We did research on the use of concrete playgrounds to understand how useful it is in the communities and we discovered it’s not really useful because people are scared. Violent Crime and Park Use in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods online sources states, “Previous studies have reported that parks in high-poverty neighborhoods are used significantly less than in low-poverty neighborhoods. Concerns about personal safety have often been speculated as a possible factor negatively affecting park use in low-income neighborhoods.” Here we can see that the small concrete playgrounds in the poverty neighborhoods aren’t being utilized because these neighbors are scared for their safety. While there are less poverty neighborhoods, parks are being utilized for kids to engage in activities. The violence within neighborhoods is causing kids to miss out on their childhoods. Kids should be indulging in sports to help them stay occupied and athletic. Playing sports also allows kids to develop skills such as problem solving and team working. These skills are beneficial not only for the sport but in the real world. This connects back to the idea that if kids are engaging in positive acts then they’ll be a product of their environment. Placing larger parks and green areas for more families to come visit at once rather than individuals coming alone in poverty areas where crime rates are high, will take the fear away and will give kids a chance to see and try new things.
The article also states, “One study found that perception of neighborhood crime was associated with physical inactivity and obesity among older adults.” It can be inferred that if people are associating crime with the idea that adults aren’t pleased with their bodies then placing parks in neighborhoods for them to workout should be a solution. We believe that parks being placed in poverty neighborhoods is the answer to decreasing crime rates. If we can start this as a demo and actually collect data of the crime rate per stage after parks are placed in low come areas we will be able to measure its success.
In the past, many large parks helped reduce crime rates and kept children in a positive path with a strong social organization. Many studies were made between crime rates decreasing or increasing in areas with a lot of parks and green environments. Based on an article Can Parks Help Cities Fight Crime? by D’Lyn Ford, many scholars said parks and urban green spaces can help prevent violence. Midtown Manhattan in New York City used to be known for its criminal activities. Bryant park was closed in 1985 because of renovation. When it opened in 1992, there was a report made by the police that local crime decreased by 92 percent (Ford). Many scholars found several reasons why parks and green spaces lower crime. People who spend time in nature experience less tension and violence, which makes them happy and less likely to commit crimes. Parks support positive social interactions and neighborly relationships within diverse urban communities by providing a place for people to engage in outdoor activities together (Ford). This is perfect for kids because as they get older, they are close with neighbors and people around the area building strong relationships. Maturing is one of the most important stages in child development and this will help kids as they are getting older.
Based on the budget, we will have the recreation staff member to carry out activities and have the equipment for the basketball courts, soccer courts etc for the children and families. One of our favorite parks in New York City is the Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo. In the Brooklyn Bridge Park Financial Plan, their budget total estimate was 350 million dollars and only used 200 million dollars for the construction. We wanted to recreate the beautiful park in the south Bronx the same way but a little smaller in size. So our budget total estimate was 300 million dollars, 50 million dollar less than the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Our fundraisers, donations and state money will support us to keep the park going. We don’t really need to survey participants because we don’t want to disrupt people’s space as they are enjoying their time at the park and we personally don’t like random surveys. Our focus was crime rates and a better neighborhood for children to grow up in. Just like Bryant Park in 1992 when it opened, the police reported the decrease in crime rates. So a police report will be enough for us to find out how well the park is doing in the area and will be informed if crime rates are increasing, decreasing or staying the same.
Group #4: Infinity Gilyard, Wasikul Islam, Tasnim Hossen, Kelvin Amancha
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