Charlotte Parks - the big picture...

[videtur quam contuor]

https://www.cmstory.org/exhibits/mecklenburg-people/lillian-arhelger

Page break: Plaque at Independence Park in photo from KJH. Remember our heroes.

Edited October 15, 2023 by videtur quam contuor

[Windsurfer]

8 minutes ago, videtur quam contuor said:

https://www.cmstory.org/exhibits/mecklenburg-people/lillian-arhelger

Page break: Plaque at Independence Park in photo from KJH. Remember our heroes.

Thanks!!

[kermit]

We need greenways and pedestrian safe travel routes for more than just recreation according to the Journal of Pediatrics. Car dependence is really bad for kids, who woulda thunk?

IMO it was a huge missed opportunity that the authors don't directly reference car culture since most of the problems they identify are caused by it.

Full text available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lkJQjywJ0wZT9-io-hY9IcY9KkTCrTJY/view

Edited October 16, 2023 by kermit

[CLT2014]

50 minutes ago, kermit said:

We need greenways and pedestrian safe travel routes for more than just recreation according to the Journal of Pediatrics. Car dependence is really bad for kids, who woulda thunk?

Even if the infrastructure is there (which is needed), parents are really concerned about crime these days and I think the biggest factor with the helicopter behavior. You are  bad parent if you let your kid go to the park unsupervised. Package thieves and criminals are roaming through neighborhoods if you follow NextDoor. Popular perception is you are basically asking for your kid to get abducted and murdered if you aren't watching them 24/7 and social media algorithms fuel the fear by servicing up content around crime against kids to parents. It would be interesting to see this contrasted between urban and suburban parents on the degree of independence allowed. Like are urban parents in Brooklyn more likely to let their kids play independently at the park or suburban parents in a master planned subdivision with an HOA park in Fort Mill?

I think a lot of families sprawl out into master planned subdivisions like Baxter Village because it is the only place they think the crime is low enough and the traffic is low enough to let their kids play on their own, but still in the "controlled" environment of the subdivision. 

Edited October 16, 2023 by CLT2014

[kermit]

9 minutes ago, CLT2014 said:

Even if the infrastructure is there (which is needed), parents are really concerned about crime these days and I think the biggest factor with the helicopter behavior. You are  bad parent if you let your kid go to the park unsupervised. Package thieves and criminals are roaming through neighborhoods if you follow NextDoor. Popular perception is you are basically asking for your kid to get abducted and murdered if you aren't watching them 24/7 and social media algorithms fuel the fear by servicing up content around crime to parents / dangers to children. It would be interesting to see this contrasted between urban and suburban parents on the degree of independence allowed. Like are urban parents in Brooklyn more likely to let their kids play independently at the park or suburban parents in a master planned subdivision with an HOA park in Fort Mill. 

I think a lot of families sprawl out into master planned subdivisions like Baxter Village because it is the only place they think the crime is low enough and the traffic is low enough to let their kids play on their own, but still in the "controlled" environment of the subdivision. 

Yea fear of crime is certainly part of it. The problem is that the popular perception of crime is bullsh1t. As discussed at length in other threads, crime is at very low levels relative to the past, back when kids were much more independent. Social media and media in general spends the bulk of its time amplifying crime reports.

data from https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by kermit

[CLT2014]

11 minutes ago, kermit said:

Yea fear of crime is certainly part of it. The problem is that the popular perception of crime is bullsh1t. As discussed at length in other threads, crime is at very low levels relative to the past, back when kids were much more independent. Social media and media in general spends the bulk of its time amplifying crime reports.

data from https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend

 

Yep totally agree the stats don't justify the fear, but your kid getting killed by a psycho is sort of like fears of sharks, dying in an airplane crash, and other anxieties where perception versus reality aren't aligned. Trying to change that perception is tough, when our kids are far more likely to die in a car accident or drown in a swimming pool than be murdered. Being obese is more likely to set a kid off for an early death in life, but going to Chick-fil-a 5x a week seems like risky in the "short term" than letting them go to the park alone. 

Most parents today were also the kids growing up during that ramp up in crime during the 80's and early 90's. Their parents were fleeing to the suburbs and talking about the dangers of the inner city. Now that they are parent's themselves, trying to undo that mental model of CRIME EVERYWHERE as they became parents themselves, despite a drop in crime rates today, is a tough up hill battle. 

