Essays from West of 98: An Ideal Parks Vision
So what kind of parks does a community need, anyway?
Over the last several weeks, I have rolled out my general vision of parks in rural communities. We talked about why parks matter and why they should be valued. We talked about the accessibility of parks. We talked about standards for park acreage relative to population. Today, I am concluding this series on parks (for now, at least), so I want to explore my ideal vision of the parks in a community and what they should encompass
In my research for this series, I was fascinated by a fact that I shared last week: 95% of residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota live within a 10 minute walk of a park. That’s half a mile, give or take. That means virtually every child in Minneapolis, no matter their housing arrangement or station in life, is only a few minutes from green space and fun with their friends. That means every family is only a few minutes from a picnic or a respite from traffic, television, and the other hassles of our “modern” life. That means every retiree is only a few minutes from a place to exercise. That strikes me as an aspirational goal for communities of every size. Whether you live in a large city or a small town, a 10 minute walk is a 10 minute walk.
A few weeks ago, I outlined the distinction between parks and playgrounds. I explored the value of each space and how they can and should function together and separately. A community can use a variety of park spaces to achieve this ideal of a park within a 10 minute walk. Close your eyes and imagine the vision with me.
Depending on the community’s physical size, it should have at least one, maybe a few, cornerstone parks scattered through the town. These are the largest park spaces. They have playground equipment for children of all ages. They have plenty of green grass for impromptu games and for children to run. They have a pavilion for parties and gatherings. They might have benches or even covered picnic tables in a few places. They would be simple athletic facilities like a walking path or volleyball court. These are the biggest, most visible parks. They appeal to the most visitors. They have the most options for recreation and they even attract travelers and out-of-towners.
Then, a community should focus on neighborhood park space to flesh out the goal of a 10 minute walk to a park. Most rural communities have at least one cornerstone park (in varying levels of quality), but neighborhood parks are where we need the most work. The good news is that they are easily achievable for relatively low investment. What do rural communities have in abundance? Vacant lots! Guess what can easily become a neighborhood park? Vacant lots! I have had tons of wonderful feedback about my park essays and one of the biggest desires is for children to have green space in their neighborhoods. Simple playground equipment would be a nice addition, but lots of folks have expressed the value of just a green place to play. Whether it be a pickup sports game or just burning off energy by toddlers running around, there is great value for our community in undeveloped lots transforming into grassy areas that are open to all, no matter the time of year.
Finally, let’s explore specialty park spaces. Stamford is sorely lacking on decent practice fields for our youth baseball, softball, and soccer teams. As detailed in my recent #GoodNewsFriday posts, we are resolving that shortage by restoring long-abandoned practice fields and partnering with churches and community leaders to build new ones. The good news? If your neighborhood park space is big enough, you can erect a backstop and it can easily double as a convenient neighborhood practice field. Two birds, one stone!
These specialty spaces should also include natural areas. We need to consider the accessibility of nature to our children. It is how we build a love for the outdoors and it is how we connect each successive generation to loving their local place. Does your community have a lake, creek, or similar natural area that is ripe for preservation and creation of a natural space for your citizens? It’s time to get to work on it! We are doing just that in Stamford and the excitement among our citizens is palpable.
This is an ideal vision. We cannot get here overnight in Stamford or in your community. But we can start planning, thinking, and exploring the ways to create new park spaces of every size and shape and over time, you can create your community’s own ideal vision. To sum it all up and borrow a phrase from the first essay: parks matter. Don’t forget that.
James Decker is the Mayor of Stamford, Texas and the creator of the West of 98 website and podcast. Contact James and subscribe to these essays at westof98.substack.com and subscribe to West of 98 wherever podcasts are found.