Dr. Daphne Miller might appear, at first blush, to be one of the more unlikely speakers at the International Urban Parks Conference taking place this summer in New York City. But just scratch beneath the surface of her bio, and engage her in conversation for just a moment, and it’s perfectly clear why someone whose [...]
Filed under: green infrastructure, health, partnerships, programming | Tagged: Greater and Greener, park prescriptions | Leave a Comment »
The closer the park and the easier to get to, the more likely it will be used. Conversely, people who live far from parks are apt to utilize them less. These obvious truths have implications for public health, but recognizing the problem does not automatically offer simple solutions for mayors, city councils, park directors, or [...]
Filed under: green infrastructure, health, planning, transportation | Tagged: atlanta, chicago, density, greenways, health, minneapolis, portland, seattle, transit | Leave a Comment »
The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation holds sway over 5,000 different properties encompassing 29,000 acres of land — nearly 15 percent of America’s largest city. The person who just passed the 10-year mark as NYC Parks Commissioner, Adrian Benepe, still lives with his wife and sons in the Upper West Side Manhattan [...]
Filed under: green infrastructure, health, partnerships, planning, renewal, transportation | Tagged: Adrian Benepe, Greater & Greener, Hudson River Greenway, NYC | Leave a Comment »
At 527 acres, Franklin Park is the largest greenspace in Boston, boasting a 220-acre forest, an 18-hole golf course, the regional zoo, tennis and basketball courts, baseball diamonds, a cricket pitch, miles of woodland trails, picnic areas, and playgrounds. It is the only park in Boston where one can bicycle and barbecue. Designed by Frederick [...]
Filed under: crime & safety, health, partnerships, programming | Tagged: boston, community action, Emerald Necklace, safety | Leave a Comment »
We recently came across an article by Randall Arendt discussing how greenway networks are the “useful bridge between ‘new urbanism’ and conservation design.” His article talks about using greenways as the connector to parks, neighborhoods, schools and mixed-use centers, allowing for urban and rural ideas to merge and produce a superior hybrid community form. He argues that [...]
Filed under: green infrastructure, health, planning, transportation | Tagged: connectivity, denver, greenways, health, rivers/streams, trails | 1 Comment »
An excerpt from The Trust for Public Land’s report From Fitness Zones to the Medical Mile: How Urban Park Systems Can Best Promote Health and Wellness. We wrote a preview of this report in an earlier post. In this post, we look at a mixture of uses and a maximum amount of programming. Mixing uses in parks [...]
Filed under: facilities, green infrastructure, health, partnerships, planning, programming | Tagged: cincinnati, design, fitness zones, health, los angeles, mental health, research | Leave a Comment »
The South Platte River has become a cherished recreational asset for residents and visitors to Denver. Thoughtful, visionary planning and public-private partnership have restored and transformed the city’s waterfront from what was once called an “urban dump” to refuge for wildlife and people alike. Local efforts to improve the river have created new jobs and [...]
Filed under: economics, employment, green infrastructure, health, renewal | Tagged: LWCF, natural resources | 1 Comment »
“FRONTLINE PARKS” highlights urban parks that are creating economic, environmental and social capital through new kinds of partnerships. This feature on CPA’s website (www.cityparksalliance.org) promotes inspiring examples of urban park excellence, innovation, and stewardship across the country. Twelve parks – one each month – will be featured on CPA’s website home page in 2012. Each [...]
Filed under: crime & safety, economics, employment, funding, green infrastructure, health, maintenance/management, partnerships, planning, programming, transportation | Tagged: City Parks Alliance, Frontline Parks | Leave a Comment »
We’ve written before about the need for urban parks to do more for public health. A new report by the Center for City Park Excellence, From Fitness Zones to the Medical Mile: How Urban Park Systems Can Best Promote Health and Wellness, looks at how individual parks and entire city park systems help people be healthier and more fit. The [...]
Filed under: green infrastructure, health, planning | Tagged: design, health, mental health, research | 1 Comment »
In early February, the New York City Council (36-12) approved, and Mayor Bloomberg signed, a ban on smoking in the city’s parks, beaches, pedestrian malls and plazas. Effective as of May 23rd, the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation can now impose $50 fines on rule breakers. Given what we know about the health value [...]
Filed under: health | Tagged: health, legal, new york city, research | 4 Comments »
