June 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 39

city's Parks & Recreation Commission, they jumped at the chance to
get involved. They were among the
more than 140 people who attended
a 2016 public forum, co-hosted by
the city of Coatesville, Brandywine
Health Foundation, Natural Lands,
and Parks and Recreation Planner
Ann Toole. The forum, along with
an online survey completed by nearly 700 residents, was a critical first
step in developing an action plan for
the city's parks.
" From the outset, we knew public
input was essential to the planning
process, " says Oliver Bass, vice president of communications and engagement at Natural Lands. " Typically,
a public forum about parks might
attract a dozen people. But, the response from Coatesville residents was
greater than we could have dreamed.
Their priorities came through loud,
clear and with remarkable consistency. They want safe, clean, beautiful
parks for people of all ages to use, engaging park programs and a commitment to ongoing maintenance...and
they are eager to help. "
The resulting plan, called Coatesville Parks 2021: An Action Plan for
Lively Parks and Healthy People,
marked the beginning of a now
two-year-old initiative - Greening Coatesville - that's aimed at
improving access to the outdoors
in the city. Greening Coatesville
brings together city leadership, residents and community organizations - with help from the Brandywine Health Foundation, which
works to achieve health equity for
all who live and work in the Greater Coatesville area, and Natural
Lands - to implement the plan.
Following the creation of a
neighborhood-informed master
plan for Palmer Park in 2017,

partners moved quickly to begin
its implementation. Thanks to a
major grant from the American
Water Charitable Foundation
and NRPA, by the end of this
summer the park's long-closed
swimming pool will be replaced
by a unique nature and water
play area. A splashpad area with
seven water features will feed a
man-made stream that leads to a
shallow, rock-lined wading area.
The top of the stream originates
in a circular plaza surrounded by
benches, with an old-fashioned
hand-pump that can also be used
by children (or childlike adults!)
to interact with the water.
From the plaza, a series of concrete paths will wind through the
park past inviting grassy areas,
newly planted shade trees, scattered boulders and seven " nature
play " features, including an embankment slide, a post hop, web
climber, tension line, log balance,
stump jump and branch climber.
Parks Are an Investment
Toole, who worked on Coatesville
Parks 2021: An Action Plan for Lively Parks and Healthy People, asserts
that parks are more than just places for children to play. " Better access to parks has been shown to
result in a 25 percent increase in
people exercising three or more
days per week. In southeastern
Pennsylvania, a study found more
than $1.3 billion in avoided annual health costs due to access to
parks and open space, " she points
out. Parks have also been demonstrated to improve safety. In Macon, Georgia, for example, a revitalized park is reported to have
helped reduce incidents of crime
and violence by 50 percent.

" Investing in our parks has longterm benefits for the community in
building social cohesion, creating
healthy environments and increasing
opportunities for Coatesville residents
to be active, " says Vanessa Briggs,
president and CEO of the Brandywine Health Foundation. " The
Greening Coatesville initiative, along
with the American Water Charitable
Foundation grant, is a prime example
of the transformative work that leads
to healthier communities and has
already spurred interest among the
surrounding municipalities to examine the use of their parks and green
spaces as a population health intervention, " she adds.

Investing in our parks has longterm benefits for the community
in building social cohesion,
creating healthy environments
and increasing opportunities
for Coatesville residents to be
active. - Vanessa Briggs, president/CEO
of the Brandywine Health Foundation.
What's more, positive changes in
urban parks and green spaces play
a role in economic revitalization.
Cities where parks, recreation and
trails play a vital role in the lives of
their residents are vibrant places to
live and are, therefore, attractive to
businesses and residents.
" While the factors that contribute to a community's well-being
are complex, many cities have
found that execution of a green
vision can redefine its image, spur
economic development and create
a much-improved quality of place
for residents, " notes Molly Morrison, president of Natural Lands.

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June 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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