Improving Parks and Community Facilities

1. Improving Parks and Community Facilities

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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 thatimprove the social character of community life.

5. When should you try to improve parks and other community facilities? • When there is a community need and facilities are 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.

6. Who should be involved in improving community parks and facilities? • Improving parks and other community facilities should be a participatory process, involving as many stakeholder groups as possible. Stakeholders include: • Potential users of the facility. • Community leaders. • Public officials. • Architects, designers, engineers, developers, and planners. • Community based organizations.  • Community foundations.  • Community activists.

7. How do you improve parks and other community facilities? • Assess community facility 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.

8. 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 andevaluation, and a mechanism to act on their results.

9. How do you improve parks and other community facilities? (cont.) • 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 policy makers, legislators, and the public. • Keep at it indefinitely.