Parks of Inclusion

The people sitting, playing, and enjoying themselves in parks aren't always representative of the population that live in the communities. Here are three examples of parks that succeed at inclusion.

1 minute read

January 20, 2020, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Dolores Park

ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock

Kimberley Burrowes recognizes a problem with parks in cities: "they can go underutilized, or the opposite—they can increase property values and price long-time residents out of the neighborhood."

A community-led planning and design process can be the antidote to those negative outcomes, so Burrowes shares three strategies for supporting inclusive park development, with three real-world examples of the strategies at work.

With a lot more detail included in the article, the list of three reads as follows:

  1. Giving the community ownership: “Pocket parks” in New York City’s Lower East Side
  2. Seeking community feedback: DC’s 11th Street Bridge Park
  3. Offering equitable programming: San Francisco parks

The article concludes with additional advice on how to make these strategies continue to attain their intended goals over the long haul.

Thursday, January 16, 2020 in Urban Institute

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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