, maybe he’ll go to the teen center to play foosball, Ping-Pong or video games. He expects that his friends will be doing the same thing. “This is kind of a neighborhood gathering spot,” he adds, leaning on the Sanchez Center’s broad front desk. Sanchez is important both because of its role and where it’s located. “That corner was always a hub,” says Austin Allen, 67, an associate landscape-architecture professor at Louisiana State University who lives nearby. To him, it seemed natural that, within weeks of the 2005 disaster, the National Guard moved onto the corner of Caffin and Claiborne to create a Lower 9 checkpoint, where neighbors could check in for escorts to their flood-torn homes. Leaning Forward Today, it’s clear to anyone who enters the Sanchez Center that they’ve entered the heart of the Lower 9th Ward. Even the center’s spacious two-story atrium seems perfectly designed for the way New Orleanians greet each other. That’s made easier at Sanchez, where nearly all staffers grew up in the neighborhood, from Rec Center Manager Jerome Cochran, on down. So, as neighbors walk in the

door, the greetings begin: “Good morning. How are you doing? Where’s your son today? How’s your mama doing?” Most of NORD’s rec centers were inoperable after 2005, leaving the community with limited places to get together. Even as recently as 2013, NORD had only three operational recreation centers and no year-round pools. Its green spaces were also limited because, for years after Katrina, the city’s ballfields and playgrounds were used as FEMA-trailer parks for people trying to rebuild their homes. Then came the ribbon-cutting years, which opened a series of stunning new Residents enjoy the regulation-size basketball court in the brand new Sanchez Center on opening day, May 29, 2015.

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buildings, including Sanchez, one of NORD’s crown jewels. “We placed our model center here because the city of New Orleans and Mayor Mitch Landrieu saw an opportunity to renew and invest in the historic Lower 9th Ward,” Richard says. To become a multi-service center, Sanchez needs nonprofit partners, to implement, maintain and run its programs. Those partners are recruited seasonally, when NORD issues a call for programmatic partners. “NORD programmatic partners bring creative and innovative programs to the city’s rec centers and fields at no cost,” Richard adds, noting that Sanchez, like the rest of NORD, relies on such partners for many of its afterschool programs, summer camps, youth athletics, creative-art lessons, and senior health and wellness classes. Thanks to a $270,000 grant to STEM NOLA from the Louisiana Department of Education, one of the center’s upstairs classrooms was devoted last year to a stateof-the-art afterschool STEM program for third to eighth graders, who learned about concepts like buoyancy, solar power, electric circuits and the body’s circulation system. In partnership with Dr. Martin Luther King Charter School, STEM NOLA transforms the Sanchez Center into a 21st Century Community Learning Center. “It was always my ability to do science and math that brought me joy, that kept me safe, that got me out of trouble when I was in schools,” says STEM NOLA Founder Calvin Mackie. “So I know if it did that for me, it would do the same for plenty of other children in our community.” Greer Goff Mendy, a 62-year-old New Orleans dance legend, is dedicated to seeing African and African-diaspora art and culture develop and persevere. Lessons at the Sanchez also keep her in touch with her family’s Lower 9th roots. “I’ve come full circle,” Mendy says. Nanette Nelson, 44, who runs the LOFT afterschool program, incorporates NORD programming for art, music and swimming into her academic calendar.

Last spring, Cochran plugged her into a new resource, by introducing her to staff from the senior center, who are usually gone by the time she arrives. “Jerome [Cochran] really forged that relationship,” Nelson says, noting that the seniors immediately pitched in to support the LOFT. “They told me, ‘We’re all like family here,’” says Nelson, who aims to strengthen that connection this year by having the children read with the seniors and by asking elders to talk with her students about Lower 9th roots, culture and history. Seniors The morning fog was still hanging over the nearby bayou when a bus drove up to the Sanchez Center’s front door, ready to pick up the Sanchez Center senior-citizen choir for a morning concert. Like clockwork, two-dozen gray-haired choir members in matching maroon polo shirts filed out of the Lower 9th Ward

The Sanchez Center boasts this 25-meter indoor pool.

senior center. Some happily hummed the tunes they’d been rehearsing, while others danced a few steps as they walked. “Our audience awaits,” one quips. The Sanchez senior center has the highest participation rate of any senior center in New Orleans. Its attendance rates are so high that no new seniors have been accepted for two years, despite a six-page waiting list.

We’ve got new designs on water

In the center’s large, sunny dining room, seniors can sit and talk, while also keeping an eye on what’s happening on the school playground and at the bus stop. The center serves meals twice a week, hosts informational seminars and has two tables reserved for card-playing, one for spades and one for pitty-pat. “This is our time for ourselves when we’re not bothered by young people,”

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Formerly Aquatic Recreation Company

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says 74-year-old Mary Thomas. Before Katrina, the neighborhood had some of the highest African-American homeownership rates in the city. Now, both Thomas and her good friend, Yvonne Johnson, 84, live on blocks where only two or three houses are occupied. Less than 40 percent of the pre-Katrina population has returned to the Lower 9. “My biggest regret is that our neighborhood didn’t come back like it was,” says Vera Fulton, 93, who remembers when the Lower 9 was filled with neighbors, who often left fresh garden produce on your front porch in the morning. Every morning, these women head to the senior center, which serves a vital role in the disaster-struck area. “Our blocks are too quiet,” Fulton says. “We come to the Sanchez Center because it’s full of life.” Holistic Health “It seems like the Lower 9 was always a place for innovation, perhaps because of its isolation,” says New Orleans Health Director Marsha Broussard, noting that the city has long tried to ensure that Lower 9 neighbors didn’t have to cross the Industrial Canal to receive assistance: they can see a doctor, a lactation specialist or a child-development counselor at Sanchez. The city uses Sanchez as a base for Healthy Start, its program for pre- and post-natal care, and for Women Infants and Children (WIC), the supplemental nutrition program. Dr. Elizabeth Goodly, who works at the Sanchez health clinic, knows multiple generations of the same family. “Often, I’ll see entire extended families: grandparents who come with their children, their grandkids or their great-grandchildren,” she says. “The clinic is unique in the city because of its location in a community center,” says Jeremy Simmons, director of community outreach for Baptist Community Health Services, which operates the clinic. “And that’s great for our providers, who can go beyond mere medi72

Parks & Recreation

The Sanchez Center’s spacious two-story atrium.

cation management to recommending a cooking class or suggesting that a patient swim or walk in the center,” he explains. “We can help our patients improve their lifestyle in a way that can really impact chronic conditions like high-blood pressure or diabetes.” Monica Williams is a good example of that philosophy at work. She lives nearby, but it was a doctor who first recommended that she try the pool at Sanchez about a year ago. Now Williams, 59, can be found there every weekday for the 8 a.m. water aerobics class. With her neighbor, Gilda Wyble, 66, she also takes weekly cooking and nutrition classes offered by the Backyard Gardeners Network. With the help of water aerobics and healthy eating, she’s now lost 27 pounds, shed 6 inches from her waistline and brought her A1C blood-sugar levels from 9 to a much healthier 6. That makes her doctor happy. “And I feel really good,” Williams says. The Sanchez is a true multi-service center, able to connect with residents in social, cultural and physical ways,” Richard says. “This center has shown that it can build resilience and community in the Lower 9th Ward. It serves as a model for the rest of New Orleans and for the entire nation.”

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Designing the New Sanchez Center The design for the new Sanchez Center was complicated by its funding sources. Because the natatorium that holds the pool was funded by Community Development Block Grants and the larger community center was funded by FEMA, these amenities had to be housed in separate buildings, but those buildings could be attached. In addition, the municipal building codes changed after Hurricane Katrina, so the building had to be much stronger than the one it replaced: the glass in the windows had to be able to withstand 150-mph winds, the building had to have greater energy efficiency and be raised to a higher elevation, above the base flood-elevation levels determined by FEMA. Because FEMA funding can only be used to replace what was in place before the storm, the number of windows in the new building also had to match the number in the original building. The resulting $20.5 million building blends turquoise and gray and other natural shades, with an entrance that skews toward the Dr. Martin Luther King Charter school across the street, where many of its young patrons attend classes. Katy Reckdahl is a Journalist and New Orleansbased Freelance Writer (katyreckdahl@gmail.com).

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Tennis, Everyone Adaptive tennis programs in the parks can bring future players off the sidelines and into the game

By Mary Helen Sprecher

n the morning, you’ll see them: athletes filtering onto the park tennis courts before the North Carolina heat catches up to the day. After a short warm-up and a review from the coaches, lessons, drills and play begin in earnest. The sounds — cheers when a point is scored, yelps of frustration over the occasional bad shot — can be heard any morning on a thousand municipal courts around the country. Except, these players, who range from raw beginners to being able to hold their own in league play, have developmental disabilities. Many still live with their parents, despite being adults. Some have jobs, some don’t. Some may never have jobs and some live in group homes. But, they all play tennis in the park, where passersby stop and watch. And that, says Jessie Taliaferro, who works with Abilities Tennis Association of North Carolina, is the biggest win of all. Without ever saying a word, these players are opening the eyes of the general population.

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The Abilities Tennis program, which began in 2007 inside a private racquet club in Raleigh, North Carolina, has proliferated across the state. There are now 13 programs in different cities, and of those 13, nine are held on public courts. “Typically, we would have one to three

athletes show up a week,” says Taliaferro. “We were wondering, ‘Why aren’t we reaching more?’” Then, one of the pros involved in the program contacted a nearby park, which agreed to host the clinics. The heightened public profile of the program resulted in a weekly turnout of 15 players. Those with disabilities are often marginalized in terms of recreation. It’s why programs held in public parks can make a difference and why tennis program organizers are encouraging parks departments to partner with them and with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), which encourages adaptive tennis programs. Success Spreads Nationwide, park departments are offering adaptive recreation, and tennis is a huge part of that. Google keywords like “adaptive tennis parks and recreation,” and you’ll see hits, across the country. In many cases, parks have paved the way in the fight against isolation on behalf of individuals with disabilities. “We often view adaptive recreation as service to individuals with disabilities, but adaptive programs have the opportunity and ability to serve the greater need of all individuals in our communities,” says Nikki Speer-Raleigh, program director with the city of Raleigh’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department-Specialized Recreation and Inclusion Services. “Having programs for adaptive sports and recreation is obviously a great way of serving the whole population and of keeping people healthy and connected, and Raleigh has obviously done a great job of partnering with Abilities Tennis in order to do this.” Making Programs Successful Over and over, the subject of continuity in programming comes up. After offering her first free skill clinic, Beth Gibson, who founded Buddy Up Tennis for individuals with Down Syndrome, had parents pleading with her “not to let this be the only one you do.” Because most individuals with developmental disabilities cannot drive themselves to parks, clubs or other venues, one-time sports clinics can be more frustrating than rewarding. “You don’t realize how much people depend on this,” says Gibson. “I’ll get to the courts every Saturday, and the kids will already be there ahead of me. They’re wearing their T-shirts, they have their racquets, they’re ready to go.” Many students with special needs go to public schools alongside more typical classmates. Those other students, following graduation, will move on to college or work. But, for individuals with developmental disabilities, there’s widespread inertia when not only the routines, but also the friendships are lost. Many become clinically depressed, gain weight and are at risk for diabetes, heart disease and more. In addition to physical fitness, Abilities Tennis, Buddy Up and other publicly available programs offer something adults typically take for granted: a social life. “You always hear people talking about the kids, the kids, the kids,” says Taliaferro, “but most of Abilities’ participants are adults. They need recreation, and they need to be with people, but they live on the fringes of society.”

