MyWHaT

Video Inspiration

We showed this StreetFilms’ video at the 3rd coast bicycle festival. Not exactly what’s going on at tonight’s parks and recreation workshop, however, it does show what a little creativity, leadership and ownership can accomplish.

Map of TC Parkland: Available tonight & at the Governmental Center

Reminder: The parks & recreation commission, on which I serve, is holding a public workshop tonight to generate input on the 5-year recreation plan. This plan is required by Michigan ‘s DNRE in order to be eligible for Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants. It also serves the city as a master plan and direction to what citizens want to see in their parkland.

The commission, which is an appointed body of volunteer citizens, advises the city commission on park and recreation matters. Tonight’s workshop will result in a final version of section 7 of the recreation plan, which become the goals and objectives for the next five years. There will be background presented on existing park planning efforts and status, followed by a quick review of a draft of goals and objectives (PDF) and then we will break out the maps and start generating participant ideas. It should will be fun!

TONIGHT: September 23 at 7PM in the Governmental Center cafeteria

I’m a little behind, but I’ve started to publish Park Portraits of TC’s city parks. Are any of these your closest park?

Background Reading:

• Innovative parks for resurgent cities, an interview with Peter Harnik. He discusses briefly a different approach to planning parks that  is a three-way classification, that in Portland is called “people-to-people” places, “people-to-nature” places, and “nature-to-nature” places.“
• 10 Great City Parks that we can learn from. An article by the Project for Public Spaces.
• Another PPP article about the economic development that comes along with place-making around city parks.