July 2008

UpFront

Bigger is Better, Right?

If you ordered popcorn at a movie theater in 1957, you were handed three cups of buttery, popped kernels. Forty years later, the average medium-size popcorn was 16 cups. From snack foods to Manifest Destiny to the sprawling, 11,000- square-foot McMansion, bigger has always been better in America. Think again, says author Francesca Lyman, whose story, “From Vacant to Verdant,” begins on page 36.

Even though the United States’ population has doubled across the past halfcentury,most of the nation’s biggest cities have gotten smaller. In fact, says Lyman, of the 20 largest cities at mid-century, all but four have shrunk. But according to Lyman, a handful of urban centers where populations have been shrinking for years are testing a new theory: Greener is better.

In Philadelphia, Detroit, and Youngstown, Ohio, thousands of derelict lots have been reclaimed as center-city parks and gardens. Instead of sitting empty, littered with the carcasses of rusted-out automobiles and mattresses, these lots have been reimagined as green oases for citizens who, many times, have precious little access to park land.

Alongside this growing potential for developing new parks and green spaces for struggling cities emerges a different way of looking at things. Maybe bigger isn’t better. Instead, perhaps better is better.

E-mail us your insights, feedback, and experiences at edit@nrpa.org.

:: In This Month's Issue ::

On the Cover
Climbing-Wall Creative
By Kimberly Prager
Programming keeps pace with climbing facility design.

OTHER FEATURES
Brighter Days Ahead
By Douglas Vaira
Meet NRPA's new CEO, Barbara Tulipane, CAE.

From Vacant to Verdant
By Francesca Lyman
Green space may be able to reverse the downward spiral of shrinking cities.

Building Better Adults
By Rachel Roberts
Creating places, programs, and people that youth can depend on is key to keeping them engaged.

Surf's Up
By Kelly Bastone
Surfing makes a big splash at the public beaches.

Water Dogs
By Roxanne Hawn
Pool give dogs their day.

Speaking Sustainably
From staff reports
A look back at NRPA's National Summit on Environment Stewardship in Portland, Ore.

COLUMNS

Perspectives: Summertime - and the Living Easy
By Katie Grove
Summertime highlights the benfits of park and recreation.

Advocacy Update: A Centennial Achievement
By Richard J. Dolesh
The National Park Service prepares to celebrate a milestone birthday

Research Update: Exercise After Class
By Michele Dell Pruett; Jennifer Caputo, Ph.D. & Tara Perry, Ph.D.
After-school programs are important for kids' fitness.

Law Review: Safety Review Not Specified in Contract
By James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.
A structure interferes with park neighbors' right to a view.

In Every Issue

UpFront  I  P&R Contributors  I  Leave It Better  I  Playbook  I  Tip-Off  I  NRPA in Action  I  FirstPerson  I  Product Roundup  I  Index to Advertisers  I  Picture This

Coming Up in Next Month's Parks & Recreation

>> We chat with the keynote speaker for the 2008 NRPA Congree & Exposition in Baltimore. Get some insight from this nationally recognized political figure ad parks advocate.

>> When Johnny comes marching home, what role do parks play?  Find out how returning war veterans use parks and recreation to get back on their feet after being on the front lines.

>> Tiptoe through the tulips-and tomatoes.  Community gardens bring camaraderie and comfort to citizens.