Compounding the isolation is the difficulty of making friends. Often, individuals with typical lives, jobs and skills are intimidated by adults who are developmentally disabled; as a result, they are less often approached or spoken to. “This might be the one thing people do all week where they’re with friends,” says Gibson. “You need to have a program, versus an event.” And, there are success stories. One participant in the Abilities Tennis program, for example, began playing in a 3.5 league at a local club, holding her own alongside athletes without disabilities and earning their respect throughout the season. Organizers at Buddy Up Tennis watched a man blossom after learning the sport. “He lost a lot of weight, he gained confidence, he was wonderful,” says Gibson. “He actually got to know the staff at the club where he would play, and the club eventually hired him to work at the front desk. Now, he has a job, and he interacts with members and he still plays.” The city of Raleigh is on board with the need for inclusive recreation, citing its ability to provide “opportunity for participants to develop and maintain skills that will encourage and promote a healthy lifestyle.” Starting the Program Those who want to create a program need to first decide which public they want to serve. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of developmental, physical and emotional disabilities that exist, but it is essential to keep the focus tight.

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TENNIS

“Success breeds success,” Taliaferro notes, “but you can lose your way. Find what you do well.” Richard Spurling, together with his wife, pediatric neurologist Shafali Spurling Jeste, founded the national program, ACEing Autism, for children with autism spectrum disorders. Spurling, who is also the USTA’s Adaptive Tennis Committee chairman, says it’s often a matter of finding the right niche. “We saw that parents were really obsessed with the therapy their children were getting. What they weren’t thinking of was any kind of recreational play-based program — that was really our aha moment. We said, ‘What about using tennis for recreation?’ Nobody else was offering it.” ACEing Autism is now offered in more than 20 states and continues to proliferate. The Resources To start a program, resources are needed, and it’s helpful when all those resources can be found in one place. The USTA’s Adaptive Tennis Committee recommends contacting a tennis representative, also known as a section contact, who can provide information on a wide range of topics, including financing and education materials. Information can be found by going to www.usta.com and typing “adaptive” into the search box. According to Katrina Adams, chairman, CEO and president of the USTA, the sport is versatile enough to be applicable to multiple segments of the population. “The beauty of tennis is that it can be played by individuals of all ages, genders, races and abilities. We need to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to take part in and enjoy this amazing game. These programs accomplish just that, helping to make the sport accessible to countless players throughout the country.” Lay the Groundwork The success of any program, Taliaferro says, depends on the details. She cautions those creating their own programs 76

Parks & Recreation

to make sure all paperwork is in place. It’s not exciting, but it’s essential. “You can’t have a group that is based just on one person’s special interest,” says Taliaferro. “You must formally create the organization because if that person isn’t around, the program will fall apart. Set up bylaws, policies and procedures, best practices and your mission statement. A program can be sustainable if it is held at a public park with assistance from park staff, since the park and rec department can carry the program forward.” In addition, says Spurling, it is essential to develop a training program for volunteers and to be able to constantly bring in new helpers. “We rely on our volunteers, but no matter what, there is always going to be a lot of volunteer turnover. Students will volunteer for a year or two and then move on — either their classes will make them too busy or they will graduate and get a job. People’s interests will change or they’ll move out of the area. You need to keep enough people to keep your program going.” Finding the Participants Across the country and across the spectrum of disabilities, all organizers have experienced at least initial frustration in not being able to reach the individuals for whom their program was targeted. Gibson finds participants for Buddy Up Tennis through Special Olympics, Down Syndrome organizations and more. Taliaferro finds that parents of individuals with special needs will share resources and information, meaning they can become excellent advocates. She also recommends contacting the local community tennis association, or CTA, whose contact information can be obtained through USTA. Spurling finds word-ofmouth among parents of children with autism to be an excellent means. Leveraging Funding The USTA’s resources include information on grants available to adaptive

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For information on any of the programs mentioned in this article: The United States Tennis Association has an Adaptive Tennis Committee. To access information, go to www.usta.com and search “Adaptive Tennis.” A list of programs by state is available. Grants are also awarded by USTA: contact jasmine.osborne@usta.com. Abilities Tennis Association of North Carolina (Participants with developmental disabilities): ŚƩƉ͗ͬͬǁǁǁ͘ĂƚĂŶĐ͘ŽƌŐͬ͘ ACEing Autism: ŚƩƉ͗ͬͬĂĐĞŝŶŐĂƵƟƐŵ͘ŽƌŐͬ͘ Net Generation (Register your tennis program today!): ŚƩƉ͗ͬͬŶĞƚŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ͘ĐŽŵͬ͘ USTA Free Webinar, September 21 at 2 p.m. — CEU Credits (How to Start & Sustain Adaptive Tennis Programs in Your Community): ƵƐƚĂ͘ĐŽŵͬǁĞďŝŶĂƌƐ͘ Buddy Up Tennis (Participants with Down Syndrome): http://buddyuptennis.com/.

tennis programs. Organizers also recommend taking stock of who in the community identifies with an organization’s mission and wants to help further it. It’s also the way to get volunteer staff and the way to leverage the publicity a park program can provide. “I’m a true believer in partnerships,” says Gibson. “We’re really lucky to have the support of the community. It takes a village to do what we do, what we all do.” Mary Helen Sprecher is the Managing Editor of Sports Destinations Management (ŵŚƐƉƌĞĐŚĞƌΛ verizon.net).

For more information about the USTA’s adaptive tennis program, contact Jasmine Osborne, USTA diversity and inclusion manager, at jasmine.osborne@usta.com. Also, the USTA will be hosting a Free webinar, titled “How to Start & Sustain Adaptive Tennis Programs in Your Community,” September 21 at 2 p.m. To register, go to usta. com/webinars (CEU credits are available).

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Weâ€™re Headed to the

NRPA visits New Orleans

By Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett

ew Orleans is a vibrant, culturally diverse city filled with rich history, great food and plenty to see and do. It was originally inhabited by the Woodland and Mississippian Native Americans, and the earliest outside influence was from Spanish explorers who passed through the area in the mid-1500s and 1600s. In 1718, the city of Nouvelle-Orleans was founded by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, but in the mid-1700s, France signed treaties giving Louisiana to Spain. Louisiana reverted to France in 1803, and was then sold to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase. Dubbed the Crescent City, New Orleans was a vibrant shipping port during the early 1800s due to its location along the Mississippi River and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. After the Civil War, New Orleans continued to be an important and influential city and remained active in trade. Due to influences from around the globe, the city has roots in French, Spanish, Native American and African-American culture, traditions and food.

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We talk too much and laugh too loud and live too large and, frankly, we’re suspicious of others who don’t.

Richard Nowitz

— Chris Rose, 1 Dead in Attic, 2006

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Parks & Recreation

In August 2005, New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Levees were breached and 80 percent of the city was flooded, killing hundreds and trapping thousands of people. It was dubbed the worst urban disaster in modern U.S. history, and a year after the flood, only half of the residents had returned and, within five years, 80 percent had returned. Today, New Orleans is a city on the road to recovery with vibrant tourism, industry and business opportunities. In 2016, the city hosted more than 10 million visitors who spent more than $7 billion. It is a city like no other, with a rich culture and history — so carve out a little time to see this gem of the south!

Garden District This 250-acre neighborhood located southwest of the French Quarter is an architectural dream, with examples of Greek Revival, Italianate, Gothic, Georgian, Swiss Chalet and Queen Anne architecture. The historic mansions are not the only thing to catch your eye — its oaklined streets and breathtaking gardens are some of the most beautiful in the city. Address: Located 3 miles southwest of the French Quarter, the Garden District is easily visited by walking, biking, street car, bus or taxi. Website: http://www.neworleanscvb.com/ visit/neighborhoods/garden-district/ Admission: None

Jackson Square City Park One of the oldest parks in the nation, the 1300-acre City Park was created in 1854. Today, the park hosts a botanical garden, sculpture garden, carousel and the world’s largest stand of mature live oaks. Address: 1 Palm Dr., New Orleans, LA 70124 Phone: 504.482.4888 Hours: Open 30 minutes prior to official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset Website: http://neworleanscitypark.com/ Admission: None

Located in the heart of the French Quarter, Jackson Square is a 3-acre park overlooking the Mississippi river. Named for General Andrew Jackson, the square hosts a statue of Jackson on horseback. The St. Louis Cathedral overlooks the square, and the area is known for its artist colony. Address: 751 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA 70181 Website: http://www.neworleansonline. com/directory/location. php?locationID=1342

French Quarter

Address: Located along the banks of the Mississippi River, surrounding Jackson Square. Website: http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/ neighborhoodguide/frenchquarter.html Admission: None

Parks & Recreation

Chris Granger

The oldest part of the city, the French Quarter is considered the hub of New Orleans. Stunning structures with intricate ironwork and lush courtyard gardens make it one of the most photographed places in the city.

