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NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
1
Dealing with THE DARK SIDE of Parks
Lincoln Larson, Jerry Lee, & Mickey FearnDept. of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management
Parks transform communities.
But are impacts always positive?
NRPA’s3 Pillars
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Recipe for Trouble in Parks?
“Free time is a Petrie dish filled with Good bacteria and Bad bacteria.”
“An idle mind is the Devil’s workshop.”
“It's dangerous to have a large group of people around who have a lot of free time, nothing to do, and nothing to lose.”
Without ways to combat this, a shift to the “dark side” looms…
Dissecting the “Dark Side”1. Crime & “undesirable” activities2. Social inequity3. Other issues?
If you have questions or comments as we talk,text us at:
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
3
Dissecting the “Dark Side”1. Crime & “undesirable” activities2. Social inequity3. Other issues?
If you have questions or comments as we talk,text us at:
PARKS Facilitate Crime?
Parks may attract crime to certain areas, providing refuge for criminals and access to victims Shafer et al. 2000, Shinew et al. 2013
When parks are poorly maintained, they propagate social and economic tensions Solecki & Welch 1995, Stodolska et al. 2011
“Broken Windows” Theory:
urban decay crime
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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PARKS Facilitate Crime? Media portrayal of park‐based crime exacerbates the problem, increasing perceived threats
PARKS Facilitate Crime. Across four major US cities, park proximity linked to higher crime (Ogletree et al. 2019)
Violent Crime Property Crime
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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PARKS Deter Crime? Contact with nature reduces stress and agression Frumkin et al. 2017
Parks and greenspace attract diverse people and foster positive social interactions Holtan et al. 2014, Jennings & Bamkole 2019
“Eyes on the Street” Theory:
informal surveillance safety
PARKS Deter Crime? More green in neighborhoods = reduction in crime and incivilities Kuo & Sullivan 2001 (Chicago)
Inverse relationships between canopy cover & crime Donovan & Prestemon 2012 (Portland), Troy et al. 2012 (Baltimore)
Greening vacant lots leads to crime reduction Snelgrove et al. 2013 (Austin), Branas et al. 2018 (Philadelphia)
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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PARKS Deter Crime. In all but three of 301 cities, negative link between green space and crime (Ogletree et al. 2019)
Vio
len
t C
rim
eP
rop
erty Crim
e
606 Trail in Chicago
Mean Changes from 2011 to 2015:Low SES Census Block Groups
No 606(n = 44)
Near 606(n = 43)
Diff. Test(Cohen’s d)
Violent crimes/100 ‐.31 ‐.86 .83***
Property crimes/100 ‐.57 ‐.92 .46*
Disorderly crimes/100 ‐.58 ‐1.02 .49*
Disadvantage Index ‐.81 ‐1.08 .26
Diversity Index +0.03 +0.10 .84***
*, **, *** denote significance of t‐test at α = 0.05, 0.01, and 0.002, respectively
(Harris et al. 2018)
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Parks & Crime: Conclusions Some attributes of parks (e.g., maintenance/enforcement issues) invite crime, others (e.g., green space) diffuse it
Neighborhood context (e.g., cultural factors, inequalities/disparities) matters
Fear increases as threat of perceived victimization increases
Parks with amenities and activity generators (e.g., facilities, fields, courts) attract legitimate users, fostering territorial reinforcement
Community involvement and investment in public space is key
Crime in Parks: Potential Solutions
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
“Parks After Dark” initiatives
NaturalSurveillance
TerritorialReinforcement
Access Control
TerritorialReinforcement
Maintenance
CPTED
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Opioid Abuse & Parks Addiction to opioids is a
national public health crisis that directly impacts parks In many communities, first
responders more likely to administer Naloxone than CPR (US Surgeon General, 2019)
Need to recognize substance abuse as a disease, not a stigma
Develop direct (overdose-reversing drugs) & indirect solutions (treatment services) that serve communities and improve quality of life (NRPA, 2019)
Homelessness & Parks Parks have a complicated
relationship with the homeless community (Neild & Rose 2019, NRPA 2017)
About 50% of directors view homeless population as a “nuisance” that upsets other park users
17% of agencies are working to provide services and programming to the homeless community
Other NGO & governmental partners lead efforts to mitigate homelessness, but parks have important role to play (NRPA, 2017)
Public education, training, access to services, etc.
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Dissecting the “Dark Side”1. Crime & “undesirable” activities2. Social inequity3. Other issues?
If you have questions or comments as we talk,text us at:
Benefits of Parks
Physical & Mental Health
Social Cohesion
Conservation
Democratic Space
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Parks & Equity Issues
1. Inequitable Park Quantity & Quality
• Across 99 cities in the US, low income and racial/ethnic minority groups have access to fewer acres of parks and parks with lower quality than more privileged groups (Rigolon et al., 2018)
• Environmental Injustice: Park benefits are not enjoyed by people who need them the most.
Parks & Equity Issues
2. Green Gentrification
• Construction of new parks… • does not address environmental justice or reduce
park disparities• displaces local residents due to increased
property values and changes in local atmosphere and culture
• Result: benefits remain inequitably distributed
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Parks & Equity Issues
3. Criminalization of People of Color
• Central Park 5 in 1989• Urban greenway in
Chicago: White users called police because of the mere presence of Puerto Rican youth
• BBQ Becky in Oakland, CA in 2018
How can we address these Issues?
Disparities in park quantity and quality Green gentrification Criminalization of people of color
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Historical Roots of Park Injustice
Public Parks were conceptualized, built, and managed by affluent White males
• Central Park: first American public park
• Rich White businessmen & politicians
• Real-estate investment• Demarcating racial and
class boundaries
Historical Roots of Park Injustice
White elites imposed and legitimized certain park behaviors
• Olmsted created “fundamentally instructional” park regulations in order to educate middle-class White values to the working-class
• Prohibited drinking, picnicking, dancing, gambling, sports, and other forms of entertainment
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Historical Roots of Park Injustice
The construction of Central Park evicted Black residents in Seneca Village
Historical Roots of Park Injustice
People of color could not freely visit parks
A survey of southern state parks conducted in 1952 and 1953:
• 180 parks for Whites vs. 18 parks for African Americans
• 986,184 acres of park land for Whites vs. 8,879 acres for African Americans - (0.9% of White total)
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Can we escape from the past?
Today’s park problems (disparities in park quantity and quality, green gentrification, and criminalization of people of color) are not new issues!
A consistent pattern: individuals in power continue to control park allocation and funding at the expense of well-being of the powerless
Addressing historical oppression…
Examine institutional discrimination
Recognize that people of color might not like park designs and regulations rooted in White elitism and racism
Carefully plan and execute new park development with all segments of the community
Work with researchers to identify and address park equity issues
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Dissecting the “Dark Side”1. Crime & “undesirable” activities2. Social inequity3. Other issues?
If you have questions or comments as we talk,text us at:
Perspectives from the Field
Mickey Fearn’s lessons learned from decades of experience in the park and recreation field…
(Rethinking park and rec service delivery)
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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A Problem with American Culture…
We live in a society in which our economy is based on
making us feel inadequate, ugly, and afraid.
Perceived Happiness
Frustration Power over/Crimes of power Drugs/Chemical Dep.
Anxiety Envy Suicide Self harm Bitterness
Fear Helplessness Depression Deterioration of relationships
Entitlement Resentment Guilt Misplaced blame and anger
Sensory deprivation Crime Abuse Addiction Cravings
Inability to live in the moment Temptation Kinetic dissatisfaction
Impotency: the inability to give Resignation Cynicism Resources evaporation
Real Happiness
Real vs. Perceived Happiness
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Agency/Independence: The ability to function alone
Kinship: The ability to live and work in concert with others
Mastery: To be good at something. To find our gift
Individuation: To feel unique and special
Power: The ability to make something happen, or not happen, as a direct result of what we do.
Regardless of age, ethnicity, physical ability, gender, or orientation, we all need…
NORMAL
What is normal?
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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NORMAL
NORMALNORMAL
NORMAL
There’s no such thing as normal!!
From Transactional toTransformative Leadership
Transactional: Programs and services provided during discretionary time; occupies users’ time but may not have benefits other than the immediate enjoyment of users. Secondary benefits, if any, are not planned intentionally.
Transformative: Programs and services are intentionally designed to contribute to creating great citizens, communities and cities. Programs and services result in civility, lifelong health and fitness, lifelong creativity, lifelong learning, environmental sustainability and stewardship, equity, and citizen engagement.
NC Parks & Recreation Directors Conference ‐2020
2/6/2020
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Combatting the Dark Side
The Power of Parks +
Proactive Thought & Actions =
Hope & Opportunity
Q&A: The Dark Side of Parks
If you have questions or comments,text us at:
Lincoln Larson, Jerry Lee, & Mickey FearnDept. of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management