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Creative Placemaking And Building Community Power In Parks with Mathew Clarke

In this episode, Raven Nee and Helen Solomon interview Mathew Clarke, the director at the Design Trust for Public Land. They discuss equity and community engagement, as well as the underlying power dynamics that shape traditional modes of engagement. They break down the historic paradigms and challenge the meaning of community engagement. They discuss a park in Wenatchee, Washington as an example of building community power and the unexpected outcomes that come from a participatory and equitable process. Tune in to hear more about equitable community engagement in parks!

Highlights from the Conversation:

• Equitable community engagement
• Building community power versus empowering communities
• Race, gender, background, identity
• Respecting the agency of communities 
• Parks are a conduit for building community
• 10-minute walk to a park
• Engaging with the physical space, building connections
• Fear of gentrification and deportation as barriers
• Protecting vulnerable communities
• Fostering self-awareness: to know what privileges we rest on

Guest Mini Bio:

• Matthew Clarke is the current Executive Director at the Design Trust for Public Space and former National Director of Creative Placemaking at the Trust for Public Land. 
  • As an architect and planner he advocates for the development of diverse public spaces and equitable communities
  • He also authored “The Field Guide for Creative Placemaking and Parks”
• Keep up with Mathew on his Linkedin

Learn More!

• Check out the case study from Wenatchee, Washington
  • Kiwanis Methow Park Project  
  • Watch the video (3 minute watch): Parks for People–Wenatchee Valley
• Case study in Washington, D.C.
  • 11th Street Bridge Park
• Learn more about tools for building community power from the Urban Institute

Credits:

A special thanks to Mathew Clarke. Voice, research, and interview credits to: Raven Nee and Helen Solomon. Intro and Outro voice: Alex Davis. Produced by: Raven Nee. 

Recreational Programming For Older Adults to Improve Quality of Life with Bates McKinney

In this episode, Mel Pennett and Alex Davis interview Bates McKinney to talk about inclusive programming for older adults. They discuss equity in access and the needs of senior citizens and how to create programming that keeps elderly adults active and engaged both  mentally and physically. The importance of community and social connection (especially during a pandemic) reveals how central community centers are for keeping individuals healthy and socially engaged. Tune in to hear the whole conversation.

Highlights from the Conversation:

• Urban Planning and Park Equity
• Recreational programming for an aging population
• Community Centers and their contribution to quality of life
• Parks and Recreation partnership with Community Centers
• Intergenerational programming for different demographics
• Doctor’s prescription for Parks and Recreation
• Aging in place, fighting loneliness
• Community centers, seniors, and covid-19
• Barriers to access - ability to drive
• Inclusivity of seniors leads to better design for everyone - ADA, non-neurotypical, etc.
• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs 

Guest Mini Bio:

• Bates McKinney works at Spartanburg County Park; designing programming for people who are aged 50 and older. Her background is in psychology and has extensive experience working with people with dementia. Seniors are her passion!

Learn More!

• Learn more about social inclusion from the World Health Organization
• Learn more about building aging and disability friendly cities from the National Institutes of Health

Credits:

Special thanks to guest Bates McKinney. Voice, research, and interview credits to Alex Davis and Mel Pennett. Intro and Outro voice: Alex Davis. Produced by: Raven Nee. 

Cultural Competency And Park Equity: Renaming Parks And Building Inclusivity with Maija Spencer

In this episode, Joy McFadden and Garrett Johnson interview Maija Spencer who works for Portland Parks and Recreation as the parks replacement bond community engagement coordinator. They discuss how parks engage communities and develop cultural competency in a meaningful way to create more inclusive and representative parks, including how to learn from a city’s history to honor overlooked heroes. Tune in to hear the whole conversation!

Highlights from the Conversation:

• Urban Planning and Park Equity.
• Recognizing a History of Racism
• Adapting communications and outreach for Equitable Community Engagement
• Government’s responsibility to Equity
• Balancing conflicting Cultural Practices and Values, fostering authentic relationships in programming
• Acknowledging Dominant Power Structures
• Community engagement liaisons and Cultural Ambassadors
• Barriers to parks Planning and Design
  Diversifying career field, increasing Representation
• Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park
• Impacts of the covid-19 pandemic

Guest Mini Bio:

• Maija Spencer has worked with the city of Portland for 10 years. As a community engagement coordinator, she emphasizes community experiences and equity. Check out her work as the community bond engagement coordinator for the Parks Replacement Bond Program. Learn more about her work on the Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park Playground Project that helped inspire this episode.

Learn More!

• Video about the Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park 
• Find out more about Verdell Burdine Rutherford! An important NAACP member who helped advance the rights of people of color within Portland.
• Learn more about the history and legacy of the Rutherford power couple and their work as part of the NAACP here!

Credits:

Special thanks to guest Maija Spencer. Research, concept, and voices: Joy McFadden and Garrett Johnson. Intro and Outro voice: Alex Davis. Produced by: Raven Nee. 

Charrette As A Framework Of Equitable Community Engagement with Holly Madill

In this episode, Helen Solomon and Raven Nee interview  the director of the National Charrette Institute, Holly Madill, on the charrette process and how it is used for community engagement. They discuss designing and defining equitable community engagement, how to measure success, how to prevent underrepresented communities from being left out of planning processes, and explore in depth how a charrette framework helps create an equitable and inclusive outcome. Tune in to hear more about what goes into a charette and how it can be used in park planning!

