Do you cherish your local public parks? Maybe you love spending time at community parks, but you’re concerned that they’re falling into disrepair, or that these green spaces aren’t receiving the necessary funding.
By becoming a public parks advocate and supporting better conditions through your local government, you can be the change you want to see in your community. You may even get some inspiration for sprucing up your local parks from State Symbols USA! Here’s how to improve your public parks as a devoted community member, from fundraising for better lighting to designing safe landscaping.
Communicate With Your Government
If you’d like to support your local parks, you’ll need to get used to communicating with your city’s government. Reaching out to your elected officials can feel intimidating the first time you do it - but remember, they work for you! To keep an open line of communication with your city government, Rock Solid recommends joining a board or commission, attending city meetings, or reaching out to your representatives online. One day, you might even feel motivated to run for a local office!
Fundraising Ideas
To beautify your local parks and make them hospitable, you’ll need money - but where is it going to come from? You’ll probably need to run regular fundraisers to keep donations flowing in so that you can finance park improvements. To raise money for your local parks, Discount Playground Supply recommends applying for grants, partnering with local businesses, or hosting ticketed events with proceeds going to your community parks.
Choose Better Lighting
To make a public park feel safe and inviting, it’s important to choose the right lighting. If your local parks don’t have enough funding to upgrade their lighting, you may need to launch a fundraiser for this specific purpose. You can reach out to the administrators at your city’s parks and recreation department to get the project off the ground. Remember, when selecting lighting options, you’ll want to choose poles and bases that look good while being resilient. Aluminum and steel are good choices. Plus, you can look into tools like these poles made to hang parking lot lights.
Safe Landscaping
Safe landscaping will make your parks better places to spend time for people of all ages. But what does safe landscaping mean for a public park? Land8 recommends adding lighted paths, implementing spaces with a clear purpose, such as an outdoor gym, and ensuring that the staff is available to clean up the park and get rid of vandalism or graffiti. As a public park advocate, you will likely not be involved in the hands-on design process - but you can definitely make evidence-based recommendations to your city’s parks and recreation department.
Report Unsafe Behavior
If you want people in your community to support local parks, you need to go the extra mile when it comes to park security. When you’re spending time at your local parks, make sure to report any unsafe or antisocial behavior that you see. Furthermore, you may want to suggest certain security systems for the parks. This might mean physical security tools, such as gates that lock at night, or technical tools, such as security cameras in high-traffic areas. If you have thoughts about security at the parks, make sure to let your city government know.
Every community needs public parks. But if you feel like your local parks need more investment, you can step up to make a difference! From raising money for a better lighting system to funding modern security tools, you can help make your local parks a fun place for everyone.
Ready to choose decor for a public park? Display your state’s symbols with inspiration from State Symbols USA! Browse our website today to find your state’s symbols.