With a shrinking population, Gary, Indiana is faced with the prospect of having more park space than it knows what to do with.
According to city officials, as many as 20 of Gary's 57 city parks may be allowed to revert back to their "natural state." Ed Bierschenk of The Times/NWI.com reports that Gary's Mayor and Parks Superintendent have floated the idea of reducing the number of parks maintained by the city in the face of a declining population. The Census shows that Gary's population fell below 80,000 in 2015, down from a high of over 170,000 in the 1960s and '70s.
[Parks Superintendent McKenya Dilworth] said even if some of the parks are allowed to revert to nature, it doesn't mean the land won't be maintained.
Some of the land might be used as wetland mitigation to offset impacts caused by developers. In these cases, developers would provide money to help maintain the green space, Dilworth said. Some of the money then could be combined with grant funds for such projects as removal of invasive species, she said.
The land also can be used as green infrastructure, for example, to help reduce the amount of water going into the city's stormwater system.
A parks plan is currently in development by committees made up of residents from the city's six council districts. Any plans to reduce the number of parks in the city would first need to be discussed with the city council and residents.
Read the full story: Gary looking at letting some parks back to nature
Historic Queens park is getting a $120M upgrade
The borough's largest park will undergo significant upgrades for accessibility, flood mitigation and historic preservation.
Harley-Davidson turned a Milwaukee parking lot into a green oasis
The park, adjacent to Harley-Davidson headquarters, doubles as stormwater retention infrastructure.
LA unveils plans to reconnect MacArthur Park
The construction of Wilshire Boulevard split the park in two in 1934.
‘Going backwards:’ Baltimore mayor, students rally against state's transit funding plan
Maryland's proposed six-year plan provides no funding for Baltimore’s BMORE bus program and reduces its road maintenance funding.
Detroit to transform waterfront with $2.2 billion investment
Developers will convert about 18 acres of unused parking lot space into civic spaces.
Mamdani sent nearly 6,000 pied-à-terre tax warnings to homes that didn’t qualify
A judge has ordered the administration to cancel thousands of pied-à-terre tax notices after it sent 35% of them erroneously.
25 states, cities sue the EPA over erased power plant emissions limits
The coalition also intends to sue the EPA for not regulating emissions from gas-fired power plants.
Newsom vetoes giving CA tribes greater voice in water projects
In his veto letter, Newsom said the bill would add ‘uncertainty’ to the state’s fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.
Michigan Senate votes to revise 'lax' dam safety laws
A Bridge Michigan investigation found more than 100,000 Michigan residents live in the floodpath of a high or significant-hazard dam.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello