January 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 45

Sixty-eight percent of people say that
pet-friendly policies influenced their
decision to buy or move and 13 percent
of people would consider moving if their
dogs are not happy with where they live.
Halloween. They had participants
bring their pumpkins to smash with
a hammer or sledgehammer, (small
hammers for little kids, of course),
or shoot them from a giant slingshot
they had erected at the site.
" We signed people in, had them
sign waivers, and gave them info on
what they could do with their pumpkins.
It was a great success! We are
looking at adding food trucks and
music and a firepit next year. " How
can you top smashing pumpkins for
fun? Plan an event for next year.
Quick Takes
Smart Dog Parks
Dog parks are no longer just for
dogs and dog owners, says Beth
Cherryholmes Miller, CEO and
founder of Wagtown, a national
nonprofit based in Dayton, Ohio,
that advocates for dog-friendly
communities. " Dog parks need to
be cooperatively planned from the
outset, " she says, " involving the
entire community, government
agencies and dog owners. "
Miller believes that in the same
way that we look for enrichment
activities
for
our
children, dog
owners look for the same for their
dogs. " Our relationship goes from
'you own your dog, your dog is
family, your dog is your child,' to
'your dog is your soulmate.' "
Thirty-eight percent of people
now travel with their dog, according
to research by the National Association
of Realtors (tinyurl.com/
p5wa72w6). Sixty-eight percent of
people say that pet-friendly policies
influenced their decision to buy or
move, 43 percent believe that their
dog's opinion matters on where
they live, and 13 percent of people
would consider moving if their
dogs are not happy with where
they live! Maybe one way to take
this trend seriously is to just imagine
dogs as taxpayers and consider
their preferences accordingly when
planning new dog parks.
Glow in the Dark Plants
to Light Trails
A team of chemical engineers at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
has made astonishing progress
in producing light-emitting plants.
Professor James Stranos says they
inserted
a
solution
containing
light-storing and light-emitting
nanoparticles into the spongy layer
of leaves, called the mesophyll, in
several common plant species. The
research is ongoing, but it could
lead to being able to landscape trails
and park pathways with chemiluminescent
plants that would remain lit
all night, thus reducing energy costs
and lighting infrastructure.
Parks Everywhere
The advent of green roofs is offering
new opportunities
to
innovative
parks. The trend
site
is
best exemplified in the Dutch city
of Rotterdam, which built DakPark,
a rooftop park that adorns a
4,000-foot-long building complete
with play courts, gardens, a kiosk
selling refreshments and even
sheep that graze contentedly. Parks
will be everywhere humans can
find a spot for peaceful reflection
- underground, underwater and
on the tops of buildings. Space is
the next frontier for parks.
Richard Dolesh is NRPA's retired Vice President of Strategic
Initiatives and Editor-at-Large for Parks & Recreation magazine
(dolesh@gmail.com).
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | J ANUAR Y 2 0 22 | Parks & Recreation
45
PHOTO COURTESY OF BETH MILLER/WAGTOWN, INC.
http://www.tinyurl.com/p5wa72w6 http://www.tinyurl.com/p5wa72w6
January 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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