June 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 53

sion, understand the purpose and
see the problem at hand, they are
more likely to propel your efforts
forward and you will benefit more
from their technical expertise and
connection to the community.

Assessment as an
Engagement Tool
Once community partners were
established, the eight sites moved
forward with data collection and
understanding community needs.
Most of the sites found that although they may have been required
to hold traditional community
meetings regarding the project site,
interactive assessment activities,
not held during formal meetings,
were the most effective engagement tools. These included walk
audits, art in the park, community
festivals and pop-up demonstration
events. During these events, partners collected qualitative feedback
and encouraged community members to complete surveys. Many
of the tools used can be found on

We learned that community
members were concerned
about the levels of dangerous
activities occurring in
areas of the park and along
neighborhood streets.
NRPA's interactive Safe Routes to
Parks webpage (www.nrpa.org/
safe-routes-to-parks ).
Several key themes about safety
and access to parks emerged across
the sites through the various methods of assessment. A New Bedford official says, " We learned that
community members were concerned about the levels of dangerous activities occurring in areas of
the park and along neighborhood
streets. While the police reports do
not show violent crime occurring
within the study area, perceptions
of crime and gang-related activities
are real. We knew that one of our
main goals would be to create a safer space for the community. "

NEW BEDFORD PARKS, RECREATION AND BEACHES

Partners lifting up the voices of
the community to ensure representation in the process was another type of partnership. Ypsilanti
Township Recreation adds: " We
built a stronger relationship with
our neighborhood association.
And with this connection, we were
better able to bring awareness to
the park and build relationships to
identify needs at the park. "
Regardless of the role of the partners, a key aspect of their engagement was ensuring that everyone
understood why safe routes to parks
was important for communities.
Specifically, hands-on education
not only provided a role for partners, but also helped them better
understand the community. Kevin Hurley, trip leader at Specialist
Venture Outdoors in Pittsburgh,
writes the following about his experience helping third through eighth
graders conduct walk audits using
GoPro and geocaching:
Some people, some youth, must face
rather precarious conditions to access
green space, to be able to breathe fresh
air for an hour a day, to sit with companions or in solitude and write down
their thoughts, or do nothing at all but
listen to the birds and have a moment
of calmness. I'm extremely grateful
for having had the opportunity to
lead these two outings with these two
groups. Hearing feedback from students and working with the Pittsburgh
Parks Conservancy to try to ameliorate the conditions that some neighborhoods must face to get to places I
consider sacred and free to the public
was an eye-opener.
When partners buy into the mis-

When installed, a bump-out, or curb extension, like the one shown here, helps
to slow traffic and provide a shorter,
safer crossing distance for pedestrians.
W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | J U N E 2 0 1 8 |

Parks & Recreation

June 2018 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2018 - Parks & Recreation