Friday, February 15, 2019
Reflections on Mitchell J. Silver's Talk on Parks and Recreation at the City Club
by Nelson Beckford
The Commissioner’s talk made me reflect on the City of Cleveland and the Cleveland Foundation’s legacy in terms of recreation, public spaces, and parks. Here are a few of those watershed moments:
• Mayor Tom Johnson (1901-1909) removing the 'Keep off the Grass' signs in the city parks, sending a loud and clear about the role of parks from passive to active recreation
• The Cleveland Foundation’s first discretionary grant (1919) was to keep open playgrounds that otherwise would have operated on limited summer hours because of lack of funds and we helped to create the Cleveland Metroparks
• The conversion of a vacant commercial site into Rivergate Park.
• Just three years ago, the grand reopening of Public Square.
• Last month, the City of Cleveland announced plans to expand hours and services at city recreation centers to improve neighborhood quality of life.
In closing, I have three takeaways;
- Public spaces and parks provide are a public good. Period.
- Public spaces and parks are a reflection of our values.
- This work is a group lift. We (government, nonprofits, residents, and foundations) all need to do our part.
Special thanks to the City Club for holding space for this important topic.