Big Ideas: Getting Jacksonians into City Parks

Lurny D’s food truck is one new business helping reinvigorate interest in Jackson parks. Photo by Trip Burns

By JFP Staff Wednesday, September 18, 2013 4:47 p.m. CDT

Mayor Chokwe Lumumba's Parks and Rec Transition Team compiled the following suggestions to get more residents into Jackson Parks and Recreation Department (PRD) facilities throughout the city:

• Bring arts into parks: museums, musical performances, movie screenings, art installations, theater, poetry, spoken word.

• Hold events in city parks, including festivals, cook-out competitions, fashion shows, people's assemblies by ward, voter registration drives and education.

• Make infrastructure improvements.

• Work with neighborhood groups to beautify local parks.

• Allow cafes, diners and food trucks to local inside PRD facilities.

• Make facilities compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act

• Move city service centers into facilities.

• Create more walking and biking trails.

• Add water parks and water features.

• Install shaded seating.

• Promote PRD facilities through social media, schools, retirement communities and through PSAs in local media.

• Make it easier to get insurance for events using PRD facilities.

• Add more park ranger patrols for security.

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