December 2017 - Parks & Recreation - 12

EDITOR'S LET TER

A Time for Celebration
It's the time of the year when communities around the world are in
a festive, celebratory mood. From decked out neighborhoods and
city streets, to parks aglow with holiday lights, there are plenty of
opportunities for people to come together to ring out the old and
ring in the new year.
When it comes to community celebration, music, particularly outdoor music, is a great harmonizer. In " Urban Music Festivals, Considered, " this month's cover story on page 56, author Eric Tamulonis looks at the spectacle behind the popularity of music festivals
and the pros and cons of producing concerts in a park setting. He
addresses the security risks involved with music festivals, but points
out that park and rec agencies shouldn't be deterred from hosting
such events: " ...it is a tribute to the ideals of our society that we
continue to define major urban gatherings as a public good, one that
is worthy of protection to prevent harm, " he writes.
Communities coming together to celebrate the outdoors and being connected should be the norm
rather than the exception. And, in " Open Streets: ICT Brings Wichitans Together! " on page 64,
Troy Houtman of the City of Wichita, Park and Recreation Department, shares how his community has embraced Open Streets, a growing movement across the United States that entails closing
a city street to vehicular traffic and paving the way for bicyclists, walkers, runners and other culture-related activities.
Grand openings are another time for celebration, and our annual conference a few months ago in
New Orleans began on a celebratory note with the opening of Lemann Park, the 2017 Parks Build
Community project, along a portion of the Lafitte Greenway. Learn more about that project and
its opening in Paula Jacoby-Garrett's article on page 68, and be on the lookout in upcoming issues
of Parks & Recreation for details about the 2018 Parks Build Community project - Sandorf Park,
in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Finally, in " The 10-Minute Walk Campaign, " on page 61, Parks & Recreation Executive Editor
Sonia Myrick goes one-on-one with the Trust for Public Land (TPL) President and CEO Will
Rogers. During this exclusive interview, Rogers discusses how the partnership between TPL, the
Urban Land Institute and NRPA formed, as well as the rationale behind the 10-minute walk
campaign. According to Rogers, " This campaign is based on two key concepts that are directly
connected - park access and park quality. "
It's been an exciting year for NRPA and Parks and Recreation magazine. Our goal with each issue is
to address the topics that matter most to you and your park and rec agency, so we welcome your
feedback and suggestions for articles. We wish you and your family a joyous holiday season and
a very successful 2018!

GINA MULLINS-COHEN
Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Publishing
Editorial Director
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Parks & Recreation

| D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

PRESIDENT AND CEO
Barbara Tulipane, CAE
VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING,
COMMUNICATIONS AND
PUBLISHING, AND EDITORIAL
DIRECTOR
Gina Mullins-Cohen
gcohen@nrpa.org
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Sonia Myrick
smyrick@nrpa.org
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Cort Jones
cjones@nrpa.org
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR
Catrina Belt
cbelt@nrpa.org
PUBLICATION DESIGN
Creative By Design
www.creativebydesign.net
SENIOR SALES MANAGER
EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE
Kip Ongstad
703.858.2174
kongstad@nrpa.org
SALES MANAGER
WESTERN REGION AND ASIA
Michelle Dellner
949.248.1057
mdellner@nrpa.org
MAGAZINE ADVISORY
BOARD MEMBERS
Keith Anderson
Gerald Brown
Ernest Burkeen
Brendan Daley
Anthony-Paul Diaz
Ryan Eaker
Robert García
Kathleen Gibi
Sandra Gonzales
Tim Herd
Brian Johnson
Todd Lehman
Sam Mendelsohn
Maria Nardi
Lisa Paradis
Gil Peñalosa
Vic Richard
Dr. Kevin Riley
Karla Rivera
Paula Sliefert
Anne-Marie Spencer
Stephen Springs
Randy Wiger
December 2017 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2017 - Parks & Recreation
