October 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 10

P E RS P E C T I V E S A M E S S A G E F R O M N R PA' S L E A D E RS

'Make No Little Plans...'
I'm a Parks Kid! I grew up at Florida's Haulover Beach Park, boating,
fishing, diving, and I played just
about every sport on every ballfield
in Miami-Dade County. These experiences defined me and are where
my memories and character developed. All it took was a parks internship to hook me, for life, in this
profession.
So, after 38 years in the business,
here's some of what I've learned:
As park professionals, we are far
more sophisticated than bats, balls
and babysitting for afterschool programs. We plan, build, operate,
program and maintain our nation's
community and regional park systems! We are the creators and keepers of the experience that happens
when people are in public spaces.
Parks represent fairness, access, inclusion and social
equity - no matter race, color, creed, age, ability or
disability - and that is an enormously noble venture.
They are not only destinations; they're also a metaphor
for healthy, happy and prosperous communities. They
are great public/civic spaces, natural and cultural areas, greenways, blueways, trails and complete streets
that connect it all together.
Nationwide, operations and capital spending for local
parks alone generates more than $154 billion in annual
economic activity and supports more than 1.1 million
jobs. More than 85 studies link parks to better physical,
mental and spiritual health and well-being that significantly increase our life expectancy.
Yet, no other government function has been as undervalued and underfunded as parks and recreation! The
Penn State Study shows the steady decline in park
funding over the past 10 years; in some cases, more
than 20 percent less than our police and fire rescue

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counterparts. We know that for every kid police and
fire rescues, we save 99 through prevention programs,
coaching and mentoring. So, where is our recognition?
As Florida Recreation and Park Association's past
chair Joan Byrne says, we need to stop needing to be
liked and start demanding the respect we deserve for
the impact we make!
To that end, and in addition to continuing to represent
member interests through innovation, education and
support, NRPA should further leverage three strategies: Collaborating, partnering and further developing a nationwide park movement that builds on the
10-Minute Walk Campaign underway with TPL and
ULI, and focusing on creating resilient park districts
with secure, dedicated funding streams. And we can do
this by building coalitions and developing campaign
tactics and marketing messages that elevate the aspirations of every citizen to increase park advocacy.
We should own the voices of our pillars, taking deeper
dives into research and equipping each of you with the
data you need, especially in the areas of resiliency, urban revitalization and economic impact.
We will build our philanthropic capacity to provide
you with the resources needed to sustain this nationwide parks movement.
NRPA is a force multiplier. No one has more boots
on the ground or more impact than you, our members, and it is NRPA's job to equip you in this movement. So, in the words of Chicago's Daniel Burnham,
" Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir
men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans, aim high in hope and work.... "
NRPA will keep us all thinking big and equipping us
to deliver great results!

JACK K ARDYS
NRPA's Chair of the Board of Directors

October 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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