April 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 41

approach - What mutual goals
can you work toward to support
each other?
Assess Environmental Resiliency
When determining what environmental
resiliency means for your
community, consider the following:
* Prioritize those most impacted -
Center impacted community
members in solutions and programing.
*
Listen to your community -
Community
members and
community-based organizations
know firsthand what impacts
them and what solutions might
help. Before making decisions,
talk with the community.
* Gather data with an equity lens -
Consider assessments you can
use to understand where you
might start and share findings
with the community to test assumptions.
Remember to include
data with an equity lens or note
where you may need to find additional
information.
Challenge or Rethink
the Status Quo
Examine how things are done and be
willing to challenge or try new things.
* What practices could you change
to center equity and improve environmental
resiliency?
* What policies could be adapted or
changed to advance these efforts?
* What plans or elements of your
plans could be changed/adapted
and when does the next revision
of those plans take place?
* How are resources allocated in
your agency or municipality and
how could that flow change to
support centering equity and resiliency?
*
What relationships do you need
to invest time in now for future
success?
Case Studies
Understanding how these elements
are leveraged to create changes that
impact your " system " can sometimes
be hard to identify. From
work with our latest grantee cohort
- the NRPA Resilient Park Access
Grantee Cohort - we have examples
that showcase what these can
look like in your work.
Policies
In an effort to center equity and
resiliency, the City of New Orleans,
with the New Orleans Recreation
Development Commission
as one of the leading agencies, has
created a citywide environmental
resiliency master plan that pulls in
four natural resource managing organizations
and will center equitable
environmental resiliency across
the city through parks and green
infrastructure. At the City of Farmington
Parks, Recreation and Cultural
Affairs Department, staff are
creating a master plan focused on
equitable programming.
In Lynnwood Parks, Recreation
and
Cultural Arts Department,
park and recreation professionals
Defining Systems Change
Systems change happens when the goals of a
system change, when new patterns of operating
emerge, and when new relationships and connections
are formed. It is both a process and an outcome.
The systems change process includes six conditions
that fall within three layers: structural change,
semi-explicit change and transformative (or implicit)
change. Structural change creates changes to how
the work is done: practices, policies and resource
allocations. Semi-explicit change involves sharing
power and building broader equitable partnerships.
Transformative (or implicit) change occurs when
community mindsets are transformed to support
this change.
are working to put a community
engagement compensation policy
into place that will solidify a citywide
policy. " In a smaller community
like Lynnwood, we have the
tendency to rely, over and over,
on the same pool of CBOs and
trusted community leaders for every
city-led outreach, survey and
engagement project. Starting a stipend
program is the first step to
recognize, value and honor community
leaders for the effort, network
and community connections
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | APRIL 2 0 2 4 | Parks & Recreation
41
City of Detroit staff participate in a crossdepartmental
workshop to advance nature-focused
maintenance and stewardship.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JUSTIN TAYLOR
April 2024 – Parks & Recreation

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