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Backstreet Cultural Museum The museum contains the most comprehensive collection of African-American traditional and cultural materials related to processional traditions, such as Mardi Gras Indians and jazz funerals. Address: 1116 Henriette Delille St., New Orleans, LA 70116 Hours: 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Tuesdays–Saturdays; closed Sundays Website: http://www.backstreetmuseum.org/ Admission: $10

Confederate Memorial Hall Museum Louisiana’s oldest museum, the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum is dedicated to telling the story of the Civil War. Address: 929 Camp St., New Orleans, LA 70130 Hours: 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Tuesday–Saturday; closed Sunday Website: http://confederatemuseum.com/ Admission: $10 for Adults, $5 for children under 14 years old

Louisiana State Museum at the Cabildo Located in Jackson Square, the museum concentrates on early New Orleans history and includes unique artifacts, such as one of Napoleon’s death masks. Address: 701 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA 70116 Hours: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Tuesday– Sunday; closed Monday Website: http://louisianastatemuseum. org/museums/the-cabildo/ Admission: Adults $6, students/seniors/ activity military $5, children 12 and under are free

Jean-Paul Gisclair and NewOrleansOnline.com

Michael Terranova and NewOrleansOnline.com

sOnline.com and NewOrlean d David Richmon

St. Louis Cathedral Located in Jackson Square, the St. Louis Cathedral is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States. Address: 615 Pere Antoine Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116 Hours: 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Daily; Mass at 12:05 p.m., Daily Website: http://www.stlouis cathedral.org/ Admission: $1 suggested donation for self-guided brochure

National WWII Museum Telling the story of the war that changed the world, the museum concentrates on educating the public about historical events and honoring those who served. Address: 945 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130 Hours: 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Daily Website: https://www. nationalww2museum.org/ Admission: Adults $27, seniors $23.50, military/college student/child (k–12th grade) $17.50, children under 5 are free

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Parks & Recreation

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas Located along the Mississippi River, next to the French Quarter, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas has more than 15,000 animals, ranging from sharks to penguins and parakeets. Address: 1 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70130 Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Daily Website: http://audubonnatureinstitute. org/aquarium Admission: Adults $29.95, children (2–12), $21.95, seniors 65+ $24.95

Riverwalk

Admission: $30 per person

If shopping is your forte, the Riverwalk located along the banks of the Mississippi River is the place for you. The Riverwalk offers more than 75 stores and restaurants.

Singing Oak

Address: 500 Port of New Orleans Place, New Orleans, LA 70130 Hours: 10 a.m. –9 p.m., Monday–Saturday; 10 a.m. –7 p.m., Sunday Website: https://www.riverwalknew orleans.com/ Admission: None

Address: 1701 Wisner Blvd., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70124 Hours: Open 30 minutes prior to official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset Website: http://neworleanscitypark.com/ in-the-park/big-lake Admission: None

Mardi Gras World

Museum of Death Looking for something a bit off the beaten path? New Orleans is the place to be. There are many unique, one-of-akind experiences to have in the Big Easy.

Not for the faint of heart or squeamish — the Museum of Death hosts unique exhibits, from mortician equipment to a skull collection and artifacts and art from serial murderers.

Address: 1380 Port of New Orleans Place, New Orleans, LA 70130 (shuttles available from the French Quarter and from downtown) Hours: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Daily Website: http://www.mardigrasworld.com/ Admission: Adults $19.95, children (2–11) $12.95, seniors/students $15.95

Escape My Room Ready for a challenging evening? Escape My Room has the Mardi Gras Study and the Jazz Parlor room to test your mystery-solving skills. To date, only about onethird of the participants have been able to escape.

Address: 227 Dauphine St., New Orleans, LA 70112 Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Wednesday to Monday; Closed Tuesday Website: http://www.museumofdeath.net/ nola Admission: $15 per person

Address: 633 Constance St., New Orleans, LA 70130 Website: https://escapemyroom.com/

New Orleans’ Historic Voodoo Museum

Address: 600 Decatur St., #308, New Orleans, LA 70130 Hours: Varies by cruise Website: http://www. steamboatnatchez.com/ Admission: $30 and up

Parks & Recreation

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Alex Demyan and NewOrl

Take a trip back in time on the Steamboat Natchez. Cruises include harbor trips, dinner cruises and Sunday brunch cruises.

eansOnline.com

Experience the world of Mardi Gras through a tour of the historic Mardi Gras World. Learn about the parade history, watch the building of floats, meet artists and try on costumes.

Steamboat Natchez

The Singing Oak is an ancient, majestic oak tree located in City Park. Local artist Jim Hart installed a collection of wind chimes to create a hypnotic melody to accompany the breeze. Tuned to the pentatonic scale, the chimes range in size with the largest being 14 feet long.

This small museum is a great introduction to the dark world of Voodoo through its history and culture. Beyond its exhibits, the museum offers special services, such as psychic reading and ceremonies. Address: 724 Dumaine St., New Orleans, LA 70116 Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Daily Website: http://www.voodoomuseum.com/ Admission: General - $7; seniors, military, college students - $5.50; high school students - $4.50; children under 12 - $3.50

(via Tripadvisor)

Joyce Bracey

Free Tours by Foot Providing a host of tours with no upfront costs, this company believes “sightseeing doesn’t have to be expensive or boring.” Options include swamp, plantation, walking and riverboat tours, among others. Website: http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/ new-orleans-tours/

Voodoo Bone Lady Haunted Tours New Orleans is a true melting pot of diverse cultures, and when it comes to its cuisine, it’s phenomenal in its diversity and flavor. The food is influenced by the Spanish, French, African and Italian immigrants, as well as local Native Americans.

New Orleans Food 101: Creole vs. Cajun? Descendants of French or Spanish settlers that were born in Louisiana were known as Creole, and savory dishes originating from this group are known by the same name. This is food from the city of New Orleans, where nearby ports provided a vast array of ingredients; the cuisine is influenced by African, Caribbean and Italian immigrants. Some Creole foods to taste while in New Orleans are oysters Rockefeller, shrimp remoulade, creole, gumbo, bananas foster and beignets. “Cajun” refers to the French settlers who were deported by the British from Nova Scotia to New Orleans. Cajun food originates from the country: ingredients are traditionally either from the garden or from the bayou. Some Cajun foods to taste while in New Orleans are andouille, crawfish boil, jambalaya*, alligator and Po’ Boys. *Cajuns created jambalaya but the Creole have also adopted — true Cajun jambalaya doesn’t have tomatoes, Creole jambalaya does.

From the spooky to the creepy, the Voodoo Bone Lady Haunted Tours will take you on ghost tours, cemetery tours or tours of the French Quarter — all with emphasis on the supernatural. Website: http://www. voodooboneladytours.com/

FreeWheelin’ Bike Tours

Confederacy of Cruisers Bikes Tours If a fat-tire cruiser bicycle is your type of ride, Confederacy of Cruisers Bikes Tours are for you. They pride themselves on their laid-back, slow-paced tours for those who not only want a tour but want to “soak up the local color and hear the stories” of New Orleans. Website: http://confederacyofcruisers.com/

City Segway Tours New Orleans Looking for a unique way to see New Orleans? Tour the city on a Segway! Offering both day and night tours at a variety of locations, City Segway Tours has a variety of activities at select locations. Website: https://www.citysegwaytours. com/new-orleans

This experience is truly all American, from its American-made bicycles to the Louisiana born and bred family that runs the business. So, whether you want to rent a bike or take a tour, FreeWheelin’ has everything you need for the perfect New Orleans two-wheeled adventure. Website: http://www. neworleansbiketour.com/

Ghost City Tours of New Orleans

Two Chicks Walking Tours

Doctor Gumbo Tours

Focusing on small groups, the Two Chicks Walking Tours pride themselves on providing an intimate, storytelling experience. Tours include the French Quarter, Garden District and several cemeteries. Website: http://www. twochickswalkingtours.com/

For the culinary types, Doctor Gumbo Tours will take you on a gastronomic journey to experience the unique food and libations of New Orleans. Website: http://doctorgumbo.com/

Buzz Nola Bike Tours and Rentals Buzz Nola has bike tours and rentals on traditional bikes or on electric bikes. Rentals can be by the hour, day or week. Website: http://www.buzznola.com/

For those interested in ghosts, Voodoo and demons, check out these night tours of New Orleans. Tours include ghost hunts, killer and thriller tours and the ever-popular haunted pub crawl. Website: https://ghostcitytours.com/neworleans/ghost-tours/

Royal Carriages For more than 75 years, family-owned Royal Carriages has been transporting and providing tours to New Orleans visitors the traditional way — by mule-drawn carriage. Website: http://www.neworleanscarriages. com/

Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett is a Freelance Writer based in Las Vegas, Nevada (paula.jacoby.garrett@gmail.com).

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Parks & Recreation

New Orleans: Notable Local Places

he Festival Capital of the World, New Orleans is one of the most fascinating cities — a truly unique melting pot of food, culture and music. You are hereby invited to come on down and experience New Orleans, one of America’s most culturally and historically rich and diverse destinations. This year’s designated Local Host Committee is excited to showcase the people, places and programs that contribute to the high quality of life experienced by Southern Louisiana’s residents.

Professionals from BREC, the Audubon Society, City Park, the Trust for Public Land, the NOCCI, the Parks and Recreation Departments of Thibodaux, Gretna and Covington have come together with members of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission to sponsor this upcoming NRPA Annual Conference and to welcome attendees to the city of New Orleans and to an unprecedentedly well-attended conference. New Orleans and its surrounding cities welcome you! Laissez les bon temps roullez! (Let the good times roll!) Audubon Nature Institute – New Orleans Audubon Nature Institute operates a family of 10 museums and parks in New Or-

leans, including Audubon Zoo and Park, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center. Through its mission to celebrate the wonders of nature, it hosts more than 1.8 million visitors annually and serve our community an educational resource, an environmental guardian, a leader in economic development, and a venue for family entertainment. Thibodaux Splash Pad – City of Thibodaux The Thibodaux Splash Pad brings more than 2,500 square feet of fun with 24 separate water features, including sprinklers and fountains, synchronized to perform a show-like experience. The water area is also close to picnic ar-

eas, umbrella seating and the newly renovated swimming pool, making it a great summertime draw for families. Gretna BMX Track – City of Gretna The Gretna BMX Track is home to the only USA BMX-sanctioned track in the New Orleans Metro area. With practices and races held on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, riders ages 2 to 82 are welcome to come out and join in! Gretna BMX has become a destination for families time after time! Find it on Facebook at TheGretnaBMX. Lafitte Greenway – New Orleans The Lafitte Greenway is a 2.6-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail and green corridor, connecting neighborhoods from Armstrong Park to City Park. The city of New Orleans broke ground on the $9.1 million project in March of 2014, and opened the Greenway in November of 2015. The Lafitte Greenway transforms one of the city’s most historic transportation corridors — originally a canal connecting Bayou St. John to the edge of the French Quarter, and later a railroad right-of-way that has sat vacant since the

New Orleans City Park – New Orleans New Orleans City Park is distinguished by its large menu of sports and recreational activities, attractions for children and its natural beauty. City Park has a special place in the hearts of generations of New Orleanians and is a must-visit for visitors to the city. As a popular place to picnic, play a favorite sport, wander through its gardens or take a boat ride — the park receives millions of visitors each year. It is located in the heart of the city and is the largest recreation area for the entire metropolitan area. Attractions include the New Orleans Botanical Garden, Storyland fairytale playground, Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, City Putt and numerous athletic venues. The 1,300 acres of parkland provide enjoyment for young children playing on its playgrounds and walkers, joggers, and bicyclists winding through its streets and trails.

