New report points to overall quality of parks; highlights opportunities for collaboration
St. Louis, MO (June 25, 2015) – Better Together today released its report regarding how the St. Louis region provides parks and recreational opportunities to the more than 1.3 million residents that call St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and its 90 municipalities home. As a region, we spend over $117 million annually to operate and maintain more than 470 parks across 16,420 acres of land. The parks are maintained by 47 separate departments (and by numerous municipalities without dedicated departments).
“For us, the most exciting part of this new Parks Study is the breadth and depth of information we now have in one place,” said Nancy Rice, Executive Director of Better Together. “Anyone interested in our region’s parks can see a full database of information, as well as access an interactive map with details and photos.”
In order to create this online center of parks-related data, Better Together Research Fellows spent several months visiting parks throughout the region. Of particular importance is parks’ compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); parks must comply with ADA in order to best serve the diverse St. Louis population. In general, the municipal parks in St. Louis City and St. Louis County provide a safe and accommodating environment for visitors.
While municipal parks are high-quality on the whole, the fragmented nature of our region can result in poor conditions. In some instances, parks have been deemed unusable owing to safety concerns.
“When a community is strapped for resources, upkeep of the parks and programming is the first to go,” said Dan McGuire, former Director of Parks for St. Louis City and Chairman of the Parks Committee. “Often, those most in need of safe, affordable leisure are the ones who lose out. Continual investment in local parks and infrastructure is critical to maintaining a healthy community.”
To that end, Better Together examined best practices both nationally and locally. In California, the East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) manages more than 119,000 acres of park land in what is the largest regional parks system in the United States. The district is also able to provide excellent security and maintenance for the parks it operates, helping to make the parks a more attractive feature, which aids in property value as well. On the opposite coast, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks) has been a positive influence in the region, maximizing the effectiveness of contributed revenue and providing economic benefits too. Through their consolidated efforts, NOVA Parks has worked to protect more than 10,000 acres of land in the region. The strength of this regional parks district comes from the ability of local governments in the region to contribute to the greater whole.
Closer to home, the Parks and Recreation Cooperative (PARC) jointly serves the citizens of Maplewood, Brentwood, and Richmond Heights. Residents of these geographically close cities may use all parks and facilities at resident rates, as well as enjoy benefits such as classes and recreational activities. Each city has about 8,000 residents apiece, and building high-quality centers (such as the Brentwood Ice Rink and the Maplewood Family Aquatic center) for each would be cost-prohibitive and difficult to manage. Through collaboration, 24,000 residents have access to a variety of facilities, with no single municipality carrying the weight of construction and maintenance.
Extensive information about parks and recreation in the St. Louis region, as well as recommendations for improvements, are in this new report. To access the databases and maps, and to read the Parks Study in full, please visit http://www.bettertogetherstl.com/parks-and-recreation .