WHEREAS, A 10-minute walk to a park leads to equitable, economically thriving, safe and healthy communities; and
WHEREAS, Great parks are anchors of healthy, sustainable communities and vibrant American cities; and
WHEREAS, Cities that both prioritize existing parks and create new, life-enhancing ways for people to get outdoors and be active are directly serving local residents and their health; and
WHEREAS, By investing in parks and open spaces, cities will stay ahead of ever-increasing population demands; and
WHEREAS, Parks have substantial environmental and city infrastructure benefits, from reducing the cost of capturing and processing storm water, to reducing the urban heat island effect, to mitigating storm surge and flooding along ocean and river shorelines, to supporting carbon-free transportation that reduces the environmental impacts of car use; and
WHEREAS, Data shows that property adjacent to parks can be worth more than similar properties just a few blocks away and many cities now include parks as key elements of major development projects; and
WHEREAS, Parks provide a space to keep young people off the streets and give them a safe environment to interact with peers; and
WHEREAS, Data shows that people with access to parks exercise more, which has been confirmed by a CDC finding that enhanced access to places for physical activity led to a 26.5 percent increase in the number of people exercising three or more days per week; and
WHEREAS, Since 2012, The Trust for Public Land has teamed up with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, the School District of Philadelphia, and dozens of community, corporate, and philanthropic partners in pursuit of the 10-minute walk goal; and
WHEREAS, As a result of these efforts, there are currently 15 transformation projects currently underway or completed – providing new park access to 159,000 Philadelphians – at locations all across the City, including 37th & Mt. Vernon Playground, Jose Manuel Collazo Playground, and Conestoga Community Playground, as well the schoolyards at Alexander Adaire, Willam Cramp, William Dick, and John H. Taggart Schools; and
WHEREAS, The Trust for Public Land is launching an effort this fall to celebrate all cities that promote the 10-minute walk to a park goal; now, therefore
,
be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we support the goal of cities increasing the number of people who live within a 10-minute walk of a high-quality park.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to representatives of The Trust for Public Land, evidencing the sincere respect and admiration of this legislative body.
End