I love parks! When I was a child, all I could do was think about playing in the park outside my school after class with all my friends. The park was a place where kids of all ages, including parents, could interact and bring a real sense of community into the neighborhood. This is why I’m very happy to hear that Bloomberg has been trying to revitalize parks throughout New York City. I feel that a lot of people’s attitudes have changed towards parks over the years with the abundance of technological entertainment that has arisen, this has led some people to believe that parks are places that are just taking up space. However this is not the case, in a time where obesity is a major issue within the U.S., parks could not be of more importance.
Although Bloomberg has been pushing the importance of parks, he has yet to bring these parks to more poverty stricken neighborhoods. I was shocked to read that the places that could probably the get the most out of having a parks within their neighborhoods, are the places that are being ignored. Considering that these are low-income neighborhoods, a park would be a great way to have some fun without spending any money at all. Understandably, some people might fear that these parks could become locations of illegal activities, but I don’t see why the kids should have to suffer the mishaps of others. Not to mention, that studies have shown that children with access to parks are more likely to be successful which could help bring these neighborhoods out of poverty. Similar to Jane Jacobs, it’s better to improve a small neighborhood by giving it a park that will improve a sense of community rather than strip it down to make the next super highway.
The parks in my neighborhood, such as Alley Pond Park and Cunningham Park, have held a large number of events that all could enjoy and participate in. Personally, I have taken part in picnics from my high school and college, charity events such as Relay for Life, little league baseball, and much more and I can say that it has given me a sense of community in my neighborhood. One aspect that I feel should be improved is by bringing parks into the future. Although there is nothing better than a good old fashioned slide and swing set, I feel that parks should be more innovative, and some have started already. The Imagination Playgrounds that have been built are a great idea and some of them are even offering wifi! I can only hope that this sort of progress continues so that I can take my kids to park to have the experience that I had when I was younger.
