December 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 6

PERSPECT I VES A MESSAGE FROM NRPA' S LEADERS
Bringing Placemaking to Life Through
the NRPA Annual Conference
It's the end of the calendar year and
I am reflecting back on 2021 and our
work
together. This year presented
many challenges on top of a very difficult
2020, but also it provided cause
for celebration. The fact that we were
able to gather, in person and online, for
the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference
was a source of great joy for me and the
NRPA board and staff. And, we were
joined in that sentiment by exhibitors
and attendees alike in Nashville, Tennessee.
I kept hearing attendees say
that " it just felt good to be together. " It
should come as no surprise, as that is
the crux of what we do in parks and recreation -
bring people together - placemaking at its best.
Whether we are managing programs for our agencies'
recreation departments, planning and designing
the next park improvement projects, or producing the
largest annual conference for park and recreation professionals
in the world (nrpa.org/Conference), we are
in the business of placemaking - strengthening the
connections between people and the places we share.
The park and recreation response to coronavirus
(COVID-19) inspired some tremendously creative
placemaking approaches. We covered many of these
ideas in this magazine, on our website, and in both
our 2020 virtual and 2021 hybrid conferences. There
are still more opportunities for us to build on that
creativity and engage all our community members in
our shared spaces and programs.
One helpful resource came out around the same
time as our NRPA conference. This year, 8 80 Cities,
in partnership with AARP, released its Winter Placemaking
Guide (tinyurl.com/fah7n7rf). This is the latest
resource in its Parks and Public Spaces Collection
(tinyurl.com/v9fvzv4e). The collection offers three
free guides about developing and managing outdoor
places for people of all ages. As 8 80 Cities likes to
say, " if everything we do in our public spaces is great
for an 8-year-old and an 80-year-old, then it will be
great for all people. " In our quest to promote pro6
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grams and places that are truly great for all people,
we continue to emphasize the critical importance of
equity, inclusion and access (nrpa.org/Equity) and
offer ideas, resources and tools that help us deliver
on that goal.
Speaking of resources, the 2021 NRPA Annual
Conference virtual sessions are still available for
viewing until December 31. While there are too
many to list here, following are three that reinforce
the idea of placemaking:
" Parks in Process: Creating Learning Landscapes
That Have Educational, Social and Civic Impact. "
This transformative session features Shawn Lani, director
of The Studio for Public Spaces at San Francisco's
Exploratorium, and explores the work of combining
placemaking and science-based learning with
San Francisco Recreation and Parks.
" How to Involve Individuals With Physical Disabilities
in Your Recreation Programming " is an
informative speed session with practical tips, featuring
Dr. Margaret Stran from University of Alabama
Adapted Athletics.
" Genius or Insanity? Three Proven Examples of
Why It's Worth the Effort to Build Engaging, Meaningful
and Inclusive Cross-Park Programs " is an entertaining
session with Anne Arundel County (Maryland)
Recreation and Parks Naturalist Liana Vitali
and Park Rangers Dave Burman and Victor Jones.
These are just a few examples, so I encourage you
to explore all the coffee talks, speed sessions, education
sessions and keynote speakers for more ideas on
how placemaking and efforts to create inclusive, welcoming
and engaging spaces are happening across
the country.
As always, thank you for all that you do to advance
effective parks and recreation in your communities.
In gratitude,
KRISTINE STRATTON
President and CEO
http://www.nrpa.org/Equity http://www.nrpa.org/Conference http://www.tinyurl.com/fah7n7rf http://www.tinyurl.com/v9fvzv4e
December 2021 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2021 - Parks & Recreation
