Pleasanton Tennis and Community Park

5801 Valley Ave, Pleasanton, CA 94566, United States

Parks are complex features of the city. They can serve scores of different uses, be specialized in their function, or simply provide a visual appeal to residents. No matter how they work, they act to define the shape and feel of a city and its neighborhoods. They also function as a conscious tool for revitalization.

Economic Development

Parks provide our cities with inherent environmental, esthetic and recreational benefits. They are also a source of positive economic benefit. They increase property values, increase municipal revenues, bring homebuyers and workers and attract retirees.

Create Safer Neighborhoods

For those concerned that green spaces can encourage crime and illegal activity, there is now evidence that the opposite may be true. When adjacent to residential areas, green spaces have been shown to create neighborhoods with fewer violent and property crimes and where neighbors tend to support and protect each other. The factors that explain these findings underscore the importance of greenery in community and personal well-being.

Engagement Community

Community engagement is a process of working collaboratively with individuals and groups to achieve specific objectives. For parks and open spaces, community involvement allows mayors and public officials to directly involve their electoral districts in the ongoing design, planning and management of these resources. This process results in informed and engaged residents who feel better connected to their communities. While sometimes contentious, but more often productive and rewarding, community engagement is a key component of successful urban open space.

Green Infrastructures

Just as growing communities need to upgrade and expand their built infrastructure of roads, sewers and utilities, they also need to upgrade and expand their green infrastructure, an interconnected green space system that preserves natural ecosystem values and functions, maintains clear air and water, and provides a wide range of benefits to people and wildlife. Green infrastructure is a community life support system, an ecological framework needed for environmental and economic sustainability.

Public Health Promotion

People value the time they spend in town parks, whether walking a dog, playing basketball, or having a picnic. In addition to the expected leisure facilities, parks can also provide measurable health benefits, from providing direct contact with nature and a cleaner environment, to opportunities for physical activity and social interaction. A telephone survey conducted by the American Public Health Association found that 75% of adults believe that parks and recreation must play an important role in addressing America’s obesity crisis.