Transcript Document

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© Copyright The Trust for Public Land
Rahway River Association
Cindy Roberts
January 12, 2008
© Copyright The Trust for Public Land
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Conserving Land For People
• The Trust for Public Land conserves land for
people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and other
natural places, ensuring livable communities
for generations to come.
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The Challenge
• America's natural open spaces are
disappearing at a rate of 2.3 million acres a
year (USDA).
• That’s equivalent to 2.5 Rhode Islands
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The Benefits … It’s A Matter of Health
Environmental
Aesthetic
Economic
Recreational
Spiritual
Land
People
Cultural
Legacy
Social
Historic
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TPL’s Five Initiatives
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Conservation Transactions
• Protecting Land
– TPL helps structure,
negotiate, and
complete land
transactions that
create parks,
playgrounds, and
protected natural
areas.
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Park Design & Development
• Building Parks
– TPL helps transform
newly acquired or
existing sites into
parks, playgrounds, or
restored natural areas.
– TPL employs a
participatory design
process and solicits the
viewpoints of all
stakeholders.
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Conservation Research & Education
• Educating
Professionals
– TPL acquires and
shares knowledge of
conservation issues
and techniques to
improve the practice of
conservation, promote
its public benefits, and
encourage proconservation public
policy.
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Land for People: Never More Important
• As many as 2 out of
3 city residents do
not have access
today to a nearby
park, playground, or
open space
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Parks Have Many Benefits
Cleaner Air &
Water
Better Health
Reduced Crime
Stronger
Economy
Stronger
Community
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Parks Promote Better Health…
• Exposure to nature
makes people healthier
& happier
– 10% increase in green
space = 5 year
increase in lifespan
• Parks increase physical
activity
– Sedentary lifestyles:
• Obesity epidemic
• 300K deaths per year
• $150 billion cost
Source: Netherlands Study (see TPL Parks for People report); CDC
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…Especially For Kids
• Parks support play and
brain development.
– Without parks, children
suffer more from
chronic obesity,
diabetes, asthma,
anxiety, depression
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Parks Revitalize Local Economies
• Increase property values
– Residential &
commercial
– Boost tax revenues
• Attract/retain businesses
and residents
• Tourism revenue
• Provide economic value
from other benefits
– E.g., reduced health
costs
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Parks Help The Environment
• Mitigate air pollution
• Provide natural filters
for water pollution
• Control storm water
runoff & flooding
– Trees in cities save
$400B in storm
water costs
One Tree in its Lifetime:
• $62K air pollution control
• $37K water recycling
• $31K oxygen
• $31K soil erosion control
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Parks Reduce Crime
• Recreational facilities
keep at-risk kids off
streets
• Community involvement
in parks = less crime
• Play = critical element in
child’s future success
Fort Myers, FL:
28% drop in juvenile arrests
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Parks Strengthen Communities
• Provide focus for
neighborhood
activities
• Build social ties
• Foster interaction
between different
groups
– Role models for
kids
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Americans Support Parks
• Since 1988 voters have
approved 77% of ballot
measures (1,527) to
raise public funds for
land conservation.
• $109 billion raised ($44
billion for conservation)
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Opportunities in the Rahway River
Watershed
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Vacant land
Reuse of land – previous use has gone idle
Partnering with public schools
Local advocate or mobilized community
group
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Kirkwood Forest
• 15 acres, Voorhees Township, Camden County
• Approved for 105,000 square foot of office space and
500 parking spaces
• Township agreed to preserve after 70 residents
packed meetings saying enough development
• Contaminated by parking lot scrapings from adjacent
developed site
• Needed No Further Action letter from DEP
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Hoboken
• 2 acres, City of Hoboken, Hudson County
• To become part of a growing assemblage of parkland along the
Hudson River
• The $7.1 million purchase was funded by the City of Hoboken,
Hudson County, and the State of New Jersey
• Located in a former industrial area that is quickly transitioning
into high-rise, residential developments
• What people really wanted here was to establish a beachhead
that will enhance access to the waterfront
• This land will provide better access to a portion of the Hudson
River Walkway and additional planned recreational amenities as
well as unparalleled views of midtown Manhattan in one of the
most densely populated areas of the state
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Nat Turner Park
• Located in City of Newark, Essex County
• TPL will build Newark's largest city-owned park,
which will serve over 2,000 young people
• The work will require an investment of $8.7 million,
more than half of which has already been raised.
• 17 USTs were found and needed to be removed
• City qualified for $3 million in NJ State Hazardous
Discharge Site Remediation Fund (HDSRF) funds
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Passaic River Waterfront
• The election of 38-year-old Cory A. Booker as mayor
in 2006 has injected a new sense of optimism into the
City of Newark’s conservation work.
• City Hall has signaled its support for parks and open
space, not only to improve life in the neighborhoods
but as a key component of its aggressive strategy for
Newark's renaissance
• The new park will cover 2.2 miles and link Newark's
bustling downtown to the densely and diversely
populated Ironbound neighborhood.
• Parks can and should be regarded as oases for
people who live in densely populated environments.
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Linear Parks
• Remaining open spaces along stream corridors,
including S. Branch, Robinsons Branch, Nomahegan
Brook, W. Branch, E. Branch and the main stem of
the Rahway River
• Enhance habitat, wildlife migration and recreation
opportunities
• Establish linkages between existing open spaces and
parks
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Brownfields
• Abandoned industrial sites that have some level of
contamination, although they are not a superfund site
• Often go overlooked as the stigma of potential
contamination eliminates the property from
consideration
• This is especially unfortunate as neighborhoods with
Brownfields are often also the most park-poor
• Assess those sites needed for critical linkages or
needed for open space in underserved areas
provided necessary cleanup will be conducted.
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Habitat Restoration
• Forests and trees in urban and suburban areas
provide many environmental and economic benefits
that can lead to improved environmental quality and
human health
• These benefits include improvements in air and water
quality, richer terrestrial and aquatic habitat, cooler air
temperatures and reductions in building energy use
and noise
• Restore habitat on properties already preserved
• Most restoration activities happen around stream
corridors although forestry activities will be included
more in the future as carbon sequestration continues
to be a concern
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Augment Existing Parks
• Add acreage to existing parks and other
open spaces
• Map lands owned by Homeowner’s
Associations, which may provide additional
opportunities and linkages
• Assess “quasi” public lands such as schools,
churches, cemeteries, etc. to see how they fit
into your open space network
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The Sky is the Limit
• In the world of land conservation, anything is
possible.
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