December 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 12

EDITOR'S LETTER
PRESIDENT AND CEO
Barbara Tulipane, CAE

Celebrating Community
It's that time of year when our thoughts turn to being with
family and friends and observing traditions, religious and/
or secular. Two of my favorite Thanksgiving Day traditions
are watching the Macy's parade while helping to prepare
the meal, followed by the Westminster Dog Show and then,
on Friday, connecting and reconnecting with neighbors as
we all enjoy the local Thanksgiving Day parade in our town
center. I wish we could hold on to that feeling of community and comradery past the ball drop in Times Square on
New Year's Eve. That feeling of community, of being part
of something larger, dissipates after the holidays, as we get
back to business as usual.
Healthy, resilient and harmonious communities are what
you as park professionals work to create and sustain yearround. In this issue of Parks & Recreation, we celebrate the increasing importance and prioritization of listening to community, especially when it comes to creating open spaces where all feel welcomed. For example, in Taos,
New Mexico, by giving voice to groups that tend not to be sought out during the community planning
process - the Native American population, the legacy Hispano community, and recent Central American and Mexican immigrants - the nonprofit Taos Land Trust embarked on a year-long community-focused master planning process to restore the river and surrounding wetlands along a portion of the
Rio Fernando. In " How to Build a Park, Community Style! " on page 42, contributor Jim O'Donnell
walks us through the process, which not only includes plans for a public park, but is meeting a need to
reconnect to the land - an important cultural element for this community.
Repurposing industrial and transportation infrastructure to create exciting and innovative public spaces is all the rage. However, in the process of creating these spaces, the often-neglected
communities that once abutted them are gentrified, displacing instead of benefitting the existing
community. On page 48, in " New Urban Infrastructure Parks, " by NRPA Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Richard J. Dolesh and " Tracking the Atlanta BeltLine, " by contributor Vitisia
Paynich on page 54, we see how social equity, once considered in hindsight, is now an important
priority in these large-scale urban park projects that are meant to improve the quality of life for all
members of the community.
But, many of you are already ahead of the game when it comes to being innovative, as evidenced by the programs chosen to receive the NRPA Innovation Awards in health and wellness,
conservation, social equity and park design. Check out the Imagination Guide, accompanying this
issue of the magazine, to learn more about these winning programs/projects.
Thank you for the work you do each and every day to advance the health and well-being of your
communities and our country. This past year, we've seen the increased awareness at the local and
national level regarding the impact of parks and recreation. From all of us at headquarters to all
of you, Happy Holidays and happiness and peace in the coming year.

SONIA MYRICK
Executive Editor

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Parks & Recreation

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VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING,
COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLISHING,
AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Gina Mullins-Cohen
gcohen@nrpa.org
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Sonia Myrick
smyrick@nrpa.org
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR
Suzanne Nathan
snathan@nrpa.org
PUBLICATION DESIGN
Kim Mabon/Creative By Design
CreativeByDesign.net
SENIOR SALES MANAGER
EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE
Kip Ongstad
703.858.2174
kongstad@nrpa.org
SENIOR SALES MANAGER
WESTERN REGION AND ASIA
Michelle Dellner
949.248.1057
mdellner@nrpa.org
SALES COORDINATOR
Meghan Fredriksen
703.858.2190
mfredriksen@nrpa.org
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dreamstime.com
(unless otherwise noted)
MAGAZINE ADVISORY
BOARD MEMBERS
Michael Abbaté, FASLA
Anthony-Paul Diaz
Ryan Eaker
Robert García
Kathleen Gibi
Paul Gilbert, CPRP
Tim Herd, CPRE
Brian Johnson, CPSI
Michele Lemons
Sam Mendelsohn
Maria Nardi
Lisa Paradis, CPRP
Gil Peñalosa
Paula Sliefert
Shonnda Smith, CPRP, AFO
Anne-Marie Spencer
Stephen Springs
December 2018 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2018 - Parks & Recreation
