March 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 51

tax money is being used. What the public wants in recreation centers depends on local factors, according to Springs.
In Northern states, requests for indoor pools have risen because of the shorter swim season. In Asian communities,
demand is high for spaces for table tennis, badminton, and
cricket. Across the board, indoor jogging tracks and cardio fitness spaces are a constant request. " Cardio fitness
spaces are like a storage room in that they can never be too
big. This used to be a smaller component in the public sector but more and more it is becoming expected, " he says.

Mandate for Design Innovation

Photos courtesy of ProsPect ParK alliance / toD williams / billie tsien

A

Here in New
York City, Mayor
Bloomberg has
particularly
emphasized and
asked agencies
like parks to be
innovative in
design, as well as
consider the issue
of sustainability in
all new projects.

young children, so water play features like fountains and sprays were
designed. " Also after the closing of
a large, privately owned roller skating rink near the park, community
members were very eager to find a
new space for roller skating. So we
also designed the facility to welcome
such, " she says.
While social media has been
used to get the word out about the
-Prospect Park Alliance
project and public meetings for it,
President and Prospect
input from the public has been alPark Administrator
most exclusively through traditional
Emily Lloyd
means, such as attending meetings,
writing letters, sending emails, and
making phone calls, Lloyd says. Such active feedback has in
turn resulted not only in facilities more customized to public demands, but also buildings that are more aesthetically pleasing than in past decades of parks facilities. " There
is much more recognition of the importance of design for
public facilities and spaces than there was a few decades
ago. Here in New York City, Mayor Bloomberg has particularly emphasized innovation and asked agencies like Parks
to be innovative in design, as well as to consider the issue of sustainability in all new projects, " says Lloyd, adding that the architects of
the Lakeside Center, Tod
Williams & Billie Tsien,
have come up with a 21st
century design that will
complement the park's
historic landscape.

t Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York, construction has just started on a new, year-round facility
to replace the old Wollman Ice Rink. The $70 million, 26-acre project for the new Lakeside Center, with a
LEED certified green building and two outdoor skating
rinks, was developed over the last few years with continual community input. The Prospect Park Community Committee (ComCom) was specifically created to involve the
local community in Prospect Park's management and operations. It consists of representatives of more than 50 local organizations, as well as all of the elected officials and
community boards who meet monthly to discuss issues.
According to Dany Cunningham, the founding member and chair of the Prospect Park Community Committee, the public was aware that the current rink
had outlived its useful life and a revamp was
needed. " There were also many public meetings where the blueprints were displayed
and the public was invited to comment and
ask questions. Many suggestions were incorporated into the plans, " says Cunningham,
adding that the ComCom will continue to serve as an advocate for the
park and take the public suggestions seriously.
Cunningham says the public had
several key requests: They wanted
a rink that would accommodate the
many mostly youth hockey leagues,
to be aesthetically pleasing, and to
blend in with the park landscape.
Also, there was feedback with requests for better food alternatives
at the park and a push for a place to
roller-skate.
" The community also told us that
the facility should have activities yearround and should not be closed after
winter, " says Prospect Park Alliance
President and Prospect Park AdRepresentatives of more than 50 local organizations as well as elected
ministrator Emily Lloyd. Residents
oﬃcials and community boards are contributing to the replacement of the
wanted warm-weather activities for
old wollman Ice Rink.
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& Recreation

49
March 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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