10. PRSR 09-12-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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7 hydrology and the impact of wetland loss,it is nizations,she concluded that refurbishing the Today,Walter Burks Park's role as a neigh- likely he would have done something like park's basketball courts and installing new borhood anchor has been restored. It is now is,"she says. landscaping was not going to make a differ- desirable to live across the street from the he Summit Field restoration also gave the ence over the long haul. "Community mem- park,Zoller says."It is a place where you can onservancy the opportunity to carry out an bers said they didn't allow their children to go allow kids to run and jump and fly a kite. unbuilt element of Olmsted's blueprint."We to the park because it was too dangerous,"she They can get away from the difficult urban were reviewing his plans and found this path says. It became clear that the first priority environment for a few hours and just be a over the summit and realized his intent that would have to be to help the neighbors re- kid." you could walk the path and experience the claim the park. As a first step, ParkWorks vista. That path is there now and when you hired local resident Mary Marzette to hold Costs and benefits reach the top the view is wonderful." arts and crafts classes and supervise games on There is no question that investments in parks the playground. on a citywide or neighborhood scale can ben- A neighborhood anchor Rather than calling the police to scare gang efit the public.But do the park enhancements Ann Zoller,executive director of ParkWorks members away,Marzette says she approached contribute to real economic growth! in Cleveland, points out that it is not always the group that hung around the playground. Mary Eysenbach, director of APA's City cost-effective to spend money on traditional "I told them that we wanted to make the Parks Forum, believes that they do. "Long- capital improvements or recreational program- playground a place for kids to play.They said, standing research indicates that properties ad- The conservancy has restored historic vistas, repaired trails,and planted more than 1,500 trees. This is Cherokee Park. ming.ParkWorks is a nonprofit organization `Yeah,this should be a place for kids."' jacent to these parks increase in value. In that supplements the work of the city's parks Police presence was increased in a subtle addition, the parks attract people, who in department. It focuses many of its programs way when beat officers on bicycles and in turn attract business.Survey after survey indi- on enhancing urban parks in distressed neigh- patrol cars began visiting Marzette's classes. cates that the quality of life generated by park borhoods. "They play board games,show the kids their enhancements is the kind of thing that people Zoller notes that neighborhood parks in squad cars, and talk about things like law look for when they choose where to live," impoverished areas were originally envisioned enforcement and gun safety," she says. "The Eysenbach says. as a cure for social ills.Today,however,these kids begin to see the police as people and not This experience is true across the board. parks are often the center of gang and drug just as the guys that come to arrest you." "Both young professionals starting out and activity. Walter Burks Park in Cleveland's Maime Gilchrist took part in the ParkWorks empty nesters are attracted to features that Allinville neighborhood is an example.When public input process as an active member of make high-quality urban parks," she says. Works received a grant to revitalize dis- the 111th and Parkwood Street Club. She "The parks can have tremendous implications tressed urban parks from the Lila Wallace- says that the park has improved dramatically. for attracting a good workforce, bringing in Reader's Digest Fund,Zoller began planning "Everyone feels much more safe. We take business investment, bringing in new corpo- capital improvements for Walter Burks Park. pride in our park, and it is much cleaner rations,and encouraging international invest But after meeting with neighborhood orga- now." ment."