General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBumRushDaShow
(129,053 posts)because there is constant admonishing children for sitting home "playing video games" and not being outdoors "playing". Having a place to play beyond an asphalt street and concrete walks, can do wonders.
greymattermom
(5,754 posts)By folks who want to work part time, maybe high school students after school, retirees, etc. I'd contribute tax money to that.
BumRushDaShow
(129,053 posts)Fairmount Park (and its original associated non-contiguous individuals parks). I have grown up with some "piece" of Fairmount Park not far away. In fact I'm probably a couple hundred feet from part of it where I live now.
And in the case here in the city, the parks system engages each community to help with certain plantings and care (and this doesn't include neighborhoods that have reclaimed vacant lots and have planted on them).
Roland99
(53,342 posts)Not so much here in central FL
Zing Zing Zingbah
(6,496 posts)logosoco
(3,208 posts)Roland99
(53,342 posts)Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)It would have to be city by city, semi-rural area by semi-rural area, across a huge country. It's not a realistic goal.
I think this may show she's not aware of the size of the nation and how many areas (most) in the country that do not have a park nearby. And a 10 minute walk is a very short distance. I have a small park 3 miles from me. That's not very far in a vehicle, but an hour walk (3mph).
Maybe she has in mind a few areas that she is familiar with, and doesn't know about the rest of the country.
Parks are very expensive. Not just to build, but to maintain. Trash has to be picked up regularly (both manually on the ground and the trash cans dumped), trash receptacles have to be replaced, graffiti repaired, etc. These expenses are forever and increase in time.
logosoco
(3,208 posts)But at the federal level, those with more tax money could help those with less.
And why is there always enough money for what they are doing to immigrant children?
Also, many counties are spending a lot for prisons (some of which are built by companies that make a profit). In a nicer world (which we COULD have if not for all the meanies!!!!) we could make many prison sentences much lighter (because many people are in prison for lack of good legal representation) and use community service as a sentence and that could be providing care and up keep to the parks.
(maybe just the thought of this project made me optimistic.)
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)Example: I live in a semi-rural area in the deep south. You think Harris has any idea of what it would take to put a park here somewhere? What land? Would they take someone's land from them? The state would need to approve, the county/parish would need to approve (& commission the plan), and if in a city, the city would need to approve. The residents would have to be able to vote on it.
This is just one of MILLIONS of areas without a park w/in walking distance. In my area alone, there are many areas w/o parks within walking distance.
No, she means a few inner city areas that she is familiar with. Not across the country.
She's not ready for prime time, if she's thinking of running for President. Unless she's going to embark on a Trump-like "promise them anything" campaign. Which I'm not suggesting she is. I think she's just unfamiliar with the various parts of the country. Or she misspoke, and she means just a few inner city areas.
Maybe she means pushing states & cities to do that themselves.
The nation is deep in debt. We don't have money for a lot of parks. I think that'd be great. But we have food supplemental assistance programs being cut.
Retrograde
(10,137 posts)There's one a few minutes walk from me. About 30 years ago, the city started buying up houses on one square block, back when this passed for a marginal area. As people died or moved out, they demolished the houses but kept the trees. So we have a square block park, with a few picnic tables, a small playground, and that's it. But it gets a lot of use. There are a number of Rust Belt cities - Detroit and Buffalo come to mind - that have a lot of abandoned properties that could be converted to small parks.
As for funding, we could always take some of the money that goes to defense contractors, or paying for golf cart rentals at Trump properties.
MichMan
(11,932 posts)I live in a rural area. We have a wonderful township park, but it takes much more than 10 minutes to walk there. In order to match her 10 minute ideal, we would need to add dozens alone in one small township with a relatively small population.