Parks & Recreation

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mid-20th century — into a multiuse transportation corridor and linear park. Blue Bayou Water Park & Dixie Landin’ — City of Baton Rouge Located on 80 acres at I-10 and Highland Road in Baton Rouge, right next to Blue Bayou Water Park, is Dixie Landin’, an amusement park designed for the entire family! Dixie Landin’ contains 29 rides, including four roller coasters, 10 games and much, much more. It has retail shops with souvenir T-shirts, hats, cups and many more items to bring home. Dixie also has a large variety of food items. Blue Bayou Water Park has more than 20 water attractions like the High Water Slide, a triple seven-story, serpentine slide. And, there’s nothing like the twin eight-story speed slide, the Ragin’ Cajun! See the six-story Mad Moccasin water slide, which twists and turns in complete darkness. Ride CONJA’, the world’s largest in-line water slide, and try out Racers, the tallest and fastest water racer in the world! Covington Recreation Complex – City of Covington The City of Covington’s Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs is revitalizing our Covington Recreation Complex. Improvements to its four baseball fields are well underway, and work has begun on its new practice football field. In addition to sound infrastructure, the complex is undergoing a complete facelift! Flags are flying high over the backstops at every field, the pond is stocked for fishing and an aerator fountain is on order for installation. In addition to children’s playground equipment, an adult outdoor fitness area will be under construction soon. The Covington Recreation Complex is well on its way to providing an exceptional recreational and healthy lifestyle venue for the entire family!

Jackson Square — New Orleans Set in the heart of the French Quarter overlooking the Mississippi River, Jackson Square is one of New Orleans’ most recognizable landmarks. Also known as the Place d’Armes, Jackson Square occupies 2.5 acres and is visited by more than 2 million tourists and locals each year. It received National Landmark status in 1960. In 2012, it was chosen by the American Planning Association as one of its “Great Places in America” for beauty, accessibility and being a “place where people want to be.” Having hosted more than 300 weddings in 2012, Jackson Square is one of Parks and Parkways’ most popular spaces for a wedding and for staging formal photography. The area surrounding Jackson Square contains a mix of commercial and residential property. The Cabildo, the Presbytere (on the opposite side of the Cathedral), and one of the apartment townhouses of the Lower Pontalba Apartments are now state museums. The lower floors of the apartment buildings contain shops and restaurants, while the second and third floors are residential apartments. Jackson Square is also the location of an open-air artist colony, where artists display their work on the outside of the iron fence. Visitors can see the artists at work and even have their portrait drawn by one of the many talents who use Jackson Square as their studio. Grab coffee and beignets from Cafe du Monde and enjoy breakfast while people-watching in the square. Jackson Square has been featured in numerous movies, live television network broadcasts and the New Year’s Eve celebration. To reach the square from the Convention Center, ride the Riverfront Streetcar to the Jackson Square stop. If you are located in other parts of the city, just head for the French Quarter.

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The New Orleans Local Host Committee City of Covington, La. Pam Keller, Director of Recreation Hammond Recreation – Hammond, La. Desiree Dotey, Director, Hammond Recreation

Pelican Park – Mandeville, La. Kathy Foley, Traci Plaisance, Recreation Director, Rec. Dist. #1 Supervisor, Rec. Dist. #1 Kia Knight, Assistant Julie Stempel, Recreation Director, Rec. Dist. #1 Supervisor, Rec. Dist. #1

BREC – Baton Rouge, La. Carolyn McKnight, Superintendent

City of Kenner, Department of Parks and Recreation Kenneth Marroccoli, Director

Brett Weinberger, Assistant Director Recreation, Athletics, Aquatics and Outdoor Adventures

Parks & Recreation Department, City of Gretna Amie L. Hebert, Director Iberia Recreation – New Iberia, La. Katie Landry, Director, Iberia Recreation

Audubon Nature Institute – New Orleans, La. L. Ronald (Ron) Forman, President & Chief Executive Officer

City of Thibodaux – Thibodaux, La. Kevin R. Clement, Recreation Director, City of Thibodaux

City of New Orleans Parks and Parkways – New Orleans, La. Ann E. Macdonald, Director of City of New Orleans Parks & Parkways

Stephanie Joseph, School Programs and Youth Development Manager

Friends of Lafitte Greenway – New Orleans, La. Sophie Harris, Executive Director

Maria Kohls, Volunteer & Intern Supervisor

Lemann Booster Club – New Orleans, La. Ernest Johnson, President

Dr. David Niebuhr, Managing Director (Interim) Audubon Zoo & Park Vice President for Education

New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau – New Orleans, La. Elizabeth Adams, Services Manager, New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau Tara Letort, Director of Group PR, NOCVB

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New Orleans City Park – New Orleans, La. Bob Becker, CEO Julie Lacour, Director of Special Events/ Celebration in the Oaks Natalie Weiss, Special Events Manager NOCCI – New Orleans, La. Dottie Belletto, President and CEO, NOCCI Erin Murphy, Operations Manager, NOCCI Gillian Stagg, VP of Internal Operations and Senior Operations Manager, NOCCI

NORD – New Orleans, La. James L. Butler III, Recreation Programming Assistant Victor N. Richard III, CEO Karla Rivera, Chief of Staff Shonnda Smith, Chief Program Officer Maya Wyche, Chief Operating Officer Trust for Public Land – New Orleans, La. (local office, main office is in San Francisco) Sarah Olivier

New Orleans Overachievers: The 2017 Conference Program Committee The 2017 Program Committee for the 2017 NRPA Annual Conference provides an invaluable level of support for NRPA staff as they work together to recruit and select the best and most relevant education sessions to serve their peers and support NRPA’s Three Pillars. Proudly representing agencies from across the country and working in a variety of capacities within parks and recreation, this team spent the better part of the year determining what topics would be of most value to their colleagues, seeking out top speakers in the field, and vetting hundreds of session applications. Below are the names of this year’s Program Committee. We sincerely thank them for their hard work, wisdom and sacrifice. • Dody Erickson, Deputy Director, Denver Parks & Recreation Dept • Edward Matthews, Bureau Manager, The City of Norfolk • Nikki Ginger, Professional Development Manager, Chicago Park District • Chuck Szoke, Executive Director, Channahon Park District • Dirk Richwine, Advisor • Michael Klitzing, Chief Operating Officer, Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation • Janet Bartnik,Director,Western Eagle County Metro Recreation District • Mark Young, Consultant/Advisor, Parks Forever Consulting • Wanda Ramos, Parks and Recreation Division Chief, MNCPPC • Kaboi Simpson, Deputy Administrator/Athletics, Clayton County Parks & Recreation • Ines Palacios, Director of Recreation, Director of Recreation • Tiffany Johnson, Southeast District Recreation Manager, Seattle Parks and Recreation • Rita Shue, Retired General Manager, Hayward Area Recreation and Park District

• Chris Matthews, Division Director, Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation Department • Kirsten Barnes, Director, Five Star Recreation • Shonnda Smith, Chief Program Officer, New Orleans Recreation Development Commission • David A. Miller, Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Deerfield Beach, FL • Sven Leff, Director, Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation • Dr. Karla Henderson, Retired, North Carolina State University • Lucky D’Ascanio, Director, Falmouth Community Program • John Prue, Installation Program Director, NAVSTA Great Lakes • Dr. Laurel Richmond, Assistant Professor, California State University, Long Beach • Becky Barrick-Higgins, Community Events Manager, Bloomington Parks and Recreation • Michael Kirschman, Deputy Director, Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation Department

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Special Events NRPA Opening Reception The NRPA Opening Reception will be held Tuesday evening, September 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Mardi Gras World — to the place where Mardi Gras magic is made! Snap some pictures in the float den, explore the mansion, dance your way through the ballroom and enjoy the river views. This party is graciously sponsored by GameTime and tickets are included with full-package, young professional and guest registration packages. Exhibit Hall Happy Hour Take the opportunity to stroll the Exhibit Hall floor, check out all the new products and services, and network with peers and

exhibitors on Tuesday evening from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. This event will feature New Orleans-themed beverages, lite snacks and three chances to win $500 in cash from TORO. Professor Play Obstacle course Test your skills, stamina and determination and compete against your fellow park and recreation professionals for the fastest time. Be a Park and Rec Warrior and try out the challenge course sponsored by Professor Play Inc. (3618). Mardi Gras Cash Bonanza Wed., Sept. 27, afternoon drawing! The $2,000 cash grand prize will be given to one lucky attendee between 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. All attendees with full-package registrations are eligible, and you must be on the show floor to win. Don’t miss this

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opportunity. The drawing will be held in the NRPA Member Quarter (3257). Keynote — Conversations that Matter: Because Everyone Deserves a Park Wed., Sept. 27, 8 a.m.–8:45 a.m. Great Hall | Speaker: Jessica Pettitt Humor is a great equalizer and is often the quickest way to diffuse conflict and move toward real connection. Comedienne Jessica Pettitt frames even difficult subjects in an engaging and welcoming way. You will be inspired to stand up and take action as Jessica Pettitt leads you down the path to understanding you are good enough to make the changes you seek. Challenging assumptions about people who drive change and are successful, Pettitt eradicates excuses and provides strategies to communicate openly and to actively seek success.

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NRPA Live: Your Virtual Conference Experience

ver the past several years, NRPA has developed a growing virtual conference experience that provides the opportunity for live and continued access to a curated set of conference education sessions. While the NRPA Annual Conference is the largest gathering of park and recreation professionals in the world, we understand that it is not possible for many to attend in-person. This opportunity allows for a broader audience to either participate live or continue to experience the engaging educational content that we deliver each year and to obtain CEU credit for each session. For 2017, NRPA Live is proud to bring a set of 11 streamed sessions just as if you are attending in-person in New Orleans. Participants have the option to register for the entire three days, register for an individual day or even register for individual sessions that are of interest. When attending live, each session allows the virtual audience to chat in questions that will be relayed to the speaker live. The session recordings also remain accessible for 180 days following the event along with all shared resources. Here is a look at the live sessions that we are offering live this year: Tuesday, September 26: • How to Handle a Parks and Recreation PR Communications Crisis

• Conservation Partnerships for Parks and Recreation • Using Health Data to Power Results Wednesday, September 27: • “Get Your Play On” NRPA 2017 Conference Speed Sessions • City of New Orleans: Strategic Urban Water Management and Recreation Opportunities • 5 Things Parks Can Do About Climate Change that Make a Difference Thursday, September 28: • A Value Proposition: What’s My Park Worth? • Ditch Your Marketing Plan: Growth Hack Instead

• Creating Meaningful Arts Programs Designed to Engage the Community • Leading Change: Innovation from the Inside Out • Public-Private Park Partnerships to Achieve Healthy Equity After the live conference is over, we continue to provide access to register for and view these archived sessions, as well as the opportunity to register for an additional 11 recorded sessions. This is a total of 22 sessions that are captured from this year’s New Orleans conference for continued professional development and up to 2.2 CEUs! The recorded sessions include: • How to Portray the Value of Trails in Your Community • Build a 21st Century Diverse Workforce and Inclusive Work Environment at Your Agency Today! • Inclusive Outreach for Equitable Results • Innovation! NRPA 2017 Conference Speed Sessions • Making Creativity Part of Your DNA • Designing and Implementing Evidence-Based, Family-Based Programming for Health • VOTE! How to Plan a Successful Bond Program • The Ecological Age: Ushering a New Age for Parks in the Face of Climate Change • Water Wisdom: Planning, Designing and Maintaining Water Play Destinations • Innovative Strategies to Connect Communities to Nature • The Be Attitudes of Influence and Persuasion For more information and to register, please visit: learning.nrpa.org/ NRPA-Live-2017.

