Cities Can Have Health Promoting Park Systems Through Proximity, Accessibility, and Co-Location

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Peter Harnik

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: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

An Interconnected Park Web: How Greenways Create Healthy Communities

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Coleen Gentles

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: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Cities with Health Promoting Park Systems Provide Mixed Uses and Adequate Programming

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Peter Harnik

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: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Time for City Parks to Pull Their Weight

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Coleen Gentles

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: , , , | 1 Comment »

Smoking Bans in Public Parks

Posted on July 8, 2011 by John Crotty

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: , , , | 4 Comments »

Secrets of the Private Sector: How Parks and Recreation Agencies Can Flex Their Marketing Muscles

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Elissa Hoagland Izmailyan

According to a survey by The Trust for Public Land’s Center for City Park Excellence, almost half of the nation’s largest park departments do not spend any money on public outreach. Counting those that do, the average amount spent on marketing comes to only 46 cents per resident per year. Is marketing a smart investment [...]

Filed under: economics, health, partnerships, programming | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Green Gyms and Medical Miles: Promoting Public Health with Parks

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Ryan Donahue

We’ve previously looked at ways in which the medical community is using exercise prescriptions as a way to combat obesity and inactivity.  Park prescriptions are only a portion of the spectrum of exercise prescription programs. Fortunately, the growing awareness of the benefits of outdoor exercise – in addition to the cooperation of parks departments, environmental [...]

Filed under: green infrastructure, health, international | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Some news from around…

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Elissa Hoagland Izmailyan

Denver’s cemeteries grow into the role of public parks with free concerts, art displays and elegant gardens (Denver Post). ASLA’s The Dirt provides a detailed summary of Peter Harnik’s Wednesday presentation of his new book, which discusses ways to incorporate parks into built-out cities (and guidance on how to plan for them). Earth Policy Institute’s [...]

Filed under: uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Corporate Support for “Let’s Move” Opportunity for Parks

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Elissa Hoagland Izmailyan

Last week, the Childhood Obesity Task Force released  the action plan for the  First Lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative. The plan contains 70 recommendations, including greater availability of healthy food, clearer nutritional information, and increased recreational opportunities for children, including improved access to safe parks, playgrounds, and indoor and outdoor recreational facilities. The Washington Post reported [...]

Filed under: health, partnerships | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Some news from around…

Posted on May 14, 2010 by Elissa Hoagland Izmailyan

New plans for a greenway along the Allegheny Riverfront in Pittsburgh. Next American City has the story, along with a fantastic picture of Point State Park. Kaid Benfield at NRDC reviews Peter Harnik’s “Urban Green: Innovative Parks for Resurgent Cities.” Jonathan Lerner at Miller-McCune discusses the connections between urban planning and public health, highlighting the [...]

Filed under: uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 34 other followers