b r o n x Woodlawn, Wakefield, Williamsbridge, c i t y Olinville, Eastchester, Edenwald, Baychester c o u n c i l 2009 d i s t r i c t 12 Co-Op City, Allerton, Pelham Gardens

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 : Haffen Park The 2008 Spotlight on Recreation is a new project of New Yorkers for Parks’ award-winning Report Card on Parks. This report exam- ines the conditions of athletic felds, courts, and playgrounds in a random selection of neighbor- hood parks. Each outdoor recre- ation feature was inspected on three separate site visits, once each in June, July, and August to show the performance of these specifc features over the course of the summer. The courts and playground in Haffen Park were Haffen Park, Baychester surveyed for this project. The The Bloomberg Administration’s physical barriers or crime. As a result, courts performed higher than the citywide average, and the PlaNYC is the first-ever effort to studies show significant increases in playground’s score reflected the sustainably address the many infra- nearby real estate values. Greenways citywide average. Visit www.ny4p. structure needs of City, are expanding waterfront access org for more information on the including parks. With targets set for while creating safer routes for cyclists Spotlight on Recreation Project. 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- ’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- 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, Ice rinks Above: , 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: Bronx

BRONX Parkland Alienation Park Inspection Program Ratings: Parks by vs. Citywide (Percent rated acceptable) Numbers Although the Bronx has the most parkland of the Bronx Citywide five boroughs, much of that acreage is contained in 100% 2,596 , at 2,766 acres the largest in the city. Acres of natural areas Bronx parks have been subject to two significant cases 90% of “alienation”: the taking of parkland for a non-park 191 use. In 2003, the City and State approved construc- Playgrounds 80% tion of a water filtration plant in , and in 2006, 22 acres of well-loved parkland 117 70% Comfort stations were alienated for a new Yankee Stadium. The Van 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Cortlandt Park case was high-profile and resulted in The Parks Department conducts 5,000 park inspections annually 374 mitigation funds for Bronx parks, but the alienation through their internal rating system, the Park Inspection Program. Drinking fountains at Yankee Stadium took place in only eight days with residents left in the dark. Both cases resulted in 144 soured relations between the City and the affected Athletic felds communities. Unfortunately, parkland can be legally 201 taken without public notification. The alienation pro- Basketball courts cess must be strengthened so that parkland in every borough can be preserved for New Yorkers. 436 Greenstreets Three non-profit partner groups fundraise for Bronx parks, in addition to 10 groups that raise money to 10 Pools support parks citywide.

Bronx Park Staffing 27 Gardeners & Assistant Gardeners 216 City Parks Workers At left: Van Cortlandt Park, & Associate Park Above: Poe Park, Fordham Service Workers 52 The Bronx has the highest percentage of land devoted to parks of the fve boroughs. Park Supervisors Bronx Citywide Park acreage 7,002 29,000 12 Recreation Directors & Percent of borough devoted to parks 26% 14% Specialists The Bronx has the 2nd lowest number of residents per acre of parkland of the fve boroughs. 5 Total population 1.3 million 8 million Playground Associates Residents per acre of parkland 190 276 23 The Bronx has the 2nd greatest tree canopy coverage of the fve boroughs. Parks Enforcement Patrol Tree canopy (trees on public and private land) 24% 24% (PEP) Offcers & Urban Park Rangers Number of street trees per mile of sidewalk 37 41 00.5 1Miles

Seton Falls Park, Eastchester bronx City Council District 12

W 260 ST

E 243 ST E 241 ST OSGOOD ST

ST OUEN ST AV W 256 ST AV CRANFORD

SET District Statistics E 239 ST ON a c r e a g e o f c i t y p a r k s AV E 239 ST RICHARDSON Total district acreage 3,252 E 239 ST KA AV TLANDT PK E T AV ONEID NEREID ONAH Total parkland acreage 227 Y LA VAN COR

VIREO A Wakefield AV Parks & playgrounds acreage 137 MUND AV Percent City parkland VAN E 236 ST of total district acreage Percent parkland 7% WICKHAM CORTLANDT PETERS PL E 234 ST V LAKE Citywide 14%