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THANK YOU SPONSORS We would like to thank the generous sponsors of the 2017 NRPA Annual Conference

® ™

If you are interested in being a sponsor for the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, please contact Lindsay Shannon at lshannon@nrpa.org or 703.858.2178

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Americana We’ve Got You Covered with Park Shelters, Dugouts, Pavilions, Gazebos, Arbors, and more! www.Americana.com

Darice Wholesale Arts & Crafts Supplies Enjoy low ordering minimums and fast shipping on a lowprice assortment geared towards youth programs, nature camps, after-school activities and more. Booth #3444

E.T. Techtonics Fiberglass Access Bridge Structures and Boardwalks Call for Quote Today! 1-814-839-4186 Ext. 265 www.ETTechtonics.com

Hayward HCP 3000 Series pumps offer an unmatched range of power options, versatility, and efficiency for a wide range of commercial pools. www.haywardcommercial pool.com

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Made in the USA Since 1989, Water Safety Products, Inc. has manufactured durable, timeless lifeguard swimsuits made in the USA. We can customize your swimsuit your custom logo. www.watersafety.com

Mettle Sports Step inside and feel the power of the pitch! Provide fun and safe street soccer pitches in your community. mettlesports.com

Mosca Design Holiday Light Shows in Parks. Drive Through Lighting Events generate revenue. www.Moscadesign.com

Omniflow OmnILED sustainable lighting is powered by integrated wind/solar power with battery backup with beautiful unobtrusive design, perfect for any park and recreation setting. www.omniflow.pt

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POPP, LLC. Permanent, weatherproof outdoor ping pong tables - customizable with color and artwork - for parks, plazas, campuses and squares. www.popp.world

PW Athletic Premium Quality Sports Equipment and Site Furnishing Manufacturing Since 1919. www.PWAthletic.com Booth #3638

150+ Bodyweight Exercises Monthly Updates Realtime Usage Statistics Customizable Signage/ Workouts Cost Effective Small Footprint Enhances Trails, Tracks, & Gyms http://qrfittrail.com

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Turf Tank’s ION The world’s first GPS linemarking robot, promises to deliver more efficiency for your sports fields. www.turftank.com Booth #3330

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NRPA Update Certification: A Mark of Accomplishment

ased on feedback from the members regarding topics of interest for professional development, NRPA has developed a 1.2 CEU leadership certificate; the first in a series of new certificate programs. This program is a direct focus on leadership in the parks and recreation industry. Through this program, participants learn high-level leadership concepts in areas of operations, human capital management, strategic thinking, and diversity and cultural awareness along with practical applications for each of these concepts. The courses are a virtual experience that is much different from other online courses in that participants are encouraged throughout the course to brainstorm, workshop and write out their responses through various exercises to move beyond simple memorization to application of concepts and developing ways of thinking through difficult leadership decisions. While NRPA provides several certification programs, professional development certificates represent a new and important direction for continued learning. Un-

like certifications, certificates focus more deeply on developing specific skills and knowledge and provide evidence of accomplishment. Certificates do not require

continuing education as is the case with certification credentials, but completion of the certificate can be used to supplement the CEU requirements of certifications such as the CPRP or CPRE. At the 2017 NRPA Annual Conference, Barbara Heller and David Barth will be presenting a preconference workshop, “Leading to Create Organizational Excellence,” September 25 at 9 a.m. This workshop will provide an overview of the four key areas of leadership described in this certificate program. The program and this session are intended for all areas of leadership, from agency directors and department heads to frontline and aspiring leaders.

Now Accepting Submissions for the 2018 NRPA Premier Member Calendar Submit your best photos for a chance to have your agency featured in this year’s calendar, which will be distributed to ALL Premier Agencies Submit your photos online at www.nrpa.org/Premier-Calendar-Contest Submissions Close October 6, 2017

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Tune in to Our New ‘Open Space Radio’ Podcast

t the end of July, NRPA launched Open Space Radio — a podcast dedicated to providing timely interviews and interesting news every week. Now, you can take the latest trends and news from the field of parks and recreation with you wherever you go. Staying up-to-date with trends in the field is important for your agency and your own career growth, but finding time in your already busy day may be difficult. With Open Space Radio, you can listen to the latest park and recreation news during your commute, at the gym or even while touring your facilities. Our first few episodes cover hot topics like the world’s first ultra-inclusive waterpark, lawsuits surrounding parks and augment-

ed reality games, and research that indicates recreation fees can restrict public lands use. We want Open Space Radio to be what you want it to be, so we’re asking for your ideas (and, hopefully, your interviews). Send your ideas to Roxanne Sutton at rsutton@nrpa.org. To hear the latest episodes, subscribe and learn more about the podcast, go to www.openspaceradio.org. Open Space Radio is also available via Apple Podcasts on your iOS devices or Google Play Music on your Android devices.

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NRPA Update

New Emergency Network Provider — ePACT Hot Topics NRPA Connect is the only networking platform that provides you with direct access to professionals in your field. You now can ask 60,000 of your colleagues questions about parks and recreation and for professional advice! Below are some of the hottest topics this month: Friends Groups — Looking to get more information about partnerships with Friends Groups and how those partnerships are structured? Follow this discussion for answers to questions like (1) are Friends Groups separate corporations or are they volunteers under your department/agency; (2) do you require or recommend that the Friends Groups get insurance; and (3) do you have any type of agreement/understanding with them? Steady Revenue Stream for Scholarship Fund — Your colleagues are requesting information about scholarship funds. Do you have a steady revenue stream? Is the money for your scholarship inconsistent and come from variable sources? Do you have to seek out individual donations from businesses or organizations? If you have advice about creating a consistent scholarship fund, chime in! Outdoor Movie License — Always a popular topic among NRPA members, this thread discusses the options for outdoor movie licensing. Outdoor movies are a popular event for families among park and recreation departments, and members are always happy to share their cost-friendly ideas for hosting these events. Chess Tables — Chess tables are a great addition to any community park. Looking for recommendations on a long-lasting table to purchase? Log in to read suggestions on which tables your fellow members have purchased. Visit www.nrpaconnect.org to join the conversation today!

e are very excited to offer ePACT, the exclusive emergency network provider of the National Recreation and Park Association, at a discounted rate to NRPA members. ePACT offers a secure emergency network that’s used by recreation organizations across North America. As a HIPAA-compliant, online system, ePACT replaces paper medical forms, waivers and consents for families attending rec programs, improving your ability to collect, manage and access critical information needed to support your members.

Parks & Recreation

Whether it’s managing parent and emergency contacts, an allergy plan or special accommodations, ePACT ensures the right people have the right information at the right time. As a Therapeutic Recreation Coordinator focused on making sure kids with disabilities have support in summer camps throughout the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, ePACT played a key role in streamlining our department’s Inclusion Services during its busiest season.” — Jennifer Wong, Therapeutic Recreation Coordinator, San Francisco Recreation & Park Department Families also love ePACT because it means no more handwritten forms, and if personal information changes, they simply update ePACT once, and all their programs directly receive their new information in real time. “ePACT has helped make our health forms process a lot easier! I also greatly appreciate that ePACT has a mobile app that works wherever we need it. And, our families have appreciated the change, that they can connect siblings and not fill out all of the information every single time.”

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— Sara Crombie, Recreation Supervisor, Parks & Recreation Department, City of Gahanna, Ohio. Recreation organizations can also make use of ePACT’s essential communication tools, reaching families via email, text and voice messaging in one simple step. Using one tool to communicate through three channels provides redundancy, so you can be sure your families instantly receive all your messages. With ePACT, you no longer need to worry about collecting paper forms, searching paper files for contact details or medical issues, or starting phone or text trees in the midst of a critical situation. ePACT makes life easier — and safer — for your recreation programs and all the families you serve. ePACT is committed to providing significant benefits to all NRPA members. This includes discounts, webinars, resources and tools that streamline data collection processes, reduce program risks and minimize administration, while enhancing safety and support for families. For more information on how your agency can benefit from using ePACT, visit www.nrpa.org/membership/member-benefits/ or come meet ePACT at Booth #2909 during the 2017 Annual Conference.

Member Spotlight: Maria Nardi By Cort Jones

eing responsible for one of the largest park systems in the country is no easy task, but for Maria Nardi, director of Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces (PROS), the goal of building an outstanding community through parks and impacting lives is the top priority. Parks & Recreation magazine recently caught up with Nardi to learn more about what drives her passion for creating an extraordinary community in Miami-Dade county.

Parks & Recreation: What is your role as the director for Miami-Dade PROS? Maria Nardi: I am in charge of leading an organization that is one of the largest parks departments in the country. We have over 2,000 employees, 270 parks and over 40,000 acres of land between natural areas and our parks. We are an urban system in an area that spans over 2,000 square miles, which is roughly the size of Rhode Island. In Miami-Dade, we have one of the largest linear parks, which is 17 miles of beaches. Miami-Dade county is a two-tier system, so we have a regional park that serves the 2.7 million people in the county, and we also manage the local parks through the unincorporated area of the county, which comprises one of the most underserved areas of our community. P&R: What are some of the things that your organization is doing to engage the community and get them out in parks and nature? Nardi: We are continuing to implement our Parks and Public Space Masterplan, which is about establishing connectivity throughout the park system and bringing together the 35 municipalities that are within Miami-Dade county through a coalition of parks. Through the masterplan, which is our blueprint to create a healthier community, we’re making the connections to build a more resilient community. For us, in a community that is sprawling and where traffic is a major issue, creating greenways as an alternative means of transportation

and increasing the walkability measure is a key component. Our goal with the masterplan is that the minute you walk out your door, you’re in a great park system. We’ve been implementing this with the goal that everyone has a park within a 10-minute walk. Along with working on providing better access to parks, we also want to have the types of programs that are responsive to the community’s wants and needs. P&R: What is the most exciting thing that your organization is doing? Nardi: We’re implementing so many programs that have a great impact on the community. We’re initiating nature-based playgrounds in order to get kids better connected with nature. We’re implementing fitness zones that are integrated into the landscape, so we’re introducing adults to fitness through nature as well. Another program we’ve been working on is counting swimming lessons. The goal is to teach every kid in Miami-Dade county how to swim, and we want to reach 1 million swimming lessons taught by the end of the year. There are so many projects that are critical for us, but something that’s very important is our ability to design resiliency into everything we do, given our location and the impact that climate change is having on our resources. P&R: What have you found to be some of the biggest challenges for your organization? Nardi: I would say that funding is the big-

gest challenge that we have. What we’re working on is a dedicated funding source to help us move forward with these initiatives. Funding is the common thread that ties all agencies together, regardless of size. One of the things that will always be critical for us moving forward is our ability to partner with other agencies that are non-traditional partnerships. I hope it becomes more common that we partner with agencies like transportation, housing, planning and zoning — agencies that we didn’t typically think to partner with to maximize our resources. By working together with a common goal, we can create a competitive economy and healthier community. P&R: What is your favorite part about what you do? What gets you up in the morning? Nardi: It’s the people in this organization. This is an extraordinary organization with a common sense of mission. It’s a results-driven organization and everyone has public service at heart. It’s the incredible commitment to serving the public and the shared goal of building an outstanding community through parks. It’s the love for work that everyone has in impacting people’s lives and leaving a legacy with all the kids we serve, and the entire community. I think in general, in the park profession — and I can tell you for this organization it’s especially true — everyone just has a sense of duty and mission to provide the best they can for the most vulnerable population in this community, which are kids and the elderly. It’s truly an amazing organization. We know that when you have an extraordinary parks system, you have an extraordinary community. Cort Jones is the Associate Editor for Parks & Recreation magazine (cjones@nrpa.org).

