QUEENS CITY East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, North Corona, COUNCIL 2009 DISTRICT 21 Corona, Elmhurst 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 : Flushing Meadows- Corona Park Until 2006 the City did not spe- cifically 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 larg- est parks, with the eventual goal of including every park. Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is one Park of the Americas, Corona of the initial 20 parks, and in our The Bloomberg Administration’s physical barriers or crime. As a result, report, “Tracking Crime in NYC Parks”, we offer details on crime PlaNYC is the first-ever effort to studies show significant increases in data collected in the park. Visit sustainably address the many infra- nearby real estate values. Greenways www.ny4p.org for more informa- structure needs of New York City, are expanding waterfront access tion on park safety. 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: Queens QUEENS Beaches and Lifeguards Park Inspection Program Ratings: Parks by the Queens vs. Citywide (% rated acceptable) Numbers Queens offers a diverse array of parks and open Queens Citywide spaces. From small urban playgrounds to the seven 100% 2,090 mile long Rockaway Beach, Queens residents can Acres of natural areas enjoy a variety of open space opportunities. Rockaway 90% Beach on the Atlantic Ocean provides recreation and 260 a reprieve from the summer heat for residents across Playgrounds 80% New York City. As described in The Report Card on Beaches, New Yorkers for Parks’ independent evalu- 180 70% Comfort stations ation of City beaches, maintenance poses a unique 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 challenge to the Parks Department due to heavy usage The Parks Department conducts 5,000 park inspections annually 776 during the summer months. Unlike parks, beach through their internal rating system, the Park Inspection Program. Drinking fountains operations require strict safety precautions such as lifeguards. Although the Rockaway Beach community 244 has struggled with the continuing lifeguard short- Athletic fields age that leads to closed areas of the beach, the Parks 316 Department recruited a record number of lifeguards Basketball courts in 2008, nearly hitting their target. 805 Four non-profit partner groups fundraise for Greenstreets Queens parks, in addition to 10 groups that raise money to support parks citywide. 10 Pools Queens Park Staffing 20 Gardeners & Assistant Gardeners 236 City Parks Workers At left: Austin Playground, Jamaica & Associate Park Above: Astoria Park, Astoria Service Workers 61 Queens has the 2nd lowest percentage of land devoted to parks of the five boroughs. Park Supervisors Queens Citywide Park acreage 7,321 29,000 19 Recreation Directors & Percent of borough devoted to parks 11% 14% Specialists Queens has the 3rd highest number of residents per acre of parkland of the five boroughs. 5 Total population 2.2 million 8 million Playground Associates Residents per acre of parkland 305 276 28 Queens has the 2nd lowest tree canopy coverage of the five boroughs. Parks Enforcement Patrol Tree canopy (trees on public and private land) 20% 24% (PEP) Officers & Urban Park Rangers Number of street trees per mile of sidewalk 49 41 ¯ 00.5 1Miles Water Pollution Control Plant 17Fish Market 18 WHITEST 17 ONE BR Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Corona PA POWELL'S QUEENS22 CITY COUNCIL DISTRCOICTVE 21 9 AV FLUSHING 9 AV BAY From Queens Community Board 4: Riker's Island 14 AV District Statistics College Point 131 ST ACREAGE OF CITY PARKS 15 AV Total district acreage 2,450 College Point Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is 19 Industrial Park Total parkland acreage 980 ‘‘one of the most utilized parks in Percent City parkland Parks & playgrounds acreage 526 of total district acreage B Percent parkland 39% ERRIAN BL New York City; in order to provide a Citywide 14% BOWERY ONE EP COLLEGE POINT BL 9 safer environment for park users and BAY Ranking of City parkland POPULATION acres/resident WHITEST Population 163,904 to protect the infrastructure of the (1=highest, 51=lowest) Population under 18 41,461 park, additional Parks Enforcement LaGuardia Airport Percent under 18 25% 22 13 Acres parkland per 1,000 residents 6 agents are necessary to patrol the park. Ranking of City parks & playgrounds acres/child Acres parks & playgrounds per 1,000 children 13 T 120 ST S N 2 143 LANGUAGE ACCESS CD 21 Citywide ST Statement of Needs for Fiscal Year 2008 72 F ST Most common foreign language spoken at home Spanish Spanish Astoria Heights ARRINGT 23 AV 91 ST Percent of homes speaking this language 46% 18% ’’ DITMARS BL 24 AV FLUSHING CREEK ON ST CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CD 21 Citywide Parks, playgrounds 24 AV 3 Registered voters 75% 76% ASTORIA BL Number general parks-related AV and beaches 91 ST 311 calls37 per 1,000 residents 5 10 1 97 ST 1 Gorman Playground 9 Hinton Park NumberUNIO of parks-related 311 calls for maintenance 72 ST 2 Grand Central Parkway 10 Mets Stadium per 1,000 residents 0 1 4 N 3 East Elmhurst Playground 11 Park of the Americas (Linden) ST AY PARK RESOURCES CD 21 Citywide 4 Grand Central Parkway 12 Corona Golf Playground 6 20 5 21 V Does not include capital funding allocated to multiple districts or citywide. Extension 13 Flushing Meadows- AN ARKW District-specific capital funding, 2004–2009 $2.3 million $4.2 million 79 ST WYCK EP 5 Private William Gray Park Corona Park * AV 108 ST 9 10 34 6 Fisher Pool 14 Corona Mac Park 8 PARKS INSPECTION PROGRAM RATINGS 2572 ST 7 7 Junction Playground 15 Real Good Park 83 ST Results of the Parks Department’s internal inspections. JUNCTION BL 8 Louis Armstrong Playground 16 Handball Haven FY 2004 FY 2008 AV100 39 AV 80 96% GRAND CENTRAL P 90% 75 ST Jackson Heights 88% 86% LEGEND nn DPR community gardens 35 RD ELMHURST 60 1/4 Mile nn Other community gardens 40 rated cent parks 11 r Council District Border nn DPR beaches CASE ST AV 20 “acceptable” 45 12 Pe nn New York City Department of nn State and federal