Park Talk
The Trust for Public Land investigates park equity. Plus, Parks in the News: Opening up a new waterfront for New York, America's greenest city, and more.
Does your city or local park agency have a standard for the distance each resident should live from the closest park? Do you know where your closest park is? Would you use it more or less if it was closer?
"Access, or what might be called 'park equity,' may turn out to be a better measurement of park system excellence than total park acreage."
These are the questions the Trust for Public Land (TPL) is addressing in a report on park accessibility around the country that makes a case for close-by, walkable parks.
"Access, or what might be called 'park equity,' may turn out to be a better measurement of park system excellence than total park acreage," said Peter Harnik, Director of TPL's Center for City Park Excellence. "The issue that we are currently exploring is whether park agencies have a specific accessibility goal, such as 'a park within X blocks, or X/10s of a mile, of every resident.'"
If your city has an explicit goal, TPL wants to know how close you are to achieving it and what mechanisms are in place to attain it. You can email Peter Harnik or Jeff Simms, or call (202) 543-7552 (by July 15th at the latest) if you'd like to contribute. Park users, elected officials, park directors, and anyone else, especially people from smaller cities, are encouraged to respond.
Look for the finished report to be posted on TPL's website in September.
Parks in the News
Chicago's Mayor Daley Promises Green Crusade
Metropolis Magazine The longtime Chicago mayor has vowed to make his city the greenest in the nation. (July 2004)
Architect Aims to Revive New York's East Side Waterfront
Bloomberg British architect Richard Rogers is working on a plan to bury part of the highway along New York's East River and create a waterfront from the lower East Side to the southern tip of Manhattan. (June 21)
Boston's Big Dig Centerpiece Park Lacks Plan
Boston Globe While Boston's new Rose Kennedy Greenway will replace an elevated highway with a mile-long park this summer, key details, such as a final design, are not in place. (June 13)
Building an 'Emerald Necklace' From Maine to Florida
New York Times The East Coast Greenway, a cyclist's version of the Appalachian Trail, begins in Calais, Maine, and ends in Key West, Florida; 20% of it is completed. (June 4)
Philadelphia Spurns a $1 Million Offer to Reverse Skateboarding Ban
Philadelphia Inquirer A California sneaker manufacturer offered $1 million to repair skateboard damage if the city would lift the skating ban on Love Park; the City says skateboarding interferes with other users of the park. (June 2)
'Courthouse Square' Concept Making Small Town Comeback
Chicago Tribune The Southern tradition of towns clustering around the courthouse and the courthouse square is on the rise. (May 22)
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