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©Myles Mellor

Parks & Recreation Crossword

Across 1 Shield from the heat of the sun 4 One Pillar of NRPA’s 3-year strategic plan, ___ and Wellness 8 Savings account 10 Local areas and people helped by their regional parks 11 Bryce Canyon’s state 12 Competent 15 “___ ___ Job 2: Nutty by Nature,” film teaching kids about land conservation and the power of friendship 19 Low islands 20 Easily viewed 22 Take out a canoe, say 23 Noted photographer of “Yosemite Falls,” Ansel 25 Renaissance man’s first name 26 New NRPA partner in helping people get moving, 4 words 31 Petting ____ 32 One Pillar of NRPA’s 3-year strategic plan 34 Procedure 35 Aspiration

Down 1 Third Pillar of NRPA’s 3-year strategic plan – goes with 3 down 2 Purpose 3 See 1 down 4 Mechanically lift 5 Full of pep 6 “___ the season to be jolly” 7 Time period, for short 9 Cultural creation which contributes to parks 11 Versatile truck, informally 13 Environmental prefix 14 Pet’s foot 16 Kept out of sight 17 One with wanderlust 18 Raises 21 Opposite of SSW 23 Moving about, getting regular exercise 24 Changed to suit new conditions 26 Candle stems 27 Golf courses 28 In which direction? 29 Threatened atmosphere layer 30 Vote against 33 Morning show time

Check the answers to the crossword at www.nrpa.org/crossword. As an added bonus for completing the crossword, you can enter a drawing for a prize pack from the NRPA Annual Conference and a $25 Starbucks gift card. The winner will be randomly selected and notified on September 29, 2017. 98

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NRPA Update

National ‘Meet Me at the Park’ Grant Recipients Selected

RPA and The Walt Disney Company recently announced the grant recipients of the new Meet Me at the Park healthy living program. Twenty-five park and recreation agencies and cities nationwide were selected to receive grants, ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, to support projects that increase access to play spaces in local parks for children and families. This investment supports NRPA and Disney’s combined goal of providing 1 million kids and families with greater access to play. The projects selected include a variety of innovative play space enhancements, sport field/court enhancements, trail and walking path enhancements, and mobile play spaces, which include flexible play equipment and activities that can be moved to different locations. All of the projects focus on inclusive play spaces that increase physical activity and play for children and families. The 25 grant recipients are as follows: • City of Selma Recreation Department, Selma, Alabama • City of Yuma, Yuma, Arizona • City of Redding, Redding, California • City of West Sacramento, West Sacramento, California • City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department, Tampa, Florida • Gwinnett County Department of Community Services, Lawrenceville, Georgia • City of Iowa City Parks & Recreation, Iowa City, Iowa

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• City of Kuna, Kuna, Idaho • Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation, Louisville, Kentucky • Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, Baltimore, Maryland • City of Port Huron Recreation Department, Port Huron, Michigan • Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Division, Detroit, Michigan • City of Ocean Springs, Ocean Springs, Mississippi • Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department, Charlotte, North Carolina • City of Manchester, Department of Public Works, Division of Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries, Manchester, New Hampshire • Bloomfield Department of Recreation, Bloomfield, New Jersey • City of Farmington, Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs,

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Farmington, New Mexico • City of Henderson, Henderson, Nevada • City of Youngstown, Department of Parks and Recreation, Youngstown, Ohio • Borough of Pottstown, Pottstown, Pennsylvania • Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission, Charleston, South Carolina • Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation, Nashville, Tennessee • City of Chattanooga/Division of Open Spaces, Chattanooga, Tennessee • Kitsap County Parks, Port Orchard, Washington • Cacapon State Park, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia Over the coming months, NRPA and Disney will work closely with the grant recipients, including having volunteers from Disney participate in various projects. To see these projects come to life, follow the hashtags #MeetMeAtThe Park and #DisneyPlaySpaces. The Meet Me at the Park program includes an Earth Month campaign as well, where funding is awarded for local park improvement projects that connect kids to nature, inspire healthy living and provide access to sports. The campaign celebrates Earth Month and the importance of local parks. To learn more about Meet Me at the Park, visit www.nrpa.org/disney.

How Would You Judge Your Agencyâ€™s Performance?

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NRPA Update NRPA is dedicated to providing learning opportunities to advance the development of best practices and resources that make parks and recreation indispensable elements of American communities. Find out more at www.nrpa.org/education.

SCHOOLS AND CONFERENCES

January 14-19, 2018

January 28February 1, 2018

March 11-16, 2018

November 4-8, 2018

August 26â€“31, 2018 (tentative)

www.nrpa.org/education

CPSI PROGRAM

SEPT

The CPRP exam, one of the principal requirements for achieving certification, is designed to assess the base knowledge of job-related tasks common to entry-level park and recreation professionals in any region. It is administered under the auspices of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and the National Certification Board (NCB). With these updated study materials, we hope to better prepare you for success on this journey to professional certification. For more information and to register for these products, visit our website at http://learning.nrpa.org.

September 26-28, 2017 New Orleans, Louisiana

6-8 13-15 13-15 18-20 20-22 23-25 27-29

Honolulu, Hawaii Leesburg, Virginia Saratoga Springs, New York Griffin, Georgia Dublin, Ohio New Orleans, Louisiana Grand Rapids, Michigan

OCT

NRPA is proud to announce the release of updated study materials to coincide with the newly updated Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) certification, whose core competencies stem from the recent job task analysis on the role of park and recreation professionals. The study materials include a revised study guide and five expanded online courses covering the topics of human resources, operations, programming, finance and a new communication competency. The study materials also include a new practice exam with even more practice questions to better prepare you for the types of questions on and the length of the official CPRP exam.

All NRPA Schools are held at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia, unless otherwise noted.

3-5 11-13 16-18 17-19 24-26

Homewood, Illinois Jersey City, New Jersey College Station, Texas Statesville, North Carolina Phoenix, Arizona

NOV

UPDATED CPRP STUDY MATERIALS

1-3 1-3 6-8 7-9 14-16 28-30

North Salt Lake, Utah Lexington, South Carolina TBD, Indiana Riverside, California Kansas City, Missouri Auburn, Washington

Jupiter, Florida Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania Littleton, Colorado New Orleans, Louisiana Pompano Beach, Florida

3-4 5-6 12-13 12-13 13-15 19-20 19-20 25-26

Ellensburg, Washington Clearwater, Florida Auburn, Alabama Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Cheney, Washington North Miami, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida Hampton, Virginia

www.nrpa.org/AFO

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DEC

SEP

14-15 20-21 21-22 24-25 28-29

OCT

AFO PROGRAM

4-6

Enola, Pennsylvania

www.nrpa.org/CPSI

NRPA’S PARKS BUILD COMMUNITY 2017 LAFITTE GREENWAY NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

This September, NRPA takes Parks Build Community to the city of New Orleans for the 8th annual lot-to-park transformation. This year NRPA, with the generous assistance of our donors, reimagines a large segment of Lafitte Greenway, the parkway connecting one end of the city to another. NRPA’s Parks Build Community 2017 will connect people of all ages from several underserved communities to state-of-the-art playgrounds, sports fields, fitness zones, water features, walking trails and family gathering spots.

Join us for the Dedication Ceremony 2 p.m. Sunday, September 24, 2017 THANK YOU TO 2017 NRPA’S PARKS BUILD COMMUNITY SPONSORS ® ™

DPODPSEJB C O M M I S S I O N

Operations The Challenge of Renovating Historic Aquatic Facilities How the Dallas Park & Recreation Department is preserving community history and memories By Robin Steinshnider and David Mills

ow many times have you heard, “You can’t tear that pool down, that’s where I learned to swim 50 years ago!” People grow attached to the institutions that mark major milestones in their lives. Communities develop sentimental attachments to their local parks. And, even though these facilities may be obsolete, both physically and programmatically, it is difficult for the public to imagine them changing from the way they live in memories.

Dallas Park & Recreation Department, David J. Mill

A Little History One of the few things that make summer in Texas bearable is swimming, so it’s no surprise that the city of Dallas has a long pool history that started with the first “neighborhood” pool, dating back to the 1920s and ending with the last “community” pool built in 1978. At the peak of the pool boom, Dallas operated a system of 107 pools — 84 neighborhood pools and 23 community pools. Coinciding with the boom in facilities, attendance began a dramatic decline in the late 1970s and continued throughout the 1980s, resulting in

the closure of many of the neighborhood pools. Major changes in the Texas Health Code forced the closure of the remaining neighborhood pools in 1999. In 2001, the city determined that an aquatic master plan was needed to address the replacement of physically obsolete aquatic facilities and to improve the overall level of service to the public in a financially sustainable way. While the master plan laid out a strategy for the future of the Dallas aquatics system, no action was taken because of a lack of available funds. With the economic downturn in

The historic bathhouse and pavilion buildings at the Tietze Park pool, one of the oldest operating pools in the Dallas park system.

