Jul 9, 2021 | Data & Resources, Impact, News
Today, the park equity movement in the U.S. is at a turning point. Parks and other green spaces are crucial for the health and wellbeing of communities—a fact made even clearer during the pandemic. But not all communities have access to these vital resources. Correcting inequities demands advocates’ utmost attention, urgency, and action. A new approach to achieving park equity can unlock transformation and usher in an era in which African American, Latino, and low-income urban communities are fair, just, and green.
Across the U.S., a growing number of jurisdictions are adopting park and green space equity policies. These include public finance measures that have an equity focus, park agency organizational changes, documentation of green space needs and inequities, joint use policies for school yards, land use policies that facilitate access to green space, policies and ordinances requiring community engagement for park development, and anti-displacement provisions within green space equity initiatives. But in many low-income communities of color, longstanding green space inequities remain. A growing movement of park equity advocates—including community members exercising their own power—is working to change that.
In the new paper, Changing the Landscape: People, Parks, and Power, Prevention Institute and Alessandro Rigolon of the University of Utah propose an approach to park and green space equity that prioritizes investing in the capacity of people closest to the problem so that they can drive policy and systems changes that will achieve population-level impacts. Support for this paper was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Key takeaways of Changing the Landscape: People, Parks, and Power are below. Please join us for a free webinar on Wednesday, July 28 at 10:00am Pacific Time to learn about these points in more depth and hear an update on the planning of RWJF’s new national funding initiative on park and green space equity.
- Urban parks and green spaces protect public health by providing opportunities for physical activity, time in nature, social connection, and respite. Parks also filter air, remove pollution, cool temperatures, and filter stormwater.
- African Americans, Latinos, and people who live in low-income, urban neighborhoods have less access to parks and green spaces than people who live in more affluent or predominantly white communities.
- These inequities are the product of policies and practices like residential segregation, redlining, racially biased planning decisions, and exclusionary zoning, as well as problematic narratives and ways of working in the green space field that have often excluded or tokenized communities of color.
- The traditional approach to addressing these inequities has focused on developing new parks or green infrastructure projects or improving existing projects. While project development is crucial, a sole focus on individual projects fails to address the existing system that produces—and will continue to produce—green space inequities.
- To address the root causes of green space inequities, the parks and green space field should embrace upstream policy and systems change.
- Power drives policy and systems change. Building the skills, capacity, and power of residents who live in park-poor neighborhoods is key to achieving green space equity.
Park and green space inequities will persist until the systems, policies, power dynamics, and narratives that produced these inequities in the first place are redesigned to produce equitable outcomes. By embracing the approach described in Changing the Landscape: People, Parks, and Power, advocates and jurisdictions can solve pervasive, structural inequities and support healthy, vibrant communities.
Jul 18, 2018 | Impact, Mini-Grant Projects, News
By Laura McKenzie
The People-Sentinel
Talyah Washington, 6, and King Rivera, 7, may not have understood what the blue ribbon was for to officially open an “all-inclusive” playground last week. They just wanted to have fun.
They also may not have realized that the person who was the instigator for the playground is an 8-year-old little girl with big dreams.
Talyah was born with Down Syndrome. King suffered a traumatic brain injury four years ago in a car accident. Despite cognitive and motor skill challenges, both are children who love to play.
The playground located at Lemon Park in Barnwell started with a question raised by Izzy Brandt to her parents, Stephanie and Shaun Brandt. “I took her to a Buddy Walk about two years ago. It’s a fundraising walk for kids with special needs,” Stephanie said. That experience made an impression on young Izzy who also has made friends with one special needs child.
Then, one day about a year ago they were at Lemon Park and Izzy noted that there wasn’t any playground equipment for kids with special needs. “They want to play too,” she told her mom.
Izzy and Stephanie contacted Pam Davis, director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Barnwell. Davis thought about the idea and decided to write a grant proposal to the S.C. Parks and Recreation Department (PARD).
She was notified that a grant for $12,000 was approved “but that was not enough for this type of playground.”
Axis 1 came to the rescue with a $10,000 grant through the Eat Smart, Move More Program.
The partnership resulted in the purchase and installation of a multi-level climber, “Cozy Cocoon”, seesaw, congos, and cabassa.
“The multi-level climber is where kids of all abilities can play,” explained Davis. “It helps improve motor skills, coordination, strength, and dexterity. This leads to self-achievement and greater self-esteem.”
Read the Full Article
May 15, 2018 | Impact, Mini-Grant Projects, News
KELSEY ALLEN, MPH, CHES
“To see a child who doesn’t have what their little heart cries out for, that’s what saddens me. There needs to be something for those children. We need to have something to serve those with disabilities in our community,” says City of Laurens Councilwoman Sylvia Douglas.
Councilwoman Douglas first brought up the idea of having inclusive play equipment in the City of Laurens 10 years ago. At that time and until this year, there was no play equipment like this in the City of Laurens. One of the barriers that she was facing in seeing this move forward was cost.
According to Councilwoman Douglas, hospitality tax can often offset the cost of this equipment as it is a draw for parents of children with special needs, who live outside of the city, to bring their children to use the City of Laurens parks. Today, she is thrilled to know that there is a now a swing for children with physical disabilities at Little River Park in Laurens. It is her hope and intention that there will be more to come.
“I think this shows that we are enlightened to this issue and we are looking out for this part of our community,” she says.
Brie Holmes, Chair of the Eat Smart Move More Laurens County, is also excited for this wonderful resource to now be available in Laurens.
“Opportunities for physical activity should not be exclusive to those without physical limitations or special needs. Inclusion and accessibility should be included in every discussion around our built environment, playgrounds especially. Healthy adults start as healthy children, and healthy children get outside and play! Every child deserves that opportunity.”
Creating change in our communities is possible with perseverance and partnership. This would not have been possible without the support of the mayor and city council of Laurens. Additionally, the city administrator, the Laurens County Disabilities and Special Needs Board, and ESMM Laurens County also supported this project. If you feel passionate about seeing these types of changes in your community, be encouraged that change often doesn’t happen quickly, but it is certainly possible.
Thank you, Councilwoman Douglas and the rest of the City of Laurens for this great addition to the parks!
