September 2010 - Parks & Recreation - 12

edito r's le tter

Quality and Quantity

B

efore long, the Playground at Marvin Gaye Park will be one very measured
and studied facility. When NRPA joined its partners - Washington Parks &
People, the D.C. Department of Parks & Recreation, and George Mason University - in the formation of Parks Build Community to help provide the surrounding
neighborhoods with their first playground in more than 30 years, the plan was not to
simply erect equipment and walk away.
Instead, the equipment was chosen on the basis
of how it could contribute to the health and well-being of its users and serve as a model for inner-city
planners around the country. With the help of GMU
researchers and WP&P staff and interns, use of the
playground was studied from every angle while being compared with a similar, unimproved park elsewhere in the area. The results were gratifying, if
not surprising, since we all knew anecdotally how
parks and playgrounds help build communities. We
now have vetted data to support this.
But some metrics are harder to measure, particularly the appreciation and care accorded the playground by residents of the surrounding community.
When the all various equipment, surfacing, fencing,
and landscaping materialized seemingly overnight
last July in this former patch of neglect and disrepair, one couldn't help but wonder about its longterm prospects. Would all this fall prey to vandals
and graffiti artists or would it make it through its

critical first year? Thus, it was with excitement that
I saw how well maintained - and used - the playground appeared at the one-year anniversary celebration this summer. It still glistens and the kids
are having a great time there. Within our cover story is a separate photo essay many of these kids produced to express their thoughts on the park and the
playground. The sense of gratitude, hope, and realism they show toward the park is humbling and
inspiring.
But Parks Build Community doesn't end this summer. A toolkit for pursuing similar ventures will soon
be available. Also, look for a plant nursery that will
introduce kids to green jobs and an edible garden
designed to better connect them with the outdoors
and sources of healthy eating. Combined with the
current trail improvements and the construction of
an amphitheater, Marvin Gaye Park is well on its way
to serving as a demonstration model for the rest of
the country.
✹

Phil Hayward
Editor

10	 Parks & Recreation

SEPTEMBER 2010

www . N R P A . O R G



September 2010 - Parks & Recreation

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