m a n h a t t a n c i t y c o u n c i l 2009 d i s t r i c t 9 Central Harlem, Morningside Heights

Parks are an essential city service. They are the barometers of our city. From Flatbush to Flushing and Morrisania to Midtown, parks are the front and backyards of all New Yorkers. Well-maintained and designed parks offer recreation and solace, improve property values, reduce crime, and contribute to healthy communities.

s h o w c a s e : Riverside Park Until 2006 the City did not spe- cifcally track crimes occurring on city parkland, and therefore no data was available to tell citizens about the safety of their parks. New Yorkers for Parks worked with the City Council and Mayor to pass legislation mandating the tracking of crime in the 20 largest parks, with the eventual goal of including every park. Riverside Park was one of the initial 20 parks, and details on the park’s safety are available in our report, “Tracking Crime Colonel Charles Young Playground, Harlem in NYC Parks.” Riverside Park The Bloomberg Administration’s physical barriers or crime. As a result, is a 267 acre park located in Council Districts 6 and 9. PlaNYC is the first-ever effort to studies show significant increases in Visit www.ny4p.org for more sustainably address the many infra- nearby real estate values. Greenways information on park safety. structure needs of New York City, are expanding waterfront access including parks. With targets set for while creating safer routes for cyclists stormwater management, air quality and pedestrians, and the new initia- and more, the City is working to tive to reclaim streets for public use update infrastructure for a growing brings fresh vibrancy to the city. population while addressing envi- ronmental concerns. Through ambi- New York City’s population is tious goals to increase access to parks projected to increase by one million and open spaces, New York’s fiscally new residents by 2030, and demand prudent administration affirms that for our 29,000 acres of parkland investing in parks is good business. will only grow. It is imperative that creative efforts to expand our open Park innovations have flourished in spaces continue—but perhaps more recent years. The creation of Hudson importantly, existing parks must be River Park and the revitalization of protected, maintained and adequate- Bryant Park allow access to areas ly funded to best serve current and that were previously off-limits due to future New Yorkers. City Council District Profiles City Council District Profiles Citywide

Citywide Parks by the A New Master Plan for Parks Numbers Significant steps have been made toward PlaNYC’s parks and open space targets, which include ensuring 29,000 that every New Yorker lives within a 10-minute walk Acres of parkland of a park and planting 1 million trees. Important 1,700 projects like the development of regional parks and Parks the “schoolyards-to-playgrounds” initiative, which opens schoolyards after hours to the public, increase 1,000 recreation space, thus resulting in an even greater Playgrounds need for maintenance funds.

2,300 PlaNYC shows the City’s commitment to Greenstreets improving open space and recreation opportunities. 12,000 Now, we must take the next step and create a master Acres of natural areas plan for New York City’s parks, which does not exist today. A master plan would respond to particular 600,000 neighborhood and regional needs and outline how Park trees best to expand the park system to serve current 2 million and future residents. Street trees Any expansion to the parks system requires 14 maintenance funding. Most city parks rely on Miles of beaches public funding, but this is not a predictable source as evidenced by the current economic recession. 800 While spending on park maintenance increased by Athletic felds 50 percent under Mayor Bloomberg between 2003 50 and 2008, a gloomy economic forecast can be expect- Recreation centers ed to result in cuts to the Parks budget in 2009 and beyond. Public-private partnerships will be affected 66 by the recession as well. Innovative funding streams Pools —as well as improved management strategies— can help ensure that the parks system will 6 weather these storms. Top: Breininger Playground, Queens Ice rinks Above: Central Park, Manhattan 22 Historic house museums Historical City Funding for the Parks Department (Adjusted) 1,000 $500 Monuments, sculptures and $400 historical markers d o l l a r s $300 o f

