MANHATTAN Clinton, Midtown, Midtown South, CITY Hudson Yards, Chelsea, Flatiron, Union Square, COUNCIL 2009 DISTRICT 3 West Village, SoHo, Tribeca 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 : Madison Square Park New Yorkers for Parks’ award- winning Report Card on Parks project was designed in 2002 and is the only independent, an- nual survey of the maintenance of parks in all five boroughs. It tells New Yorkers how their parks are doing in key service ar- eas, like bathrooms, playgrounds, and pathways. Every summer New Yorkers for Parks inspects park properties across the city to advocate for improvement. Bleecker Playground, West Village Madison Square Park received a grade of B+ on the 2007 Report The Bloomberg Administration’s physical barriers or crime. As a result, Card on Parks. Since the 1990s, PlaNYC is the first-ever effort to studies show significant increases in this park has been operated in a sustainably address the many infra- nearby real estate values. Greenways partnership between the Parks structure needs of New York City, are expanding waterfront access Department and the Madison including parks. With targets set for while creating safer routes for cyclists Square Park Conservancy. Visit stormwater management, air quality and pedestrians, and the new initia- www.ny4p.org for more informa- and more, the City is working to tive to reclaim streets for public use tion on the Report Card on Parks and public-private partnerships. 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: 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 fields 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 five 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 five 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 five boroughs. Parks Enforcement Patrol Tree canopy (trees on public and private land) 13% 24% (PEP) Officers & Urban Park Rangers Number of street trees per mile of sidewalk 49 41 West 4th Street Courts, Greenwich Village manhattan CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3 From Manhattan Community Board 4: THE LAKE District Statistics Lincoln Square 0ACREAGE OF CITY0. PARKS5 1 Miles Total district acreage 2,281 W 64 ST Expense and capital budget cuts 6 Total parkland acreage 39 ‘‘and the dramatically low staffing Percent City parkland Parks & playgrounds acreage 35 8 of total district acreage Percent parkland 2% levels of the Department of Parks and Citywide 14% 1 47 Recreation make it harder and harder POPULATION W 57 ST Ranking of City parkland acres/resident CENTRAL PK S Population 151,367 for the Department to maintain the (1=highest, 51=lowest) Population under 18 11,416 W 54 ST few parks we have, threatening the Percent under 18 8% HUDSON RIVER 32 Acres parkland per 1,000 residents <1 quality of life. Ranking of City parks & AV playgrounds acres/child Acres parks & playgrounds per 1,000 children 3 AV 8 3 9 W 50 ST 2 AV 7 LANGUAGE ACCESS CD 3 Citywide Statement of Needs for Fiscal Year 2008 W 51 ST 4 5 Most common foreign language spoken at home Spanish Spanish ’’ Percent of homes speaking this language 11% 18% Parks, playgrounds 6 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CD 3 Citywide Javits W 42 ST Registered voters 92% 76% GGIO HY Center W 45 ST Number general parks-related and beaches JOE DIMA Midtown 311 calls per 1,000 residents 6 10 1 De Witt Clinton Park 14 Dr. Gertrude B. Kelly AP Number of parks-related 311 calls for maintenance 2 Hells Kitchen Park Playground TNL per 1,000 residents 2 1 Railyards LINCOLN 3 Gutenberg Playground 15 Madison Square Park PARK RESOURCES CD 3 Citywide 4 May Matthews Playground 16 Seravalli Playground 7 17 Bleecker Playground Does not include capital funding allocated to multiple districts or citywide. 5 Ramone Aponte Park W 34 ST District-specific capital funding, 2004–2009 $3.7 million $4.2 million 18 West 4th Street Courts AV 6 McCaffrey Playground 3 19 Minetta Playground Midtown South 7 Bryant Park E 42 ST PARKS INSPECTION PROGRAM RATINGS 8 Hudson River Park 20 James J. Walker Park Results of the Parks Department’s internal inspections. 21 Carmine Recreation Center 9 3 4 FY 2004 FY 2008 9 Chelsea Park 8 100 22 Downing Street Playground W 30 ST E 38 ST 10 Highline Park 97% 80 95% 11 AV 88% 11 Chelsea Recreation Center 23 Passannante Square Murray Hill 86% 10 ARK 13 60 P 12 Clement Clarke Moore Park 24 Playground of the Americas 40 12 rated cent parks 25 Vesuvio Playground AY 13 Penn South Playground r 20 “acceptable” DW 26 Grand Canal Court Pe OA AV BR E 31 ST W 22 ST 0 11 CD 3 Citywide W 20 ST OPEN SPACE CD 3 Citywide AV 10 Chelsea Number of community gardens per 1,000 acres 5 4 LEGEND nn DPR community gardens 15 14 Vacant lot acreage 36 8,512 1/4 Mile W LA nn Other community gardens S AV Percent vacant 2% 4% AS Council District Border ARK DPR beaches nn P FDR