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2007 and 2008, the park department faced shrinking operating and capital improvement budgets, which led to the closure or limited operating hours of the remaining community pools. Some of the aged pools (oldest 1947; newest 1978) were patched up to keep operating, while others were literally cannibalized for parts. Uncertainty about which pools were open and the limited operating hours led to further decreases in pool attendance. After Dallas began to recover from the economic downturn of 2008, pools once again became a top priority for the park department. Surrounding municipalities began to build new aquatic centers, and the disparity between the facilities in Dallas and those in neighboring communities became even more evident. Dallas was losing swimmers to the suburbs, where they could enjoy modern amenities, including moving water, interactive play elements, varying depths for different age groups, areas for swim lessons, swim teams, shade structures, updated bathhouses and concessions. A new aquatics master plan was commissioned in 2012 to determine the feasibility of developing a system of more economically sustainable family aquatic centers throughout the city. With the strong support of the park and recreation board, $32 million was identified for construction of new aquatic facilities, which was followed by an update to the master plan intended to map out how best to use the available funds. Three years later, a team of planners, architects, engineers and aquatic consultants

Samuell Grand Pool Samuell Grand Park, one of the largest parks in the Dallas park system, consists of two golf courses, a driving range, tennis center, outdoor amphitheater, recreation center, ball fields and an outdoor pool on more than 400 acres. The existing pool opened to the public in 1953 and cost $90,000 to construct. The bathhouse, designed by a notable local architecture firm, has a mid-century modern aesthetic featuring ledge stone, redwood louvers, deep overhangs and a unique curving staircase leading to an elevated

Quimby McCoy Preservation Architecture

were assembled to implement the aquatics master plan. To provide an equal level of service for the three regions of the city, the adopted master plan proposed a phase one consisting of three regional family aquatic centers, two community family aquatic centers, one neighborhood family aquatic center and three spray grounds. Due to the availability of funding and operational logistics, the master plan was split into two construction packages, starting with the regional centers in the first year (opening in 2018), followed by the community, neighborhood and spray ground facilities in the second year (opening in 2019). While most of the new aquatic centers will involve the total demolition and replacement of existing pools, two that are in well-established, historic parks required a different approach. Samuell Grand Park and Tietze Park are in older neighborhoods, minutes from downtown Dallas. These old pools, typical examples of pools in the Dallas park system, featured a trapezoidal-shaped, 105-foot-long pool with five lap lanes and three diving boards. With the change in Texas State Codes in 1999, all diving boards were removed, which significantly reduced the “fun factor.” Additions of small slides and climbing walls at some locations helped to address this, but were not a real solution.

Quimby McCoy Preservation Architecture

Design concept for the Samuell Grand Park pool, which opened in 1953 in the eastern section of Dallas. This new facility will be called the Regional Family Aquatic Center at Samuell Grand Park and will be the largest of the city’s family aquatic centers.

sundeck. Saving this iconic feature of the park was important to the park department and many in the neighborhood who had grown up enjoying this pool. During the master planning process, this facility was designated as a regional aquatic center because of its prime location in the eastern section of the city. Regional facilities will be the largest of the family aquatic centers and will feature an eight-lane lap pool, lazy river, kids pool, play features, slides with plunge pool, shade structures and a bathhouse. Regional facilities are projected to have a capacity of 600 visitors. Tietze Pool Built in 1947, Tietze Pool, and another pool built the same year, share the dis-

tinction of being the oldest operating pools in the Dallas park system. At 70 years old, it holds a special place in the memories of several generations of users that have passed through its gates. Tietze Pool is part of an 8.5-acre park that also houses a Work Projects Administration-era stone pavilion with concession stand, softball field, tennis court, basketball court, playground and a half-mile loop trail. An active Friends Group supports the park by organizing activities, raising funds and advocating for improvements. Because the Tietze Pool is in a small park with limited parking, the master plan identified it as a “neighborhood” aquatic center. Neighborhood centers feature a four-lane lap pool, kid pool,

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Kimley-Horn

Site plan for the Regional Family Aquatic Center at Samuell Grand Park in in Dallas, Texas.

play features, slides with run-out, shade structures and bathhouse and are designed for a capacity of 200 visitors. In with the New While Keeping the Old The greatest challenge with renovating the Samuell Grand and Tietze bathhouses was in meeting current codes — the energy code, ADA and health services code — in buildings that are seven decades old. At both bathhouses, raising deck levels to the height of existing buildings to eliminate steps, widening doorways in existing stone and brick walls, and squeezing new program needs into existing spaces are examples of these challenges. Existing restrooms are not ADA accessible, are difficult to maneuver in and have inadequate plumbing fixture counts. Showers and changing stalls must replace the single old-school, pull-chain deck shower. Codes also require the addition of hot water, not only for the locker rooms, but also for the concession stands that were included as part of the project. The concession stands also serve as a prime example of how design and oper106 Parks & Recreation

ational choices can impact construction. For the concession stand menu offerings at both centers, the health services code requires air conditioning where none previously existed. The new HVAC system requires that the building envelope meet the energy code, which mandates insulation. In addition, the ADA requires specific heights for counters and the reworking of stone openings. At Samuell Grand, repurposing the old bathhouse posed several challenges for the design team, because the building did not provide all the space to meet current needs and was also in violation of current ADA and energy codes. The design strategy calls for renovating the old bathhouse and constructing a new building, doubling the space. The old bathhouse will house a new concession stand, a covered outdoor eating area, two family restrooms and a storage room, while the new building will house ticketing, office, lifeguard and locker rooms, and a storage space. A compatible filtration building was designed to conceal equipment and replace the old filtration yard. The

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new building adjoins the old bathhouse and is oriented to form the entrance portal to the facility. Architects borrowed design elements from the old bathhouse to create a compatible aesthetic. This approach preserves an important element of the existing facility and now provides a focal point for the new pools. From the very first public meeting, it was clear that the Tietze Park neighborhood felt strongly about keeping its historic stone pool building. Similar to Samuell Grand, its stone building, featuring large arched entries, posed numerous challenges. The old building housed a men’s and women’s restroom on one side and small ticket office and storage space on the other, connected by a covered entry breezeway. Locker rooms needed to be expanded to meet code in their existing location, so the design team decided to convert the entire pool building to include a men’s and women’s locker room, a family restroom and equipment storage space. This design decision meant that the ticket office would be moved to the old concession building where it would share space with the renovated concession space and a small guard room. This approach relocates the pool entrance to an existing plaza in the middle of the park and allows concessions to serve the pool and the park. A new filtration building was also needed and designed to complement the architecture of the existing buildings and replace the old equipment yard. The ripple effect of design decisions and the need to meet current codes have an impact on construction budgets, but the cost is well worth it, as we preserve the history and memories of our fast-changing cities. Robin Steinshnider is the Aquatic Services Manager for Dallas Park & Recreation (robin. steinshnider@dallascityhall.com). David Mills is an Architect and Project Manager for the Dallas Park & Recreation Department (david.mills@ dallascityhall.com).

Operations

Become a Parks and Recreation Trendsetter Use a hospitality mindset and choose your offerings wisely to do so By Sherry Howell

here is a subtle shift going on in America. Local communities are becoming hubs for family entertainment, and park and recreation offerings are evolving into much more than green parks, playgrounds and swimming pools. With public interest in local family entertainment destinations growing year after year, park and recreation facilities are perfectly positioned to offer a much needed, and increasingly appreciated, service to their communities. But expectations are high. Major theme parks across the country attempt to “out do” each, evolving into immersive experiences based on virtual reality technology and theatrical environments. And, the fascination with extreme sports continues to grow exponentially, busting through generational, cultural and financial divides. The demand for local park and recreation facilities to offer amenity-rich attraction experiences is undeniable, from thrill slides and aquatic offerings to ziplines and trampolines to full-blown water and adventure parks. There are so many entertainment options available, and consumers today expect larger-thanlife, well-themed attractions. Shifting to a hospitality mindset will help your organization anticipate the changing needs of your community members. But, how do park and recreation teams decide what new entertainment and enrichment

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services will be right for their communities? Here are three guiding principles every park and recreation department should use when considering which trends to bypass and which to ride! 1. Offer Larger Than Life Experiences — In Their Backyard. U.S. workers left a staggering 662 million vacation days unused in 2016, and 54 percent of respondents to a recent Enterprise RentA-Car “On Weekend” survey said that “exploring new places” would make their weekends better. This means, your organization has the unique opportunity to coax community members out of their offices and into your parks. Offering a diverse amusement experience can renew interest in both new and existing programs, as well as increase regional tourism, which will support your local economy. Local venues can capitalize on how busy

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families are by positioning their facilities as premier entertainment destinations right in their own backyards. 2. Focus on Attractions that Support Your Mission and Vision. To determine the right attractions for your community, it is important to revisit your organization’s primary purpose. While most park and rec departments aim to help community members live healthier, more enriched lives, each has its own unique vision and mission. For example, the mission of Oregon’s Parks and Recreation Department “is to provide and protect outstanding natural, scenic, cultural, historic and recreational sites for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations.” But, the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board says it “exists to provide places and recreation opportunities for all people to gather, celebrate, contemplate and engage in activities that promote health, well-being, community and the environment.” The differences are subtle but provide significant insight into what amusements or attractions would best suit their different community goals. As you plan for your venue’s future, carefully consider what core goals will drive your programs. Once you have a clear picture of what your organization wants to accomplish, this will become the lens through which you view all opportunities, including what you offer, how you price it, whom new attractions serve and more. 3. Fully Assess Related Revenue Streams. Expanded offerings naturally come with additional revenue opportunities — both direct and indirect. Be sure to consider revenue sources beyond just attraction

pricing. Food and beverage, for example, is an often-overlooked opportunity to increase revenue and enhance community members’ overall experience. The Foodie Trend Many cities are noticing a local culinary explosion aimed at “foodies” who desire more unique dining experiences. Consider how food and beverage options, such as in-park restaurants and cafes, concessions and group event catering can become solid sources of revenue while keeping your visitors on-site and enjoying all that you have to offer. Beware: Leasing space to an outside food and beverage operator may seem like a “low-risk” alternative to learning and managing that portion of your venue, but keep in mind that doing so allows someone else to impact how your entire facility is viewed by the local community. Poor service, food safety issues and quality shortcomings will still reflect on your venue, not just your tenant. Loyalty and Membership Programs Season passes and packages provide any number of ways to create loyalty and increase revenue. Consider offering several levels of season passes for individuals and families. You can even include discounts or perks for food and beverage, classes or merchandise to encourage adoption. Keep abreast of new trends in fitness and leisure so that you’re offering compelling packages — think fitness boot camp series, summertime sunset yoga or hip-hop toning classes — to attract participation across demographics. And, make sure it is easy for visitors to search for and purchase offerings both online and on-site to compete with other established family entertainment and amusement venues. Group and Special Events Simply taking a “space rental” approach to events is low-maintenance, but it is also low value. On average, more than 50

percent of people would be willing to pay more for a better experience, and there’s no better way to deliver an exceptional experience than with a custom event. While successfully offering planned and hosted events and birthday parties requires dedicated event sales, marketing and human resources strategies, the revenue potential is also much larger. Make Sure Your Infrastructure Is Scalable Finally, expanding your offerings to become a premier entertainment experience means you’ll need to examine your current operational practices. Attractions, such as zip lines, ropes courses and ninja courses, and wet attractions, like slides and rides, require safety training, certifications and often a liability waiver system that has been reviewed by your local legal coun-

sel. Carefully plan how you will check in guests and verify passes, manage visitor throughput, and analyze the rides and programs that see the most traffic and are most successful, and which ones need to be adjusted or eliminated. If it sounds overwhelming, consider working with an expert in the family entertainment, amusement and fitness-attraction industries to talk through things like access control, line management and more. Becoming a premier entertainment destination isn’t necessarily simple, but the rewards are many. Note: Detailed references for this article are available at www.parksandrecreation. org/2017/September/become-a-parks-andrecreation-trendsetter. Sherry Howell is Director of Client Success at CenterEdge Software (showell@ centeredgesoftware.com).