$200 m i l l i o n s $100 in

$0 ’89 ’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10*

f i s c a l y e a r *2010 = Projected budget By the Borough: Manhattan

MANHATTAN Public-Private Partnerships Park Inspection Program Ratings: Parks by the Manhattan vs. Citywide (Percent rated acceptable) Numbers Manhattan’s parks are well-loved and well-used. Manhattan Citywide When New York City’s fiscal crisis of the 1970s 100% 671 resulted in a decline in park conditions, a new Acres of natural areas movement of private support through public-private 90% partnerships was born. Manhattan’s parks have ben- 209 efited significantly from groups like the Central Park Playgrounds 80% Conservancy and Madison Square Park Conservancy, which have brought innovative management and 130 70% Comfort stations additional funding to the parks. Every park along 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Fifth Avenue from Central Park to the Battery The Parks Department conducts 5,000 park inspections annually 576 benefits from private support and funding. through their internal rating system, the Park Inspection Program. Drinking fountains

Twenty-three non-profit partner groups fundraise 160 for Manhattan parks, in addition to 10 groups that Athletic felds raise money to support parks citywide. 215 Basketball courts 317 Greenstreets 22 Pools

Manhattan Park Staffing 33 Gardeners & Assistant Gardeners 237 City Parks Workers At left: Bennett Park, Washington Heights & Associate Park Above: Bryant Park, Midtown Service Workers 57 Manhattan has the 3rd lowest percentage of land devoted to parks of the fve boroughs. Park Supervisors Manhattan Citywide Park acreage 2,711 29,000 34 Recreation Directors & Percent of borough devoted to parks 19% 14% Specialists Manhattan has the highest number of residents per acre of parkland of the fve boroughs. 28 Total population 1.5 million 8 million Playground Associates Residents per acre of parkland 567 276 54 Manhattan has the lowest tree canopy coverage of the fve boroughs. Parks Enforcement Patrol Tree canopy (trees on public and private land) 13% 24% (PEP) Offcers & Urban Park Rangers Number of street trees per mile of sidewalk 49 41 Riverside Park, Morningside Heights 0 0.5 1 Miles manhattan City Council District 9

From Manhattan Community Board 10: AV Washington Heights District Statistics VEN W 171 ST HA a c r e a g e o f c i t y p a r k s Total district acreage 1,420

The asthma problem in Harlem 10 RP Total parkland acreage 226

VR DY Parks & playgrounds acreage 202 ‘‘ W 165 ST Percent City parkland has been, and is currently being, * of total district acreage Percent parkland 16% HRLM R widely studied and documented. Citywide 14% 24 Parks and open space are an enor- Ranking of City parkland p o p u l a t i o n W acres/resident Population 155,421 W 162 ST (1=highest, 51=lowest) mous part of the solution to this Population under 18 35,281 New Percent under 18 23% RIVERSIDE DR monumental problem. An increase Jersey W 157 ST 22 Acres parkland per 1,000 residents 1 Polo Ranking of City parks & in the maintenance of current parks playgrounds acres/child Acres parks & playgrounds per 1,000 children 6 Ground Houses and open space, as well as an in- 1 l a n g u a g e a c c e s s CD 9 Citywide crease in the number of such spaces, W 152 ST Most common foreign language spoken at home Spanish Spanish 7 2 Percent of homes speaking this language 12% 18%

is a must if Central Harlem is HARLEM RIVER DR c i v i c e n g a g e m e n t CD 9 Citywide HUDSON RIVER ST NICHOLAS PL going to continue to flourish. Registered voters 77% 76% COMBS PL MA W 150 ST 3 Number general parks-related 5 311 calls per 1,000 residents 5 10 AY Hamilton Heights 4 Number of parks-related 311 calls for maintenance Statement of Needs for Fiscal Year 2008 DW 17 OA per 1,000 residents 2 1 BR HARLEM TON PL RIVER ’’ W 141 ST p a r k r e s o u r c e s HAMIL CD 9 Citywide Does not include capital funding allocated to multiple districts or citywide. AV Parks, playgrounds District-specific capital funding, 2004–2009 $8 million $4.2 million AV W 143 ST W 133 ST Manhattanville AV CONVENT AV and beaches 12 6 p a r k s i n s p e c t i o n p r o g r a m r a t i n g s AM W 139 ST Results of the Parks Department’s internal inspections. 1 Highbridge Park 14 Saint Nicholas ST NICHOLAS Playground North FY 2004 FY 2008 2 Holcombe Rucker Park AMSTERD 100 8 7 3 Harlem Lane Playground 15 Saint Nicholas 80 WELL BL 90% Playground South H HUDSON PY EN SB 88% 88% 86% 4 Fredrick Johnson Park PO 60 W 137 9ST 16 Courtney Callender M C TE A 5 Bill Bojangles Robinson Playground 40 AD rated Playground cent parks