Highlights from the Conversation:

• Urban planning and park equity
• Charrette functions as a tool as well as a framework
• Co-embed community into planning process
• Stakeholders as designers
• White supremacy driven framework of urgency and perfectionism
• Equity versus equality
• Barriers to participation - changes due to Covid-19
• Metrics: do demographics align with those who show up to engagements?
• Community decides whether or not an outcome is equitable

Guest Mini Bio:

• Holly Madill is the director of the National Charrette Institute at Michigan State University
  
  • She trains working professionals on charrette methodology as well as in engagement and facilitation
  • She has more than 20 years of experience with participatory planning and facilitation
    Reach out to her on Linkedin

Learn More!

• What is a charrette? From the World Bank
• Check out this memo from the American Planning Association on Crafting Charrettes That Transform Communities
• Community Engagement Best Practices article from the National Recreation and Parks Association which helped inspire this episode

Credits:

Special thanks to Holly Madill. Research, concept, and voices: Raven Nee and Helen Solomon. Intro and Outro voice: Alex Davis. Produced by: Raven Nee. 

Cultural Competency In Parks Programming And Design: Understanding Park Users And Their Needs with Kyra Gmoser-Daskalakis and Britta McOmber

In this episode, Joy McFadden and Garrett Johnson interview Kyra Gmoser-Daskalakis and Britta McOmber who wrote a report on park usership for the Santa Monica National Park. They discuss the importance of understanding the diverse backgrounds  and needs of park goers and the various barriers that prevent lower income residents from utilizing and enjoying parks and open space. Tune in to hear the full conversation on the importance of access and representation!

Highlights from the Conversation:

• Urban Planning and Park Equity
• Defining cultural competency
• Inequitable access and disparate health outcomes
• Bottom up and community driven approaches to increase equity
• Design for inclusivity - importance of language and signage 
• Community members as innovators and planners
• Diversity, staffing, and representation 
• Understanding park users: demographics, use of parks, state of trails
• Car-centric and auto-dependent region

Guest Mini Bio:

• Kyra Gmoser-Daskalakis is a PhD student at UC Davis
  
  • She previously worked for the UCLA Luskin Center doing research on water equity, affordability, and park access and equity
  • Learn more about her here
• Britta McOmber is a project manager at the UCLA Luskin Center 
  
  • She has a background in geography and regional urban planning
• Check out her thesis project “What’s the Dam Problem?”

Learn More!

• Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area
  
  • Is the largest urban national park system in the country
• Results of the 2018 Visitor Survey and Visitor Count in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
  
  • The report that inspired this interview
• Understanding the Needs of Diverse Park Users
  
  • The briefing paper that breaks down the above report

Credits:  

Special thanks to Kyra Gmoser-Daskalakis and Britta McOmber. Research, concept, and voices: Garrett Johnson and Joy McFadden. Intro and Outro voice: Alex Davis. Produced by: Raven Nee. 

Park Equity and Aging Populations: How to Make Parks Inclusive and Accessible for Elderly Community Members with Madeline Brozen

In this episode, Mel Pennett and Alex Davis interview Madeline Brozen on aspects of park equity and making parks inclusive for seniors.  Madeline is the Deputy Director of the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies at the Luskin School of Public Affairs  and co-wrote a report detailing guidelines for making inclusive parks for elderly and aging populations. They discuss the importance of design, perception, and the surrounding demographics to make parks inclusive, equitable, and fun places for not just the elderly, but everyone! 

Highlights from the Conversation:

• Urban Planning and Park Equity
• Everyone should have access to a park, we innately need to connect to nature
• Access to parks - can individuals easily use it?
• Who is the park for? Who does it serve? 
  • Race, Ethnicity, Language, Age, Ability, Cognitive Ability, Physical Mobility, and other identity attributes can contribute to feelings of exclusion.
• As Urban Planners, how do you design for inclusivity and shifting needs?
• Concepts of park design: physical design, passive recreation, active recreation, designated areas, low-impact exercise equipment, playground equipment, bathrooms, perception of park’s purpose, planting, and landscaping.
• Successful parks are designed for those with the highest needs, but provide benefits to all ages and demographics.
• Basic resources vs amenities.

Guest Mini Bio:

• Madeline Brozen has a background in Transportation Planning
  
  • Previously focused on complete Streets
• Is currently the Deputy Director of the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies at the Luskin School of Public Affairs
  
  • Her Institute of Transportation Studies bio is here
  • Also check out her other published works
• Her Linkedin profile is here

Learn More!

• Case study parks: Golden Age Park in Los Angeles, California, Portland Memory Garden, in Portland, Oregon.
• Here is the report that inspired this interview
  
  • Placemaking for an Aging Population: Guidelines for Senior-Friendly Parks
• Play By Design’s website for inclusive playgrounds for aging populations
  
  • A Wellness Playground for Elders
• An article about the Golden Age Park mentioned in the interview
  
  • An outdoor oasis for Angelenos in their golden years

Credits:

Special thanks to Madeline Brozen. Research, concept, and voices: Alex Davis and Mel Pennett. Intro and Outro voice: Alex Davis. Produced by: Raven Nee.