HILL AV AV BRONX ALD AV 25 p o p u l a t i o n EDENWEDSON Westchester County RIVER Ranking of City parkland acres/resident E 232 ST Population 165,184 Woodlawn Cemetery 1 AV (1=highest, 51=lowest) JER Population under 18 43,729 OME AN COLLEGE PY TT AV Percent under 18 26% E 224 ST A PL GRENAD 2 E 227 ST 9 30 Acres parkland per 1,000 residents 1 11 Ranking of City parks & Eastchester playgrounds acres/child Acres parks & playgrounds per 1,000 children 3 MAJOR DEEGAN ET SBVAN COR TLANDT PK S Williamsbridge 8 AV 12 7 l a n g u a g e a c c e s s CD 12 Citywide W MOSHOLU PY N AV Edenwald SEDGWICK DEKALB E 211 ST E 219 ST E 223 ST Most common foreign language spoken at home Spanish Spanish JEROME 10 Percent of homes speaking this language 14% 18% PARK E 210 ST AV RESERVOIR 3 VR PY EN NB EASTCHESTER RD c i v i c e n g a g e m e n t CD 12 Citywide

ULDING

W 205 ST BX R PA E 209 ST Registered voters 74% 76% TILDEN ST Olinville Number general parks-related 12 311 calls per 1,000 residents 8 10 ARKSIDE PL E 204 ST P Norwood 4 FISH Number of parks-related 311 calls for maintenance E MOSHOLU PY N 5 AV 11 Co-Op City per 1,000 residents 0 1 E 204 ST AV 13 E 198 ST BA BRIGGS AV YCHESTER AV p a r k r e s o u r c e s CD 12 Citywide 5 ST ADEE OIR V Baychester Does not include capital funding allocated to multiple districts or citywide. * AV 6 RESER ON PL NEW ENGLANDAV ATUR District-specific capital funding, 2004–2009 $650,000 $4.2 million SEXT W Bedford ParkDEC

AV AV DEWITT PL HUTCHINSON BA 14 ON Y PZ RIVER 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 * ON RD 13 AV CREST TY E 194 ST BOST E GUN HILL RD Results of the Parks Department’s internal inspections. ON

AV FY 2004 FY 2008 AV PELHAM BAY E 190 ST 100 MACE AV EINSTEIN LO E Fordham GABRIEL DR Fordham 80 University SEYMOUR 92% OLINVILLE 87% 88% 86% WARING AV Pelham Gardens WARING AV 60 E 187 ST E 191 ST ASTOR AV

AV 40 AV rated * cent parks AV

UGER

20 “acceptable” PELHAM PY N AV WELL

13 r Pe CR STILL TIEBOUT TURTLE Belmont 0 COVE

WILSON 3 CD 12 Citywide 15 AV 14 13 Weiler/Einstein * Hospital

AV o p e n s p a c e CD 12 Citywide AV WILKINSON E MINN 180 ST AV

UGER BRADY AV AV Number of community gardens per 1,000 acres 1 4 TT INOLE ERN BL R Y OOD PL IE

H C W M SE From : Vacant lot acreage 93 8,512 Parks, playgrounds LEGEND nn DPR community gardens Percent vacant 3% 4% 1/2 Mile nn Other community gardens and beaches Council District Border nn DPR beaches h e a l t h Additional parklands must be 1 8 Stars and Stripes Playground nn New York City Department of nn State and federal parkland Number of hospital admissions per 10,000 residents: CD 12 Citywide Parks and Recreation (DPR) Asthma 47 31 2 Rienzi Playground 9 nn City-owned vacant land ‘‘ parks, playgrounds and Diabetes 14 11 ascertained and obtained for extra 3 Agnes Haywood Playground 10 Givans Creek Woods Park Q DPR schoolyards-to- greenstreets 4 Gun Hill Playground 11 Haffen Park playgrounds sites baseball fields and soccer fields in nn DPR natural areas e d u c a t i o n CD 12 Citywide 5 12 Co-Op City Field order to respond to the increased (Schoolyards-to-playgrounds is a citywide PlaNYC initiative Percent fourth graders meeting standards in math 76% 81% 6 Eastchester Playground 13 Parkway to open schoolyards to the public during afterschool hours.) Percent fourth graders meeting standards in reading 53% 63% desire for sports programs of these 7 Edenwald Playground 14 Pelham Bay Park types in Bronx Community District 12. ’’ Statement of Needs for Fiscal Year 2008

Tools for Action Let your elected officials know how important parks are to you. City Council Member: Larry B. Seabrook [email protected] (718) 892-1161 (718) 892-6262 Bronx Community Board 12 (718) 881-4455 City of New York 311 or www.nyc.gov State and Federal Representatives www.elections.state.ny.us New Yorkers for Parks www.ny4p.org Magenta Playground, Olinville Edenwald Playground, Edenwald Stars and Stripes Playground, Edenwald

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 12 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 Bill DesJardins 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 Ben Carlson 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 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 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 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 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