17 Moore Playground 20 10 “acceptable” FRED DOUGLASS BL r Pe 6 Col Charles Young Playground ST NICHOLAS 18 Harlem River Park 23 0 11 7 Fred Samuel Playground CD 9 Citywide 19 Marcus Garvey Park AV 14 12 8 Abyssinian Tot Lot 13 20 Eugene McCabe Field 15 W 129 ST o p e n s p a c e CD 9 Citywide 9 McCray Playground 21 Martin Luther King W 120 ST MORNINGSIDE Harlem 16 Number of community gardens per 1,000 acres 25 4 10 Howard Bennett Playground Playground W 125 ST 17 Vacant lot acreage 25 8,512 11 Hansborough Pool 22 Morningside Park Columbia 9 Percent vacant 2% 4% 12 Abe Lincoln Playground 23 Sakura Park University 24 AV 5 18 13 Harlem River Driveway 24 Riverside Park R * h e a l t h 22 W Number of hospital admissions per 10,000 residents: CD 9 Citywide Asthma 51 31 AV E 125 ST LEGEND nn DPR community gardens X MT MORRIS PK W 115 ST 19 Diabetes 13 11 W 119 ST 1/4 Mile LENO AV nn Other community gardens 2 Council District Border nn DPR beaches 20 e d u c a t i o n CD 9 Citywide MORNINGSIDE DR * Percent fourth graders meeting standards in math 75% 81% nn New York City Department of State and federal parkland AN CT nn V Parks and Recreation (DPR) AV SYL Percent fourth graders meeting standards in reading 51% 63% nn City-owned vacant land AN parks, playgrounds and TT Q DPR schoolyards-to- 21 greenstreets CENTRAL PK N AV Manhattan Valley 2 W 112 ST playgrounds sites MANHA nn DPR natural areas * W 100 ST * East Harlem (Schoolyards-to-playgrounds is a citywide PlaNYC initiative to open schoolyards to the public during afterschool hours.) E 116 ST

AV H HUDSON PY EN SB HARLEM MEER

PLEASANT W E 114 ST W 96 ST E 110 ST

CENTRAL PK

Tools for Action 6 8 Let your elected officials know how important parks are to you. City Council Member: Inez E. Dickens [email protected] E 98 ST Manhattan Community Board 9 (212) 864-6200 EAST RIVER Manhattan Community Board 10 (212) 749-3105 Manhattan Community Board 11 (212) 831-8929 W 85 ST RESERVOIR City of New York 311 or www.nyc.gov 4 FDR DR AV 2 State and Federal Representatives www.elections.state.ny.us Carnegie Hill

