Jacksonville, Florida is hoping private funding will come through to save the city's parks, which officials say they can't afford to build or maintain.
"'We're in survival mode right now. While this is a great amenity, there are other important things for the city like health care and education. I'm glad we got in under the gun with this,' said former Councilman Dick Kravitz, who was instrumental in getting the park in the 1990s before his election to the state House."
"Public recreation space, considered a prize attraction for residents of the 800-plus-square-mile city, poses a troublesome dynamic, Mayor John Peyton said."
"'In this soft economy, this is a time we should be investing in parks,' he said. 'It's a place people can go that's free.'"
"Only, the space isn't free to build or maintain."
"Peyton said the city spends $49 for every resident annually on the parks system. That's stretching a buck, he argued; he said Miami-Dade County spends $96 a head on parks. There also is a clear down side, he said, as the Palmetto expansion showed."
"...Parks spokeswoman Pam Wilson said a citywide search is beginning for community and faith-based organizations to support recreational programs."
FULL STORY: Jacksonville looks to private sector to fund parks
Philadelphia's Franklin Square Installs a Fence and a Symbol of Privatization
Philadelphia's Franklin Square will require admission in the evening this spring, for the duration on a Chinese lantern festival. A critic faults the "philosophy of privatism" for robbing the park of its democratic qualities.
A Proposal for Reducing New York's Open Space Inequity
With park finances increasingly determined by private fundraising efforts, New York's park system is beginning to reflect the city's growing inequality. Could a Neighborhood Parks Alliance help rebalance the city's park dichotomy?
Park Funding Problems? Privatize
More parks in the U.S. should fight funding issues through privatization, writes John Stossel.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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