September 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 43

" You don't
know what's
best for a
community
until you go
into the
community
or bring the
community
to you. "
-Audree JonesTaylor, Oakland,
California, Parks
and Recreation

must have an art space, prevention program to keep
kids engaged, and ESL classes, among other programs. Too many times, she says, people feel like
other parts of the city (more affluent ones, in particular) are being provided with better services.
" The community may change, but desires and
needs are the same, " she says. " Our challenge in our
job is that the programs are consistent and that people are engaged and have the opportunity to have
their needs met. "

Embracing Change in Seattle
While almost 70 percent of Seattle's population of
more than 600,000 is white, the remaining percentage is extremely diverse, with significant numbers of
African-Americans and Asians, plus one of the fastest-growing Latino communities in the United States.
Because of its increasing diversity, the city has been
working since 2005 on a Race and Social Justice Initiative. For its part, the parks department has a 20-member Change Team representing every level and line
of business in an effort to make the programs as inclusive as possible. One of the keys to dealing with diversity in Seattle's recreation programs is by responding
to the individual needs of each facility.
" We don't use a cookie cutter approach, " says Christopher Williams, acting superintendent of Seattle's Department of Parks and Recreation. " The programs

need to be responsive. One neighborhood may choose
to recreate differently than another neighborhood. "
Seattle has also experienced an influx of Islamic
immigrants from North Africa, which has posed a
unique challenge in terms of the swimming facilities.
" Islamic women can't be in a bathing suit in the company of men, " Williams says. " One of our goals is to
encourage people to get active and fit. A lot of these
Islamic women like to swim, and they weren't able to
do so. Many had given up the sport of swimming. "
Communication between these swimmers and
the parks department culminated in establishing
the " Women of the World " program. A few times
a week, gender-specific times in the pool allow
Muslim women to swim with other females. The
female-only swim times accommodate the Islamic women in a way that is culturally sensitive to
their religion without total exclusion of other populations. " There's not an unlimited supply of land.
Our challenge is to find the right level of balance
for new uses, " Williams says.
Seattle's neighborhoods provide more examples
of the ways recreational activities act as cultural centerpieces. Soccer and basketball are popular among
many groups, but in Seattle's Latino neighborhoods,
the sports attract more than just the participants.
" You will see hundreds of families at the basketball court, " Williams says. " They eat, they socialize,
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September 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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