If a community believes its parks are unsafe, even those who wish to use them will stay away. This was the case in Minneapolis, Minnesota, particularly around the city’s Northside parks. 

To increase park use, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) expanded its StreetReach program, in which staff engage directly with people living in and near the proximity of strategically targeted parks. According to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 2012 StreetReach report “The StreetReach staff served as a visible adult presence to the community and provided supervision for youth.” Designed to reach individuals ages 10 to 21, StreetReach connects youth to positive activities, and links them to available community resources and programs. Ultimately, StreetReach seeks to improve safety perceptions and increase multi-generational park use.

In 2010, with assistance from the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support, MPRB identified neighborhoods with the highest levels of violence in the city. Three parks were chosen in which to focus program efforts: Fairview, Folwell, and North Commons. The health department developed door-to-door surveys, which were subsequently conducted by seven members of the StreetReach staff to assess park use and safety perceptions. The surveys assisted the staff in building relationships and gaining trust with community members, which led to community buy-in and support for park-related activities.

In 2011, the partners expanded StreetReach’s focus to include families with young children. Program staff conducted door-to-door outreach to invite residents to Family Festivals held in each of the three intervention parks. Because the program operated concurrently with ongoing healthy eating initiatives in Minneapolis, healthy food options were provided for attendees, which at one festival exceeded 300 people. 

Initial impact surveys show that park attendance increased. In a pre-post survey conducted in June and October 2010, 76 percent of survey respondents indicated they felt their parks were “more safe” than in the previous year. Respondents who indicated that the parks were safer most-often cited increased presence in the parks as a reason, sometimes specifically mentioning StreetReach Staff. Additionally, eight percent of respondents of surveys taken at festivals indicated they had never been to that particular park prior to the event. 

According to MPRB, building a relationship with the health department was key to the program’s successes. MPRB also acknowledges the support provided by the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board and the Peace Foundation. 

StreetReach continued to encourage increased park use and opportunities for physical activity in the three intervention parks through summer 2011. Expansion of the program is expected contingent on funding.