December 2017 - Parks & Recreation - 82

Operations

report issues at live events or programs,
a facility, arena, park or trail in real time
based on their GPS location.
Because it isn't financially sustainable
to have park rangers and or other paid
staff monitoring all parks and trails, mobile-based apps like HAPPiFEETtm or
311 Systems such as SeeClickFix can allow for increased eyes and ears throughout the system at no costs.

development and ongoing improvement of its park system. Knowing that
not everyone can attend community
meetings or simply doesn't feel comfortable in large group settings, HAPPiFEETtm will provide a voice to many
who would have otherwise not been
heard, " says Michael Clark, director
of parks and recreation for the city of
Roanoke.

Moment of Zen: Excellent customer service is equal
parts art and science. Hire for attitude and use data to
shape behaviors.

In addition, apps are increasingly
becoming part of the planning process
to ensure maximum user engagement.
The city of Pleasant Hill, California, is
the pioneer in its state, while the city of
Roanoke, Virginia, which is embarking
on its most ambitious master planning
effort in more than 30 years, is another
agency that is investing heavily in technology to improve its customers' ability to provide feedback.
" What sets an agency apart from the
rest is engaging the community in the
80

Parks & Recreation

Plan and Operate with
an Equity Mindset
The communities we serve are
increasingly changing and diversifying.
Policy Link and the Program for
Environmental and Regional Equity's
research indicates that a majority of
the population growth in the country
between 2010 to 2040 will be driven by
people of color.
As communities become culturally
and ethnically diverse, park and recreation agencies become critical players

| D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

for creating common ground and promoting inclusion. However, true inclusion cannot be accomplished without a
sustained and systemwide effort to do
so. People like to go where they see people like themselves, and if agencies wish
to maximize community participation
and build trust, it is important to ensure
their staff and the marketing collateral
reflect the community they serve.
To create a culture that celebrates inclusion and social equity, consider doing
the following:
* Developing a social equity task force
that isn't just comprised of minorities.
* Providing ongoing diversity and implicit bias trainings.
* Creating safe spaces for difficult conversations.
* Holding monthly meetings to solicit
feedback on programs and resource
allocation from a diverse group of employees.
* Being intentional about hiring for diversity of backgrounds and of perspectives.
All these would help, over time, to create a culture like Los Angeles County
Parks and Recreation that not only celebrates inclusion and social equity, but
also necessitates it.
" A social equity lens ensures that
agencies manage resources with the
purpose of inclusion while providing
for park spaces and recreation services
that meet the quality-of-life needs of
people at whatever place and stage they
are in life, " says Mercy Santoro, deputy
director for Los Angeles County Parks
and Recreation and one of the project
managers for leading the county's most
ambitious business and strategic planning endeavor in years.
A broader philosophical approach to
planning should mandate " going where
people are. " Ensuring bilingual or multilingual outreach across communications, organizing community meetings

December 2017 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2017 - Parks & Recreation