October 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 22

COMMUNITY CENTER

Community Engagement in Park Design
From Chile to Oregon
By Katherine Stokke

arque Araucano lies 60 miles off the South Pacific coast in Santiago, Chile, where I studied abroad in summer 2017. In a nation
where a small percentage of the population uses private gyms, free
outdoor-fitness amenities became widespread about five years ago
in response to the country's rising level of obesity. In addition to its many
other amenities - there's a skate park with sponsor logos worked into the design as " graffiti " - Parque Araucano's outdoor fitness equipment is popular.
spaces. She emphasizes that, while
environmental sustainability is a
nice benefit of parks, social equity
is the driving factor behind the organization's efforts.
Mi Parque was founded in 2008 by
architects Julio Poblete and Martín
Andrade in response to Chile's
housing policies that moved people
to places with very empty common
spaces. To address the disparity in
access to green spaces in impoverished areas, Mi Parque pairs social
workers with architects in two-per-

PHOTO COURTESY OF TUALATIN HILLS PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT

In fact, sponsorships, particularly
through the decade-long work of
the nonprofit Fundación Mi Parque
(www.miparque.cl/english/), are
what have enabled Chile to invest
in open space beyond Santiago, in
underserved communities up and
down this long, skinny country.
According to Consuelo González,
marketing and finance director for
Mi Parque, the organization works
with disadvantaged neighborhoods
to design and build playgrounds
and parks that are true community

Parks & Recreation

son teams that, during the park design phase, hold interactive workshops to involve the community. The
team then builds further ownership
through collaborative construction
and installation before turning over
the responsibility for park maintenance to the local government.
Fifty-five miles off the Pacific
coast but much farther north (in Beaverton, Oregon), Tualatin Hills Park
& Recreation District (THPRD),
where I am the interim operations
analysis manager, has embraced a
similar approach to community engagement in the park planning process. Community conversations now
take place much earlier in our planning process to involve the public in
more of the decision making. Gery
Keck, THPRD's design and development manager, and Nicole Paulsen,
the urban planner, initially worked
with a consultant to bring this enhanced process in-house, culminating in multiple successful engagement projects and a newly funded
staff position dedicated to advancing
social equity. Most recently, an engagement and partnerships specialist
position was added to our design and
development department. This role
will also assist other departments,
such as maintenance operations, and
nature and trails.
For new or redeveloped parks,
THPRD holds community conversations during which participants
THPRD residents provide input about
a neighborhood park during a " sticky
wall " planning exercise.

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October 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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