April 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 40

RESILIENT COMMUNITIES
Implementing in Parks and
Recreation
Park and recreation agencies are
perfect examples of systems that
can be changed to advance equitable
resiliency. They operate as their
own system while also responding
to and operating within other systems,
like their broader municipal
government. Each of these systems
have ways they operate, make decisions
and share resources that impact
how equitable the outcomes
are for the communities they serve.
Through NRPA's work with grantees
and members, there are key areas
to explore and identify where inequities
might be occurring in our work
and how we can work to advance equitable
environmental resiliency.
Defining Environmental
Resilience
Resilient communities are ones that can weather
the impacts of climate change and thrive while ensuring
they are stewards of their resources to allow
future generations to be equally successful. This is
accomplished not only through environmental factors,
but also people, strengthening them through
knowledge and skills.
Centering equity in that approach uplifts
community-led decision making and actions and
solutions to ensure all community members benefit
- especially those who have historically been
excluded from these processes and benefits. Due to
historical exclusionary practices, like redlining, many
low-income and diverse communities bear the burden
of climate change and are more vulnerable to
its health, economic and environmental impacts.
Specifically from the environmental lens, parks can
help mitigate changes in heat, flooding and extreme
weather conditions and can determine how communities
adapt to changes now and in the future.
Parks are community assets that are essential for
addressing these inequities, especially as many communities'
largest common landowner and steward of
natural resources.
Center Equity
Community-led and -centered approaches
are key to equitable environmental
resiliency. They allow
for ideas, approaches and solutions
to be informed by or created by
those we serve - specifically those
groups who have historically not
been represented and are impacted
the most. There are many best
practices and methods for centering
equity. A few that were common
in the cohort's approach were:
* Foster intentional cultural
inclusivity
- Consider how your
outreach and approach is inclusive
of cultures present in the
community.
* Shift power and resources - Ensure
there is diversity within decision
making and authority positions
and support those groups
with resources and funding to do
this work.
* Engage those who aren't at the
table due to historic marginalization
or exclusionary practices
- Community engagement
approaches should focus on an
equitable and inclusive approach,
including groups and individuals
in decision-making processes that
haven't been included in the past
or maybe have been engaged outside
of your efforts but excluded
or penalized for those efforts.
* Assess who is represented -
Ensure those leading outreach,
engaging with your community
and making decisions (staff, consultants,
volunteers, etc.) represent
your community and the diversity
in ethnicity and language.
* Support those who engage -
Ask community members to provide
feedback, aid your efforts
or for other uses of their time.
Support those who haven't historically
engaged with your program/organization/department
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Parks & Recreation | APRIL 2 0 2 4 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
by giving stipends, vouchers or
other forms of support. The form
of support you provide should be
informed by those you are engaging
to ensure it's welcomed and
useful.
* Build trust - You will need to
build
trust
with
community
members who haven't been part
of your processes and decisions
and possibly have been harmed
by decisions or practices in the
past. Building trust takes time,
honesty, humility, dedication
and consistency.
* It's a practice - Continual learning
and change will happen if
you are doing this work correctly.
And there isn't a cookie-cutter
approach to doing this work -
but there are best practices.
Value Partnerships
An important
ing
ty
community
building
Community-based
part of centeris
communiand
partnerships.
organizations
and leaders are connected to their
neighborhood, serve needs and are
trusted leaders. Many may have
common goals that align with your
efforts, whether you know it or not.
Building partnerships can help you
equitably advance common goals.
Some things to consider include:
* Assess who you partner with
- What groups in your community
haven't
you
traditionally
partnered
with? Where can you
grow partnerships to reflect the
community you serve?
* Build trust - When centering equity,
you will engage with groups
who have not been invited to participate
previously or have had
unfavorable experiences with government
organizations. Building
trust takes honesty, humility, dedication
and consistency.
* Enact a mutually beneficial
April 2024 – Parks & Recreation

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