Examples of Open Spaces, Parks & RecLocalNew York’s Parks Department Helps Convert Vacant Lots into GardensA program of the New York Parks and Recreation Department, GreenThumb, supports more than 600 gardens that serve nearly 20,000 people. A majority of the gardens, which are located in underserved neighborhoods, used to be vacant lots. Funding came from Community Development Block Grants.www.greenthumbnyc.org Jogging Path Motivates Boyle Heights Residents to Exercise MoreCommunity members in Boyle Heights, Calif., have long struggled to be active and safe in their community. Boyle Heights is a predominantly lower-income Latino community and like many other disadvantaged communities, its residents had little access to open spaces. The local government worked with a coalition of community members and advocacy groups to install a rubberized jogging path modeled after one in a wealthier, nearby city. The new path, the Evergreen Cemetery Jogging Path, is now used by Boyle Heights residents and people from neighboring communities.www.preventioninstitute.org/pdf/BE_full_document_110304.pdf Atlanta Adopts BeltLine Initiative to Interconnect Parks, Trails and Light-Rail RoutesThe Atlanta BeltLine Initiative will create a 22-mile corridor of interconnected parks, trails and light-rail routes that surround the downtown area in order to address issues of urban sprawl, particularly traffic and lack of green space. The completed project will connect 45 neighborhoods and nearly 1,300 acres of new green space, plus improvements to 700 acres of existing parks. Funding for this project included federal dollars, the creation of a tax allocation district, which was the primary local funding source, as well as private funding sources.www.beltline.org/BeltLineBasics/BeltLineHistory/tabid/1703/Default.aspx www.usmayors.org/chhs/healthycities/documents/guide-20080306.pdf Miami Dade County Establishes New Principles to Revitalize Parks, Streets and Neighborhoods
The Miami-Dade County parks master plan establishes new principles to guide how the county plans parks and public places, and designs streets and sidewalks to encourage more people to walk and ride a bicycle. According to the master plan, the county’s vision is to create a new, interconnected framework for growth that results in a more livable, sustainable community. The system of parks and open spaces also will facilitate the revitalization of neighborhoods. For example, included in the plan is a 40-mile loop connecting Biscayne and Everglades national parks along the southern end of the county, and a north-to-south recreational and ecological zone along the eastern edge of the Everglades. Back to Open Spaces, Parks, and Rec home page |
