Dear Deputy Director of the Parks Department,
I encourage you to prioritize organized planning and comprehensive goal setting for our public park system. Cohesive organization is the best way to approach park planning, as exemplified by the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) in Northern Virginia. FCPA bases their park planning on a strong foundation of equity principles, and their two guiding frameworks are the Natural Resources Plan and the Cultural Resources Plan. With these guideposts, FCPA is able to acquire and manage their park assets well, ensuring that no amenity is forgotten or left behind, and making sure county investments are equitably distributed across the entire region for green spaces. When public parks are planned for in an organized fashion, the standards and practices for maintenance can be shared across the whole park system, and crews can learn from each other’s skills and strengths. Spending money on a park master plan is justified by the fact that it will bring all the park spaces under the same vision, making sure no parks operate in a silo and that no green spaces are neglected.
A comprehensive and organized approach to planning a public park system can include amenities for physical activity, such as “vita-course” type stations including chin-up bars, monkey bars, and parallel bars. These relatively simple but sturdy ‘machines’ provide ample opportunities for college-age and adult users to exercise, whether by doing chin-ups, gymnastics, or other tests of strength and balance to improve upper body and core strength. Three potential locations for this style of recreation equipment on VCU’s campus include: Monroe Park (just beside a path in any of the grassy polygons of the park), the green space between Harris Hall and the Commons, and the upcoming Soccer Field Pocket Park area.
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