BROOKLYN CITY Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill, COUNCIL 2009 DISTRICT 35 Crown Heights North, Crown Heights South 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. SHOWCASE : Fort Greene Park The Daffodil Project, a partner- ship between New Yorkers for Parks and the NYC Parks Department, was created as a citywide beautification project and living memorial to Sep- tember 11. Each year, thanks to the generous donation of B&K Flowerbulbs, the two groups dis- tribute hundreds of thousands of free daffodil bulbs for volunteers and community groups to plant in New York City’s parks and open spaces. In 2008 the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership, Underwood Park, Clinton Hill an economic development group, The Bloomberg Administration’s physical barriers or crime. As a result, planted more than 1,000 daffodils in Fort Greene Park. Visit www. PlaNYC is the first-ever effort to studies show significant increases in ny4p.org for more information sustainably address the many infra- nearby real estate values. Greenways on The Daffodil Project. 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 fields 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 DOLLARS $300 OF $200 MILLIONS $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* FISCAL YEAR *2010 = Projected budget By the Borough: Brooklyn BROOKLYN Waterfront Reclamation Park Inspection Program Ratings: Parks by the Brooklyn vs. Citywide (Percent rated acceptable) Numbers Brooklyn’s Prospect Park was Frederick Law Brooklyn Citywide Olmsted’s self-declared masterpiece. But until 100% 973 recently, Brooklynites have been sorely lacking in Acres of natural areas recreational opportunities along the waterfront. 90% Thanks to several large waterfront projects new 291 attention has been brought to Brooklyn’s coast. Playgrounds 80% The expansive Brooklyn Bridge Park will offer unprecedented access to the water, and the 172 70% Comfort stations Bloomberg Administration’s rezoning of the 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront promises The Parks Department conducts 5,000 park inspections annually 852 new recreational opportunities and greenspace. through their internal rating system, the Park Inspection Program. Drinking fountains Five non-profit partner groups fundraise for 246 Brooklyn parks, in addition to 10 groups that Athletic fields raise money to support parks citywide. 343 Basketball courts 480 Greenstreets 16 Pools Brooklyn Park Staffing 20 Gardeners & Assistant Gardeners 208 City Parks Workers At left: Herbert Von King Park, Bedford Stuyvesant & Associate Park Above: Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino Park, New Utrecht Service Workers 66 Brooklyn has the lowest percentage of land devoted to parks of the five boroughs. Park Supervisors Brooklyn Citywide Park acreage 4,481 29,000 30 Recreation Directors & Percent of borough devoted to parks 10% 14% Specialists Brooklyn has the 2nd highest number of residents per acre of parkland of the five boroughs. 13 Total population 2.5 million 8 million Playground Associates Residents per acre of parkland 550 276 27 Brooklyn has the 3rd lowest tree canopy coverage of the five boroughs. Parks Enforcement Patrol Tree canopy (trees on public and private land) 21% 24% (PEP) Officers & Urban Park Rangers Number of street trees per mile of sidewalk 45 41 00.5 1Miles Fort Greene Park, Fort Greene BROOklyn CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 35 2 North Side From Brooklyn Community Board 8: District Statistics 1 ENGL ACREAGE OF CITY PARKS Total district acreage 1,970 East Williamsburg Presently, outdated equipment, Total parkland acreage 162 ‘‘ South Side Percent City parkland Parks & playgrounds acreage 90 faulty groundwork on our basket- 34 of total district acreage Percent parkland 8% ball courts, and poorly lit play areas Citywide 14% 28 tarnish our playgrounds. Funding Ranking of City parkland POPULATION acres/resident EAST RIVER Williamsburg Population 150,880 must be provided in order to rectify (1=highest, 51=lowest) WALLABOUT CHANNEL Population under 18 37,862 these problems and make our parks Percent under 18 25% 37 Acres parkland per 1,000 residents 1 Vinegar Hill Ranking of City parks & and playgrounds safe and enjoyable NAVY YARD BASIN GEE OSS ST AV R playgrounds acres/child FRONT ST LEE Acres parks & playgrounds per 1,000 children 2 for those that utilize them. AV AV MANH BR UNION LANGUAGE ACCESS CD 35 Citywide WILLIAMSBURG ST E 1 2 ST SANDS ST Most common foreign language spoken at home Spanish Spanish AP 33 HOPKINS ST CUMBERLAND ST AV Percent of homes speaking this language 11% 18% E NASSA Navy Yard U ST FLUSHING W GRAND Statement of Needs for Fiscal Year 2008 Z WA CONCORD ST3 ARSOFF PL ON ST HALL ST OCKT VERL ST B ST ED 5 KENT US 4 AV R ARK AV P Y YERSON ST 6 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CD 35 Citywide AV 2 W BQE AV ’’ ARD'S ST AV BR T TLE MYR OA AR H Registered voters 75% 76% 8 SKILLMAN ST FLA D AV W WK WILLOUGHBY TBUSH 7 Parks, playgrounds Number general parks-related FLEET TLE AV AV 9 MYR 311 calls per 1,000 residents 7 10 T EX WA AAFFE PL Downtown ASHLAND PL C VERL Number of parks-related 311 calls for maintenance ARL R 12 O ST YERSON ST AV Y and beaches T 13 DE KALB KOSCIUSZK per 1,000 residents 1 1 ON 10 V AV ANDERBIL 1 Bridge Park 14 Edmonds Playground AV 11 2 McLaughlin Park 15 Underwood Park PARK RESOURCES CD 35 Citywide T STUYVESANT AV 16 LEWIS Does not include capital funding allocated to multiple districts or citywide. 3 Golconda Playground 16 Classon Playground FT GREENE PL 14 ON AV LEXINGT Fort Greene 15 AV AV THR S POR District-specific capital funding, 2004–2009 $14,000 $4.2 million 4 Commodore John Barry 17 Cuyler Gore LAFAYETTE Bedford Stuyvesant OOP AV Park and Playground TLAND 18 Greene Playground Boerum Hill CLERMONT AV 18 PARKS INSPECTION PROGRAM RATINGS 5 Oxport Playground ST JAMES PL 19 South Oxford Tennis Club HANSON PL AV 17 GRAND 36 AV Results of the Parks Department’s internal inspections. PUTNAM 6 Steuben Playground MARCY 20 Dean Playground AV AV FY 2004 FY 2008 7 Washington Hall Park 100 21 Underhill Playground 19 AV 35 HALSEY ST 8 Taaffe Playground 80 22 Stroud Playground 85% 88% 86% AV A 3 TLANTIC 78% 9 Oracle Playground 23 Mount Prospect Park AV 60 DECATUR ST 20 40 10 Fort Greene Park Playground PACIFIC ST rated cent parks r 11 Parham Playground 24 Brooklyn