New Yorkers for Parks www.ny4p.org V SA Each One Teach One Playground, Harlem

b o a r d c h a i r p h o t o g r a p h y Supporters About New Yorkers d a t a s o u r c e s Catherine Morrison Golden David Silverstein, Manager Altman Foundation for Parks All data is from 2008 unless noted. “Citywide”: Parks by the Numbers - NYC Department of Arthur Ross Foundation Parks and Recreation (DPR); Budget chart - Adopted Budgets, NYC Office of Management and e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r District 9 Photographer: New Yorkers for Parks is the only Greenacre Foundation Budget (OMB), FY 1989-2009, Preliminary Budget, OMB, FY 2010. “By the borough”: PIP Ratings, Christian DiPalermo Ben Carlson independent watchdog for all the By the numbers & Staffing - DPR; Trees -“Trees Count!” Street Tree Census report, 2005-2006, DPR; Henry and Lucy Moses Fund city’s parks, beaches and playgrounds. This page: Population - Census2000; Language access - Infoshare.org; Civic engagement - NYC Board Bill DesJardins d i s t r i c t p r o f i l e s s ta f f John N. Blackman, Sr. Foundation The city’s oldest and leading inde- of Elections and NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DOITT), Tim Francis Cheryl Huber, Director Abby R. Mauzé Trust pendent expert on park conditions, FY 2008; Park resources and PIP ratings - DPR: Community Gardens - Council on the Environment of Christine Kaelin NYC; Vacant land - MapPLUTO copyrighted by the New York City Department of Planning, BYTES Alyson Beha The Armand G. Erpf Fund efficiency and funding, New Yorkers Susan McCartney of the BIG APPLE; Health - NYS Department of Health, 2006 via Infoshare.org; Education - NYC and Andrea Marpillero-Colomina The Dana Foundation for Parks has worked for 100 years Laura Napier NYS Departments of Education, 2007-2008, analysis by the Annenberg Foundation. The Rhodebeck Charitable Trust to ensure greener, safer, cleaner g r a p h i c d e s i g n e r Mark Sanders Norman and Rosita Winston parks for all New Yorkers. m a p d a t a Michael Bierman David Silverstein Foundation NYC Parks properties - DPR; State parks - NYS Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; National parks - National Park Service, 2006; Council District boundaries - BYTES of the Big Apple, DCP, 2005; Schoolyards-to-Playgrounds - DPR. The Future of New York City Parks

With the promise of Fresh Kills Park parks, the money is directed to the City’s in Staten Island and the completion of General Fund. New Yorkers for Parks has regional parks citywide, New York City’s long advocated for City Hall to allow the park system will expand over the coming Parks Department to retain a portion of decades in a manner not seen since the this revenue to offset maintenance costs 1930s. With sound planning and sufficient throughout the system, as is done in other funding, our park system will flourish. cities such as Chicago.

Although the City has an obligation to Property Taxes: Business Improvement fund parks, we have seen that in times of Districts have a long history of funding fiscal crisis, parks suffer. We must ensure park maintenance through tax revenues, that all parks—particularly those that with Bryant Park as the lead example. cannot rely on private funding—receive Friends of Hudson River Park is pursuing adequate public support. this structure. Such arrangements place some of the costs of park maintenance While “friends of” groups and the robust on businesses or residents whose property volunteer program administered through values benefit from a well-maintained park. Partnerships for Parks have a positive im- pact on park maintenance, more dollars are Public-Private Partnerships: More than needed. Park advocates have long debated 30 park-specific non-profits around the how to ensure funding streams outside of city fundraise for specific parks—such as the city budget to maintain our parks in all the Battery Conservancy and the Riverside fiscal climates. The funding mechanisms Park Fund. Groups typically raise money below have been successful in New York for capital projects or ongoing park main- City and elsewhere. Now is the time to tenance; however, this strategy has worked carefully examine these strategies to plan only in high-income areas. for the future. Zoning Bonuses: Developer incentives Concessions: More than $50 million is to improve open space can produce earned annually from concessions such as successful results. In West Chelsea, the food stands and ice skating rinks operated City passed a special zoning amendment on City parkland. Some public-private that allowed developers to build higher in partnerships are allowed to keep a portion exchange for contributing to an ongoing of concession revenues earned in particular maintenance fund to benefit the new parks through unique agreements with public High Line Park. This structure the City. But in the vast majority of should be explored citywide.

New Yorkers for Parks The Arthur Ross Center for Parks and Open Spaces 355 Lexington Avenue, 14th Floor New York, NY 10017

Tel: 212-838-9410 / Fax: 212-371-6048 Top: Madison Square Park, Manhattan Middle: Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens www.ny4p.org Above: Vidalia Park, Bronx