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Products Informational Signage Even young children on the playground can “read” pictures. Recognized symbols will help kids know what they can do here, where to go to do that and, maybe, what not to do. Informational signage will make your playgrounds user friendly. Pilot Rock laminated signs are durable 3-ply aluminum with a polyethylene core, are rated for exterior use and are UV stable. Dozens of familiar symbols are available, or we can customize one just for you. You pick the symbol, color and sign size needed for your location. PILOT ROCK, 712.225.5115, WWW.PILOTROCK.COM

Outdoor Ice Rink Wondering what to do with your empty winter space? Turn that empty space into a fun outdoor skating place! Turn it into an outdoor NiceRink. We make it easy with long-lasting plastic sideboards, patented support brackets, hand resurfacers, liners and more — every component you need for outdoor ice rink peace of mind. NICERINK, 888.642.3746, WWW.NICERINK.COM

Durable and Functional Shade Structures Paris Site Furnishings introduces the Sombra Shade table in NRPA Booth #2656. This new model features design elements that are stylish and functional, such as tubular-steel framing for increased strength and lower weight, and swirl-patterned perforations for aesthetics and better airflow. Constructed of rust-proofed steel that is powder coated to withstand the elements and available in a variety of colors, these attractive, functional and economical shade tables are ideal for parks, sports venues or wherever shade structures are desired. PARIS SITE FURNISHINGS AND OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT, 800.387.6318, WWW.PEML.COM

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Hopper Spreaders Equipped with updated controls and enhanced material-spreading features, the new SnowEx® V-Maxx™ G2 hopper spreaders offer greater performance and operating efficiency for municipalities with large ice-control applications. A new dual variable-speed control is more compact than on previous models. This digital, self-diagnosing unit allows independent adjustment of spinner and auger speeds, while convenient buttons offer easy control of the standard vibrator and optional accessories. It includes an auto-reverse function to easily clear auger jams. SNOWEX, WWW.SNOWEXPRODUCTS.COM

Organic Plant Solutions

pH and PPM Controller

Arborjet’s Eco-1 Garden Spray is a botanical blend of thyme, peppermint and flaxseed oils, creating a unique emulsion that offers up to 15 times more active ingredients for highly effective disease and pest control. Formulated with EPA Minimum Risk active ingredients allowed for use on food crops, Eco-1 is nontoxic to people and pets, and is ideal for organic growing — even on edibles that will be harvested the same day. It is also a vegan-friendly product with no animal byproducts included, a rare, yet sought-after garden product quality for those with dietary restrictions. ARBORJET, 781.935.9070, WWW.ARBORJET. COM

SmarterPool is a revolutionary pH and PPM controller that isn’t affected by cyanuric acid, pH or saltwater chlorine generators. Using a blend of the TrueDPD free chlorine sensor and the PoolWarden controller technology, the SmarterPool is easier to use than most ORP chemical controllers because there is less to set up. With the increased popularity of saltwater chlorine generators, it can be challenging to properly set up an ORP controller. SmarterPool provides a simple solution. CONTROLOMATIC, 530.205.4520, WWW.CONTROLOMATIC.COM

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Asphalt Anchors Asphalt Anchors has developed a family of anchors designed specifically for mounting equipment to asphalt surfaces. Asphalt presents a challenge when trying to mount heavy equipment to it. This is even more of a challenge when trying to attach structures to asphalt surfaces in pavements and parking lots since the asphalt there is significantly shallower than the asphalt on roadways. The asphalt fasteners are also known as asphalt screws. The anchors comprise a sleeve with an internal thread that accept external screws or bolts. The anchors are mounted flush with the surface and do not pose a tripping hazard when left in the ground. ASPHALT ANCHORS, 973.669.8214, WWW. ASPHALTANCHORS.COM

Natural Chemistry’s Instant Pool Water Conditioner is used for stabilizing chlorine from UV sunlight loss. It begins working to protect chlorine the instant it is added to the pool. Instant Pool Water Conditioner is an ideal alternative to granular cyanuric acid. Granular products have a pH of 2.8, making them acidic and less gentle on pool surfaces and equipment. Granular stabilizer products can also take up to a week to dissolve in cold water. Natural Chemistry’s Instant Pool Water Conditioner is not an acid (it’s a salt) and has a pool-friendly pH, so it will not damage pool surfaces or equipment. This product is ideal for outdoor aquatic facilities that want to instantly protect chlorine from sunlight. NATURAL CHEMISTRY, 800.753.1233, WWW.NATURALCHEMISTRY.COM

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Grassmats ..........................................................................116 Great American Business Products/ Pet Waste Eliminator ....................................................... 75 Greenfields Outdoor Fitness....................................... 2, 3 Gyms for Dogs .................................................................115 Hayward Commercial Aquatics .............................92-93 Hydrorider .....................................................................92-93 Imagination International ............................................. 33 iZone Imaging .................................................................119 Jacobsen .............................................................................. 19 Jayhawk Plastics..............................................................115 John Deere .......................................................................... 73 KayPark Recreation Company....................................116 Landmark Studios ..........................................................116 Landscape Structures, Inc. ...............................................5 Lincoln Aquatics ............................................................... 37 little tikes ................................................................................7 Miracle .................................................................................. 31 Mosca Designs Inc......................................................92-93 Most Dependable Fountains ..................................... CV2 Murdock Manufacturing ................................................ 41 Musco Sports Lighting ................................................ CV3 National Construction Rentals...................................117 National Joint Powers Alliance .................................... 15 Nice Rink ............................................................................117 OmniFlow ......................................................................92-93 Pacific Sportswear & Emblem Co. .............................117 Paris Site Furnishing and Outdoor Fitness .............. 89 Pentair .................................................................. 92-93, 107

Pilot Rock/RJ Thomas ..................................................... 35 PlayWorld ............................................................................ 23 Poligon ................................................................................. 95 Pollyproducts ...................................................................117 POPP................................................................................92-93 Power System .................................................................... 65 PW Athletic Mfg. .........................................................92-93 QR F.I.T. Trail ..................................................................92-93 Safe Soccer Goals........................................................92-93 Salsbury Industries........................................................... 21 Scoremaster Goals .........................................................118 Shade Systems......................................................................1 Simkar ................................................................................... 27 Soil Technologies Corporation ..................................118 Spectrum Aquatics ........................................................118 Stageline Mobile Stages Inc .......................................118 Subway................................................................................. 11 Swingsetmall.com ............................................................ 81 The Toro Company ........................................................... 53 Themed Concepts ............................................................ 51 Think Green Promos ........................................................ 88 Thomas Steele Site Furnishing .................................... 45 Turf Tank ........................................................................92-93 Uline ...................................................................................... 17 Victor Stanley ........................................................................9 Vortex USA .......................................................................... 57 Water Safety Products ..............................................92-93 Waterloo Tent & Tarp ....................................................... 49 Waterplay Solutions ........................................................ 25 Willoughby Industries..................................................... 43

advertiser index

American Ramp Company ............................................ 99 American Swing ..............................................................112 Americana Building Products Inc. ........................92-93 Amish Country Gazebos ..............................................112 Anchor Audio ...................................................................112 Aquatix ................................................................................. 71 Asphalt Anchors..............................................................112 Away with Geese ............................................................113 Berliner ...........................................................................92-93 BoMar .................................................................................113 Bright Idea.........................................................................113 Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects ....................... 29 CivicPlus ............................................................................... 13 Cochrane ............................................................................. 77 Cre8Play ............................................................................... 39 Daktronics ........................................................................... 47 Darice ..............................................................................92-93 Disc Golf Association.....................................................114 Doty and Sons .................................................................114 E.T. Techtonics/Creative Pultrusions Inc. ............92-93 Easi-Set Buildings ...........................................................114 Eaton/Ephesus All Field............................................60-61 Eco-Counter .................................................................92-93 Engineered Wood Structures/Icon Shelters......92-93 Fountain People/Water Odyssey ..............................109 GameTime ........................................................................ CV4 Glasdon ..........................................................................92-93 Go Ape................................................................................115 GothicArch Greenhouses ............................................115

(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 ÂŠ2017 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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W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 |

Parks & Recreation

119

Park Bench

Back to School For several kindergartners in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, the usual first-day-of-school jitters were replaced with confidence. Why? Because this summer, they attended “Safety Town” camp, a five-day camp, hosted by the Monroeville Parks and Recreation Department. Designed to teach safety skills to children entering kindergarten, this program (http://nationalsafetytown.com/) has been around since 1937 when it was founded by police officer Frend Boals in Mansfield, Ohio. “I’ve been offering the program since 2008,” says JoAnne Morris, Monroeville’s program and special events director, “but I first learned about it when I registered my oldest son (who is now 34).” In addition to learning important information they’ll need to know if they were to ever get lost — their parent’s names, telephone numbers and addresses; how to safely cross the street; understanding street signs and traffic lights; and avoiding “stranger danger” — each day, the children also learn about a specific safety area from a certified public safety official: police, fire, water, home and school bus safety. On school bus safety day, the last day of the program, after listening to a school crossing guard about how to be safe while waiting for and getting on a school bus, the campers get to ride an actual school bus and take a short ride around the school complex. “To put this program together takes a lot of coordination to get all the speakers there on the particular day I need them,” says Morris. “The biggest challenge always seems to be arranging for a school bus with the school district. I believe letting the children have an opportunity to get on the big yellow bus with no parents helps to alleviate some of the fear on that first day of school.” Some parents of kindergartners also experience first-day jitters, and Morris has observed that Safety Town camp is as much a growing experience for the parents as it is for the children. She adds: “Parents have approached me saying that this is a program that all children heading to kindergarten should be required to attend. Their children have learned so much in a short time, and it has helped to put their fears to rest.” —Sonia Myrick is the Executive Editor for Parks & Recreation magazine

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