March 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 13

Still, says Adam Moore, planner I
with the city of Flint, " We're operating, still making plans for new
projects, still implementing projects
- obviously there is a crisis going
on, but conversations about parks
and rec are still ongoing every day. "
Similar statements are a common
refrain when speaking with Flint residents. Despite the daily anxiety of
knowing their water is unsafe, there is
still a determination to pull together
and press on. " We're going through
hard times right now, but it's not a
new thing for us to face challenges
here, " Moore says. He continues
by listing a number of projects and
capital improvements underway in
his city: enhancement of wetlands,
installing natural drainage systems,
building boardwalks, crime prevention through environmental design,
establishing an environmental education program in local schools and
spearheading the recent community
build of a playground. " One-hundred-thirty-five people came out
in cold, wet, down-pouring rain to
build a playground with us - some
were crying thinking about everyone
who came out to support the city, "
Moore says.
Flint Parks and Recreation, such
as it is, provides no recreational programming - any such organized
activities are handled by Genesee
County. Flint has three active community centers, all of which are
leased to or managed by outside
groups. The city has almost 70 parks
of varying size under its purview,
while its larger properties - Flint
Park Lake, Max Brandon Park,
Thread Lake Park and McKinley
Park - operate under the auspices
of Genesee County. Park maintenance is handled by contractors and
any related duties are accomplished

through creative partnerships with
friends groups, Keep Genesee County Beautiful, Genesee County and
other entities. Moore said his colleagues in municipal government
are doing all they can to maintain
normal operations and reassure res-

Florida State University.
With credentials like this, Larkin
could presumably enjoy his pick of
high-level administrative jobs anywhere in the country, but he prefers
to keep his talents at home where
he can give back to the city that, for

Despite the daily anxiety of knowing their water is
unsafe, there is still a determination [among Flint
residents] to pull together and press on.
idents: " Our role to play here, and
we do have a role to play in terms
of parks, is to continue to provide,
as best as we can in limited means,
quality outdoor recreation and fitness spaces inside our neighborhoods, and to educate the public
and work on park naturalization and
expansion of rain gardens, wetlands
and other features that can help improve the quality of ground and river water in Flint. "
Meet the New Boss
Despite the wary national eye that
seems perpetually fixed on the problems in Flint, just four months ago,
Flint native Brian Larkin stepped up
to lead his city's Office of Planning
and Development. Larkin is already
well-versed in local politics, having
previously served as the director of
core initiatives at the Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce, as well
as a stint as the associate director of
the Michigan Governor's Office of
Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives
in Flint. Larkin attended high school
in Flint and left only to attain his
bachelor's degree at Morehouse College and his master's in planning at

all its challenges, helped raise him.
" There's been a lot of attention focused on this area, but I see this as
a time for opportunity, " Larkin says.
" It's an opportunity to address longstanding challenges and issues. Currently, we're experiencing this public
health crisis, but it's a result of generations of decisions. "
Reserved but optimistic, Larkin
believes that Flint will overcome the
water crisis and emerge as a stronger, better-managed city. " At times
in this country, we've been able to
have heartfelt discussions about how
we provide infrastructure, fund cities
and support a high quality of life, but,
right now, that system is broken, " he
says. " The quality of open spaces,
healthcare provisions, the system of
revenue structures for urban centers
- it's broken and right now Flint is
at the helm of that discussion. When
all is said and done, we will have a
better perspective on how to address
these quality-of-life issues for urban
center residents. "
For now, Larkin will oversee close
collaboration with local public health
agencies as his constituents continue to seek information and comfort

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March 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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