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Great Week for a Walk to (and in) a Park
Before we talk sunshine and rainbows, let's send some good vibes from the park and rec world to our friends on the Gulf Coast and inland affected by Hurricane Michael. You can make donations for victims of Hurricane Michael by visiting redcross.org or texting the word MICHAEL to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
This week, I was in Boston for the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) fall meeting. I was struck by the number of sessions that featured parks and open space. My take away is that we, in the public sector, are not alone in our love and passion for parks. From developers to nonprofit execs, conservancies, designers, and finance gurus — everyone was having in-depth conversations about the power of parks and how to finance, build, operate and maintain quality parks in the public and private sectors. In fact ULI just came out with some original research, The Case for Open Space: Why the Real Estate Industry Should Invest in Parks and Open Spaces. Give it a read.
On Wednesday, NRPA, along with the Trust for Public Land (TPL) and ULI celebrated the first anniversary of the 10-Minute Walk campaign. Predicated on the bold notion that everyone in America should live within a 10-minute walk to a quality park, the campaign has attracted the support of over 220 mayors in cities large and small across the U.S.
We’re thrilled to be working on this campaign with our partners and all of you to ensure that everyone has access to quality parks. Here are four ways you can move the campaign forward in your city and agency:
- Get your mayor on board! If your mayor hasn’t yet signed onto the campaign, set up a meeting for Monday! Tell them it’s time to join their colleagues across the U.S. in committing to this critical campaign! Visit 10minutewalk.org to see all of the mayors who have signed on to date.
- Join the community committed to making the 10-Minute Walk vision a reality. NRPA has a 10-Minute Walk Learning Series where you can learn lessons from some of our 10-Minute Walk early adopters. You can also visit Parkology™ to engage with the broader parks community on tools and strategies they’re employing on 10-Minute Walk and more.
- Apply for a grant! NRPA is excited to offer grants and technical assistance to support planning efforts that help cities increase access to high-quality parks within a 10-minute walk. In the second round of grants 10 cities will receive $40,000 to work alongside NRPA, TPL, and ULI to develop their highest, best, and measurable commitment to the 10-Minute Walk Campaign. Apply now.
- Bring in the big guns! As part of the 10-Minute Walk campaign, ULI is offering specialized advisory service panels focused on parks, open space, resilience, park-connecting infrastructure, health and related issues. Because of the campaign, ULI can do this for $25k rather than $135k. So take a look and see what vexing park and development challenges you’re dealing with and bring in a team of designers, developers and finance experts to help you come up with solutions. Learn more.
Join us as we take this campaign to the next level and stay tuned for more resources. But also, let's take a moment to celebrate how far we’ve come in a year — 12 months ago zero mayors committing to the 10-minute walk vision, today over 220. That deserves a celebratory walk in the park.
Kevin O'Hara
Vice President of Urban and Government Affairs
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Stories That Matter
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Parks & Recreation
…and they’re willing to pay for it.
As part of the Great Urban Parks Campaign, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) awarded grant funding totaling $2 million to support green infrastructure projects in 10 U.S. communities.
Next City
Among this year’s fifteen “Great Places in America” are a bustling main street that spans two states, an amphitheater and park created from a brownfield, and a walkable Berkshires town famous for its flower bridge.
A new report suggests that Business Improvement Districts advocate for anti-homeless policies and to support policing practices that exclude or drive out homeless people.
Next City
As cities and states around the U.S. propose to rezone areas in order to solve problems such as housing shortages and poor connectivity to jobs, they could be creating other problems.
San Francisco Examiner
Environmental cleanup is a necessary part of modern development.
Cities Speak
To bridge the gap between urban and rural areas, we first need to understand what sets these communities apart and where they have common ground.
Next City
Urban planner and Toronto mayoral candidate Jennifer Keesmaat has come up with a proposal to create more green space in the city: if elected mayor, she says, she wants to turn three city-owned golf courses into public land.
Next City
To fight displacement, community engagement is key.
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Urban prairies are the kind of land that soaks up rain, like a “super-effective urban sponge,” which can be used as a tool in fighting more frequent major storms.
Pamplin Media
The city is giving away hundreds of large trees for people to plant at their homes, especially those in East Portland.
Route Fifty
A New Jersey city is combating flood risks with comprehensive parks planning.
The Washington Post
A new study published Monday has warned that climate change has adversely and uniquely affected many of the 417 national parks spread across the U.S.
Place
Artistic projects in Dutch cities aim to highlight the scourge of urban waste and transform it into something useful.
Next City
A new group brings a pro-active mindset to New Orleans’ water challenges.
Meeting of the Minds
It will not be possible to reduce climate change to manageable levels unless the human psychological and psycho-social-spiritual aspects of the crisis are aggressively addressed.
Next City
Vacant land and urban agriculture are rejuvenating wild bee populations. Bees love cities. What can cities do to love them back?
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Check out this free, step-by-step guide to developing fun, safe and healthy outdoor places.
City officials will move forward with an alternative plan for a part of the East Side Resiliency Project.
This new Washington, D.C. park plans to serve as an anchor for inclusive economic opportunity and will transform aged infrastructure into a new venue for healthy recreation, environmental education and the arts.
Some places lift children out of poverty. Others trap them there. Now cities are trying to do something about the difference.
Route Fifty
“Give them a sense of pride in what they do and it engenders commitment,” said Stephanie Holloman, the human resources director in Riverside, California.
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CityLab
Some libraries are getting young kids reading by taking the books outside.
Quick and Dirty Tips
It’s intuitive that getting out in nature is rejuvenating, but why?
Route Fifty
An artificial intelligence algorithm found a correlation between green space and obesity in several cities.
National League of Cities
The National League of Cities hosted mayors from around the country in Washington to highlight the partnership needed from our federal government to successfully combat the opioid crisis in cities across America.
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National Recreation and Park Association
Ten cities will receive $40,000 to work alongside NRPA, The Trust for Public Land (TPL), and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to develop their highest, best, and measurable commitment to the 10-Minute Walk Campaign. The application closes November 9.
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Because Everyone Deserves a Great Park
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© 2018 National Recreation and Park Association, All Rights Reserved
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