June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 41

that we keep these parks open so that
their communities can benefit.
Victor Rubin: Our goal is to promote
" healthy communities of opportunity. " We often see very high-quality
parks and environmental amenities in
upper-income communities that people take for granted and are a basic
part of life, but are often missing in
low-income communities and communities of color. These disparities in
park quality, safety and access prevent
people from exercising the healthy
choice for active living and other aspects of a healthy lifestyle.
P&R: When looking at social and environmental conditions that cause
health inequities, it is important to
examine community " assets " and
the relationship of those assets with
the community. How does parks
and recreation fit into that analysis?
Thompson: When a community is
addressing health equity, it must look
at the role that various community
factors play. An essential part of being
healthy is having access to safe places for play, recreation and connecting
with neighbors. Parks are unique in
that they are not just places for recreation and physical activity, they
also provide a way of building social
capital and a sense of community.
When we look at parks as safe and
lively forces in a community, we call
these " anchor institutions. " Churches, community centers and parks can
be viewed as anchors, or places that
the community views as central to
its health and well-being. Parks have
long served their purpose as providing
a safe haven for communities. When
addressing the root causes of health
inequities, one has to closely examine
the structures in the environment that
are either health-promoting or creating a barrier for good health.

Rubin: The " healthy communities
of opportunity " concept reminds us
that this is not only about creating
environments for people to exercise a
healthy lifestyle. This is about creating
community-wide assets that generate
healthy environments. People are trying to rebuild their communities so
that they are safe, vibrant and healthy.
Parks play a huge role in that, as they
are the most important way that social
cohesion and social capital are built in
a community through public spaces.
P&R: What have been some successful examples of parks and recreation addressing access equity?
Thompson: We worked with a community in Santa Ana, California,
where there were no parks. Kids were
playing in dumpsters and could not
run on the grass. It was a tragic thing
to see. This was a primarily Latino
area in one of richest counties in California - the county that includes
Disneyland. Unfortunately, our
country is filled with communities
like this, where one side of the county
might be thriving and the other side is
neglected. Thanks to a lot of strong
advocacy from a local group called
Latino Health Access, and support
from the California Endowment and
a few other resources, they were able
to get a park in place. It took a lot of
consistent advocacy and outreach to
local government officials about the
neglect in that community, and as a
result, they were able to secure the
funding and support needed to build
a place in which kids could play in a
safe environment.
In the city of Los Angeles, we saw
a great example with the " Parks After
Dark " program at a park that was a site
for a lot of criminal activity. Community members decided to take a stand
and try to reclaim that park as a site for

family gatherings and recreation. Over
a period of years, they transformed
the park into a national model with all
kinds of recreational activities happening during the day and at night. They
partnered with the police department
and vendors to participate in activities.
It's a really vibrant, thriving park now
that's such a story of transformation,
and a shining example of how a community can take a stand and work with
their local parks.
P&R: What advice would you give
a park and recreation agency that
is beginning to address health disparities in its community?
Thompson: Strengthen your role as
an anchor in the community. Park
and recreation agencies could be a
place for co-location of public and social services. Health screenings, health
fairs, job postings and food pantries
are some of the activities that position
parks as a place for civic engagement.
Rubin: Park advocates and officials
should not assume that other community leaders are aware of the health
benefits of parks and the ways in which
parks can help in addressing health inequities. Some leaders may not recognize the community focus that parks
have. Park and recreation agencies
should be ready to make the case when
the opportunity arises. Better yet, they
should educate groups even before they
convene for planning. Parks should be
highly visible and vocal when promoting the need for health equity to key
decision makers. It is also critical for
park officials to be actively involved in
the community planning process, even
if the planning department is taking
the lead, as there is always a need for a
health focus.
Zarnaaz Bashir is NRPA's Director of Strategic
Health Initiatives (zbashir@nrpa.org).

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June 2015 - Parks & Recreation

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