September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 70

2011 NRPA Congress and Exposition

Kasim Reed

Atlanta's mayor keeps parks in focus
By Amy Kapp

W

hen Kasim Reed became the 59th mayor of the city of Atlanta in January 2010,

he promised to confront the city's challenges and help lead the transformation of its infrastructure and green space into a new era of sustainability. Now well into his second year, Reed continues his goal of making Atlanta a " top-ten
sustainable city in the U.S., " there is evidence to show that he's keeping his word.

With NRPA's 2011 Congress and Exposition in Atlanta just two months away, we caught up with the
mayor to learn about his vision for parks and recreation in the Georgia state capital.
" Parks played a vital role in
my upbringing, " Reed affirms.
" I spent many days after school
at John A. White Park playing
football and other sports. Now
as mayor, I know that robust and
well-funded parks and recreation centers benefit our youth
and their positive development
greatly. "
Reed grew up in Atlanta's
Cascade community, where
he attended Utoy Springs Elementary School and Westwood
(now Westlake) High School.
He went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor deAtlanta mayor
grees from Howard University, Kasim Reed
and is a former partner of the international law firm Holland and Knight LLP. Prior to
becoming mayor, Reed served as a member of the
Georgia General Assembly for 11 years, as a state
representative from 1998 to 2002, and as a member
of the Georgia State Senate from 2002 to 2009.
Upon being elected mayor, one of Reed's top priorities was to open all of Atlanta's recreation centers-approximately half of the city's 33 recreation
centers had been closed in previous years due to
budget cuts-and transform them into new " Centers
of Hope. " He urged the city to support the initiative,
which he stated could play a role in reducing crime
and engaging youth who otherwise might not have
access to constructive programs and activities.
" More than race, more than geography, more

68	 Parks & Recreation

SEPTEMBER 2011

www.NRPA .ORG

than place of birth, our access to education in structured environments was the game-changer for us, "
Reed stated during a speech at the Atlanta Press
Club in January 2010. " Our children are worth it. "
Later that year, Reed secured approval from the Atlanta City Council for $3.7 million
for the initiative-and by the
end of 2010, all 33 recreation
centers were open.
" We continue to reach new
heights, " Reed says regarding
the transformation of the recreation centers. " These Centers
of Hope will provide new opportunities for Atlanta's youth...
and will become havens of
learning, culture, and character development for our young
people. "
Another priority for the mayor is the Atlanta BeltLine redevelopment plan launched under
Mayor Shirley Franklin's leadership, and Reed is eager
to continue the progress made this past year with the
launch of three parks.
" Our public parks and recreation facilities are vital elements in a striving economy, " Reed says, when
asked about their role in Atlanta's continued growth.
" People purchase homes near parks where they can
enjoy recreation activities. If you look at the area surrounding Historic Fourth Ward Park, you'll see an impressive amount of new residential and commercial
development, which sprouted up solely because of
this park. "
And it is world-class elements-such as Historic
Fourth Ward Park's stormwater retention pond and
the first energy-cost-neutral park in Atlanta, D.H.



September 2011 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2011 - Parks & Recreation

September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 1
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 2
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 3
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 4
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 5
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 6
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 7
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 8
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 9
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 10
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 11
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 12
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 13
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 14
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 15
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 16
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 17
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 18
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 19
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 20
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 21
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 22
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 23
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 24
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 25
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 26
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 27
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 28
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 29
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 30
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 31
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 32
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 33
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 34
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 35
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 36
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 37
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 38
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 39
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 40
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 41
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 42
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 43
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 44
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 45
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 46
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 47
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 48
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 49
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 50
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 51
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 52
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 53
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 54
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 55
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 56
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 57
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 58
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 59
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 60
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 61
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 62
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 63
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 64
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 65
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 66
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 67
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 68
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 69
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 70
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 71
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 72
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 73
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 74
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 75
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 76
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 77
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 78
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 79
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 80
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 81
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 82
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 83
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 84
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 85
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 86
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 87
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 88
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 89
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 90
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 91
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 92
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 93
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 94
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 95
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 96
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 97
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 98
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 99
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 100
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 101
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 102
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 103
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 104
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 105
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 106
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 107
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 108
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 109
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 110
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 111
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 112
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 113
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 114
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 115
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 116
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 117
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 118
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 119
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 120
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 121
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 122
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 123
September 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 124
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2009
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com