September 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 8

E DITO R'S LETTER

The More Things Change

UR COVER STORY THIS MONTH explores the impact on parks and recreation

from changing ethnic and racial demographic forces reflected in the 2010
census. We took our cue from a succinct but powerful report on trends affecting our field by Emilyn Sheffield of California State University, Chico, earlier this
year for the NRPA board of directors (Parks & Recreation, July 2012). If you want to know
where to go, you need to know where you are and where you've been-a premise well
illustrated by Professor Sheffield.

Shortly after the United States entered the 21st
century, its population broke through the 300 million population mark. Most of the population gains
came from people of racially and ethnically diverse
backgrounds, Professor Sheffield explains. And
within the lifetimes of many of our readers, the population will top 400 million, with 50 percent of the
population represented by racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. (In fact, that's already occurred
in several U.S. municipalities.) Depending on your
historical perspective, the United States became diverse 40 years ago, 100 years ago, or even 150 years
ago, if you think in terms of the successive waves
of immigration that have shaped our society. Nothing new there. What continues to change, though,
are the shifting diverse sub-populations, which are
having considerable impact on park and recreation
agencies. Youth football, for example, may be on the
wane in Brooklyn, but the demand for cricket from
new arrivals is soaring. Under-utilized ball fields are
giving way to soccer fields for avid Hispanic participants and their families and friends who make allday events out of matches.
Author Andrea Lynn interviewed directors of some
of the most progressive agencies in the country and
found that even they stumble now and then, though

they learn from experience and prosper. Audree
Jones-Taylor relates how in Oakland, California, her
diverse staff first had to master and appreciate certain
programs and activities before they could successfully
introduce them to their users. Once her staff engaged
in hiking and swimming, the enthusiasm flowed on to
their kids. In Seattle, park and recreation staff with specific language skills went door to door assessing interests, needs, and priorities of minority community
members. They not only learned about unexpected
demand for specific activities; they also learned much
about their potential customers and their lifestyles.
These are outcomes that could only be achieved
by anticipating and understanding the needs of their
communities. Because of their comprehensive reach
into nearly every sector of community life-from
leisure, education, and health to conservation and
youth development-all parks cannot help but be at
the forefront of demographic changes. As our cover
story demonstrates, the parks successfully meeting
this challenge are the ones proactively embracing
it head-on.
And when they make the most of it, good communities become great communities. In the words of
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, " Diversity gives our
city a competitive edge. "

Philip Hayward
Editor

Parks & Recreation S E P T E M B E R

2 0 1 2 W W W . N R P A . O R G

September 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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