Edited October 16, 2023 by CLT2014

[kermit]

1 hour ago, CLT2014 said:

Yep totally agree the stats don't justify the fear, but your kid getting killed by a psycho is sort of like fears of sharks, dying in an airplane crash, and other anxieties where perception versus reality aren't aligned. Trying to change that perception is tough, when our kids are far more likely to die in a car accident or drown in a swimming pool than be murdered. Being obese is more likely to set a kid off for an early death in life, but going to Chick-fil-a 5x a week seems like risky in the "short term" than letting them go to the park alone. 

^ I am just gobsmacked that I was a latchkey kid back in peak crime America and no one ever batted an eyelash about crime and its risk to kids. Now that crime has been cut in half,  the only acceptable style of parenting appears to be putting your kids into suburban bell jar -- feels really over the top. I have my preferred explanation for the source of this irrationality (which is mostly related to politically-motivated anti-urbanism), but I am sure there are other explanations as well.

(excellent point on Chickfla)

Edited October 16, 2023 by kermit

[Windsurfer]

11 hours ago, kermit said:

^ I am just gobsmacked that I was a latchkey kid back in peak crime America and no one ever batted an eyelash about crime and its risk to kids. Now that crime has been cut in half,  the only acceptable style of parenting appears to be putting your kids into suburban bell jar -- feels really over the top. I have my preferred explanation for the source of this irrationality (which is mostly related to politically-motivated anti-urbanism), but I am sure there are other explanations as well.

(excellent point on Chickfla)

Wait, crime was higher when teenagers were more independent and running around ?  Sounds like a not-so-mysterious connection.

[kermit]

6 hours ago, Windsurfer said:

Wait, crime was higher when teenagers were more independent and running around ?  Sounds like a not-so-mysterious connection.

I do see your logic, and can’t really disagree. But I dunno, European teens have orders of magnitude more freedom, but crime rates in those places are consistently much lower.

Edited October 17, 2023 by kermit

[Windsurfer]

2 hours ago, kermit said:

I do see your logic, and can’t really disagree. But I dunno, European teens have orders of magnitude more freedom, but crime rates in those places are consistently much lower.

Maybe it's the uniforms and inspections they do throughout the day in lower grades (instead of learning).  Our youngster is doing okay with that bit of culture but it's quite a waste.  There is a LOT of teenage screaming and angst that comes from the park across the river nightly.  I guess in The States they'd be arrested.

[KJHburg]

this is not parks per se but preservation of open space for farming in this area.

Three Rivers Land Trust (TRLT) announces conservation of 93 acres of agricultural land in Rowan County (wbtv.com)

Salisbury-based Three Rivers Land Trust (TRLT) awarded over $2 million in 2023 for conservation (wbtv.com)

one of my favorite areas to hike in Mt Pleasant area was saved from development too Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail (check it out)    Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail (carolinathreadtrailmap.org)   it was slated to be a subdivision it it was saved.

Also in walking around Austin saw these signs which I think would be a good idea here in Charlotte on some of the busiest trails.  Maybe benefit to Partners for Parks locally.   Partners For Parks – Breathing Life Into Our Community

[KJHburg]

the 5881 acre Morrow Mountain State Park just about an hour from Charlotte.   Great hiking and the boat ramp is closed now due to low water.  

Still in its fall glory.  

[KJHburg]

Hope you enjoy the great weather today and it will be sunny over the weekend.  Check out a new park or new greenway or trail this weekend. 
 

Frank Liske Park Concord is 238 acres and was the working farm of Stonewall Jackson school which is located adjacent but cant be seen.

Smaller Pharr Mill park in Harrisburg is 37 acres but mostly wooded.  Last 2 photos and they have had a bunch of flooding here the last month with the Rocky River adjacent. 

[Windsurfer]

On 2/3/2024 at 12:02 AM, KJHburg said:

Hope you enjoy the great weather today and it will be sunny over the weekend.  Check out a new park or new greenway or trail this weekend. 
 

Frank Liske Park Concord is 238 acres and was the working farm of Stonewall Jackson school which is located adjacent but cant be seen.

Smaller Pharr Mill park in Harrisburg is 37 acres but mostly wooded.  Last 2 photos and they have had a bunch of flooding here the last month with the Rocky River adjacent. 

Anther wonderful greenway. Can't have too many! 

As a part-time path builder....I can't help but wonder why the bottom photo's path isn't just gravel instead of such an expensive boardwalk though.

