PARKS AND RECREATION Problems

1
PARKS AND RECREATION Problems

• General
• Parks are not cared for
• Parks are generally inaccessible or invisible
• Rec programs cost a lot to maintain
• Dont seem to be a priority of the neighborhood
• No bike accessibility, parks not connected in any
  way
• Little to no programming
• No accessible green space north of E. Lib. Blvd
• Peabody Field
• Surrounded by barbed wire and fences, not
  community friendly

• Garland Park
• Surrounded by vacant lots, parking, back yards,
  and high speed traffic
• No programming
• Enright Park
• Drugs and drinking a big problem
• Fences are inappropriate
• Litter everywhere
• Liberty Park
• In no-mans land
• Mellon Park
• Under threat from development, could lose trees
  to traffic

2
PARKS AND RECREATION Solutions

• General
• Create funding streams through the NID
• Create park ownership with neighborhood
  associations at Enright, New Pennley, Penn Manor,
  E. Liberty Gardens, etc.
• Actual person responsible for parks in East
  Liberty
• Develop programs for park space
• Adopt a park program with area recreation
  providers, gyms, and businesses
• Bike path connections!

• General
• Better signage for parks, including in the core
• Identify space for green space north of E. Lib.
  Blvd and build a new park
• Organized leagues in parks during summer
• Need a place to barbeque
• Zero water run-off on park sites
• Get city to drive a green agenda for parks and
  redevelopment
• Street tree plan!

3
PARKS AND RECREATION Action Plans

• More Green Space
• Investigate forgotten spaces like Negley Run, E.
  Lib. Blvd median, and possible Highland Park
  Expansion
• Involve experienced green space managers like
  Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Student
  Conservation Association, GTECH
• Surround parks with eyes, new development that
  owns the park

• Better signage
• Involve local firms and Penn Avenue Arts
  Initiative to combine existing marketing
  resources with park and rec space
• Learn from Lawrenceville Corporation
• Need branding, a sense of place
• Kiosks, creative signs, things embedded in new
  sidewalks, using trees to point the way