Thinking BEYOND A recent roundtable discussion hosted by NRPA and the American Planning Association generated new ideas on the role parks play in shaping successful cities and how park and recreation professionals can contribute to solving urban problems By Dena Levitz 54 Parks & Recreation | J U N E 2 0 1 4 | W W W. N R PA . O R G P arks leaders and urban planners need to look beyond the borders of parks and think of the public spaces they manage as part of a comprehensive " public realm " that is much more inclusive than just the lands identified as " parks. " These open spaces provide a type of connectivity for communities that can have great benefits to cities and urban metropolitan areas, say the planning and parks directors of nine major cities who gathered recently in Arlington, Virginia, for a roundtable sponsored by NRPA and the American Planning Association (APA). In addition, the participating parks and planning leaders agreed that embracing such a view enables them to work across department lines. This allows planning,