[KJHburg]

That area by the boardwalk floods frequently and think the thought was gravel would just wash away.

[KJHburg]

Pineville Lake Park really nice and a huge dog park looked like an acre to me. 

[KJHburg]

Just a reminder that even small parks are needed in this city especially in Southend, LoSo etc and other areas that underserved by parks.

On another note this is a kids play area I was told it was for dogs at Wilmore Centennial Park by someone on this board and he knows who he is LOL.  It does seem to be some kind of  endurance test for toddlers. 

 

 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Just a reminder that even small parks are needed in this city especially in Southend, LoSo etc and other areas that underserved by parks.

On another note this is a kids play area I was told it was for dogs at Wilmore Centennial Park by someone on this board and he knows who he is LOL.  It does seem to be some kind of  endurance test for toddlers. 

 

 

I laugh at this sign all the time because I’m pretty sure until they put it there the whole neighborhood thought it WAS for dogs! I almost never see kids use it and when I do they seem confused or disinterested.

[KJHburg]

4 minutes ago, MothBeast said:

I laugh at this sign all the time because I’m pretty sure until they put it there the whole neighborhood thought it WAS for dogs! I almost never see kids use it and when I do they seem confused or disinterested.

at first I saw dogs walking all over it but I did finally see one kid play on it.  But a concrete pipe to crawl through?  

[jjwilli]

Meck County Parks & Rec mailed it in on this one. My kids have played on it once or twice but it definitely is “meh”. I know people on this board don’t like comparing Charlotte to NYC but we should look to their urban playgrounds for inspiration for our more urban parks and playgrounds. If we want more families in Uptown and South End we need better amenities for them.

[AltNative]

11 hours ago, KJHburg said:

But a concrete pipe to crawl through?  

My dog loves running back and forth through the pipe as my wife and I stand on either end calling his name over and over. Great fun for us and the pooch

[go_vertical]

17 hours ago, KJHburg said:

But a concrete pipe to crawl through?  

When I was a kid I would absolutely seize any opportunity to run or crawl through a tunnel or pipe and I 100% blame Double Dare.  I was always hoping there would be a flag on the other end because that meant someone had to give me a free Casio keyboard.

[KJHburg]

Historic Bryant Park with its great views.  I walked around this park today and the Parks and Rec dept. needs to reimagine this space.  This is a larger park as the county owned land goes across the creek to the vacant lot across from the gravel Pinkys parking lot.  A small parking lot should be built even gravel and use some of that land across the creek from the main park for playing fields of some sort.  Then improve the access to main historic park.  Much of the area involves steps and they need some more sidewalks and ADA accessibility.  This can be one of Charlotte's premier parks if it is improved.  And get some corporate sponsors and I would start with every developer within a 1/2 mile radius which is many who contribute to the reimagination of this park with its great views.  Maybe there are some plans I am not aware of if so please let me know.  

Edited February 25 by KJHburg

[Windsurfer]

On 2/24/2024 at 11:36 PM, KJHburg said:

Historic Bryant Park with its great views.  I walked around this park today and the Parks and Rec dept. needs to reimagine this space.  This is a larger park as the county owned land goes across the creek to the vacant lot across from the gravel Pinkys parking lot.  A small parking lot should be built even gravel and use some of that land across the creek from the main park for playing fields of some sort.  Then improve the access to main historic park.  Much of the area involves steps and they need some more sidewalks and ADA accessibility.  This can be one of Charlotte's premier parks if it is improved.  And get some corporate sponsors and I would start with every developer within a 1/2 mile radius which is many who contribute to the reimagination of this park with its great views.  Maybe there are some plans I am not aware of if so please let me know.  

Great shots!  Amazing nobody is there on such a nice day. One thing I've noticed is that parks that also have an accompanying doggie park section attract many more people.  It makes sense since dogs make you get off your butt and outdoors. 

[KJHburg]

from the Ledger about park land acquistion

""Mecklenburg County is on track to buy more land for future parks this year than it has in at least the three previous years.

The county has closed on 452 acres so far this fiscal year, which started in July 2023, and has 145 additional acres under contract and offers out on 633 more acres, said Katie Lloyd, the county’s senior planner with Park and Recreation, at a meeting last week of county park advisory councils.""

Mahjong mania - The Charlotte Ledger (substack.com)  story is about half way down