AAA - for review

blu

Master planning, especially when it makes use of significant community involvement, is a complex process. In reviewing master-planning projects in six widely varying urban public spaces, the Urban Parks Institute identifies key elements that make for success.

Parks and Recreation Director William Smith tells about the development of "Funday" events to draw kids and families to neighborhood parks throughout Houston.

Lessons in evaluating parks, observation, and making short and long-term recommendations.

Chuck Flink, Founder of Greenways, Inc. discusses key elements that help the success of greenways, inclding history, form, safety, and stewardship.

Representatives from the Austin Parks Foundation and the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department discuss the advantages and strategies of partnerships between parks departments and citizens/private organizations.

Lear's Magazine report on a botanic garden that gives work to individuals, provides food to Meals-on-Wheels, and provides a location where judges can send troubled teens to serve alternative sentences.

List of Successful Examples of UPARR Grants.

Details of plan that tranformed a 1,480-acre former military post from the U.S. Army to the National Park Service - resulting in Presdio Park.

A case study about the successful efforts of a coalition of groups to preserve the "Soul of Austin" - Barton Springs - and its watershed.

Emerging from the St. Louis 2004 Parks and Open Space Task Force, Gateway Parks and Trails 2004 was incorporated in January, 1999. Its purpose is to oversee the Clean Water, Safe Parks and Community Trails Initiative, a proposal to create a metropolitan recreation district

Robert Hall's Presidential Speech to the NRPA.

Examples of goals for increasing and diversifying use, submitted by parks funded by the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds' Urban Parks Initiative.

A list of critical success factors for the long-term operation of the Hartford Riverfront, as identified by the Ad Hoc Riverfront Council.

A nice page of links to potential funding sources for community gardens. From the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champlain

In Prince William County, Virginia, a division was established to finance and run park programs, resulting in a wider range of user services and the greater independence of parks from the county budget. A Success Story from the Urban Parks Institute.

A true partnership encourages community use and stewardship over a park on the west side of Manhattan. A Success Story from the Urban Parks Institute.

Property can be used to create funding...and how Wilkenson has done this.

Here's an example of Baltimore's small-grants programs and information about how it works.

Yes indeed, it exists, but it's a commercial site with limited utility. They are also compiling a database of dog parks around the US.

A sliding puzzle with a picture of a dog park on it. Not helpful, but extremely distracting.

March 17 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer - The Seattle PI takes a closer look at the history and final round of clean-up for this brownfield turned urban park.

Community Survey.

Visitor survey.

A Success Story from the Urban Parks Institute.

Park-use survey.

Jeff Coates, Manager, GAPS Program, Indy Parks and Recreation program discusses successful parks partnerships.

Marc Roberts from the Harvard School of Public Health gives an in-depth guide to taking charge and making change happen.

Examples of Bus shelters, newsstands, automatic public toilets information kiosks, and telephones collected by the Municipal Art Society of New York City.

October 15 - Project for Public Spaces - After seven years as an initiative of Project for Public Spaces, the Urban Parks Institute expands its activities with a membership program.

Examples and strategies adapted from Portland Parks & Recreation's Parks Assessment Summary.

Once forgotten, the Garfield Park Conservatory is now a thriving destination on Chicago's West Side. How did a deteriorated, seldom-visited Conservatory turn itself into a catalyst for community improvement?

Take a look at some of the most exciting and original park programming inspired by the Fall season.

An ongoing listing of briefs on building-related innovations, events, and activities.

A consultant designed these 16 questions for Atlanta, Georgia's Piedmont Park Conservancy, in order to elicit information from the public regarding park improvement plans.

oh yeah

All are invited to particpate in a workshop for visioning the future of the coveted Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Fred Kent has spent three decades developing a common-sense approach to streets, buildings and human sociability. Governing Magazine, in April 2005, chose to get a better perspective on Placemaking.