What do we mean by improving parks and other community facilities?
___A community facility is a physical feature provided – either by the municipality as a public service, or by a private entity – in the community for the benefit of community members
___Improving community facilities comes down to determining what the community needs and wants, and working to provide those facilities that will enhance the quality of life – socially, intellectually, culturally, economically, politically, and psychologically – for everyone
___Examples of community facilities include:
- Parks
- Libraries
- Theaters, both stage and cinema
- Museums
- Auditoriums and concert venues
- Hospitals and other health providers, both public and private
- Educational facilities (schools, colleges, etc.)
- Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious entities
- Local, state, and federal government offices meant to serve the public
- Public and other sports and recreation facilities
- Recycling facilities
- Community gardens
- Community art centers
- Child care facilities
- Playgrounds
- Transportation
Why improve parks and other community facilities?
___Good facilities contribute to the general quality of life in the community
___Good facilities provide exposure to and opportunities for a wide variety of intellectual, cultural, and physical activities
___Good facilities can instill a sense of ownership and community pride in residents
___Good facilities can provide services that help everyone
___Good facilities can help prevent crime and other dangerous behavior
___Good facilities can increase the level of fairness and equity in a community
___Good facilities can help to attract new residents
___Good facilities can improve the economic climate and prospects of the community, by attracting business and tourism
___Good facilities can make the community more attractive physically
___Good facilities can provide gathering places that improve the social character of community life
When should you try to improve parks and other community facilities?
___When there is a community need and facilities are simply lacking
___When facilities are in bad shape or inadequate
___When there’s a community development initiative under way
___When there’s money available – from grants or private sources – that can be used for it
___When the community, or at least a group of residents, is ready to take on the task
___When there’s a possibility of acquiring a piece of land or a building for community use
___When a major development is in the planning or early execution stage
___When there’s a possibility of historic preservation
Improving parks and other community facilities should be a participatory process, involving as many stakeholder groups as possible:
___Potential users of the facility
___Community leaders
___Public officials
___Architects, designers, engineers, developers, and planners
___Community based organizations
___Community foundations
___Community activists
How do you improve parks and other community facilities?
___Assess community assets and needs
___Assemble a participatory planning team representing the interests of all stakeholders
___Design the best facility possible, according to the results of your assessment and planning, the available resources, and the guidelines for creating a good community facility
___Guidelines for good community facilities:
- Facilities should meet the needs of the community
- Facilities should involve the community in all aspects of their planning and development
- Facilities should take advantage of the assets and culture of the community
- Facilities should be designed to be as beautiful, exciting, and functional as they can be, rather than merely adequate, regardless of the resources available
- Facilities should be accessible and welcoming
- Facilities should be healthy and safe
- Facilities should be clean and well maintained
- Facilities should be marketed to potential users
- Facilities should be as flexible as possible
- Facilities should be sustainable over time
- Facilities should be well managed
- Facilities should seek to benefit the community in as many ways as possible
- Facilities should have a mechanism for regular monitoring and evaluation, and a mechanism to act on their results
___Assess and work to obtain potential resources
___Do what you can with the resources you have
___Collaborate with other organizations, local government, etc.
___Enlist help from the media
___Advocate with policymakers, legislators, and the public
___Keep at it indefinitely