Perspectives: time to act: urban park and recreation issues need to be addressed.

"When a nation abandons a tradition that has served it well ... adopts a course that ignores what its citizens value most ... allows indifference to a cherished part of our heritage ... and diminishes the ways we can make a difference in the lives of Americans ... then it is time to act."

Sounds a little like the Declaration of Independence, doesn't it? These words may not be of the same magnitude, but they do capture the spirit of a tradition that preceded 1776.

In 1634, the citizens of Boston, Mass., established America's first urban park. And since that time, Boston's Common, New York's Central Park, Chicago's Millenium Park and countless other urban parks around the country have provided a place to recreate in the midst of the dense environment of our cities.

Many of these urban parks and programs are under threat. By some accounts, funding for parks and recreation will fall $38 billion short of meeting basic needs through the next four years. In fact, the primary federal program to fund urban parks has gone unfunded for three years in a row, and no funds were included in the budget for the coming fiscal year.

That is why NRPA gathered the directors of the park and recreation directors from the 25 largest cities last June to discuss what could be done.

Since that time, the directors have been planning a major Urban Park and Recreation Summit that will be held later this month in Chicago. Directors from the top 100 cities have been invited, as well as their mayors, other prominent civic officials, Congressional representatives and those that share urban park and recreation concerns.

Several speakers, including Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Long Beach, Calif. Mayor Beverly O'Neill, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, will address the importance of parks and recreation in their cities. Experts on subjects ranging from the economic to the social benefits of these facilities will also speak.

But perhaps much more long-lasting than all the oratory, delegates will be asked to sign a document that sets out "The Agenda for Urban Parks and Recreation in America." This call to action starts with the words quoted above and emphatically states the current value of parks and recreation to our great cities. As the document states, we, the undersigned, believe that urban parks must continue to promote health and wellness; stimulate community and economic development; protect the environment; and educate, protect and enrich America's youth.

We hope to take the signed agenda to prominent national groups and get them to adopt its wording as part of their national platforms.

We also hope that after it is adopted, you will use this document in your local community to convince your mayor and your city council members that urban parks and recreation must be supported in order to preserve a decent quality of life for all citizens.

John Thorner

NRPA Executive Director