A very good Monday morning to you all. I am on the last leg of this 5-week photo tour having covered Maine, New Hampshire, Mexico, Nevada and lastly Arizona. I am very fortunate to include, as the last part of my trip, a visit to spend time with my family and friends in Phoenix, AZ. The tour has been a powerhouse travel and shooting spree. I actually was able to get a little down time from all of my air travel by driving from Vegas to Phoenix and taking in some of the sights along the way.
While visiting my sister a couple of years back the city of Mesa, AZ. announced they were up rooting a city park and golf course to make way for a new Chicago Cubs spring training ball park and supporting retail facilities. The residents of the city that used the park were concerned about losing a vital part of the fabric of their recreational community. The concern rings true in most cities when changes occur like this.
The Cubs Ball Park was finished in time for the 2014 spring season and a new community park for the residents was completed shortly there after. Like most, I was very skeptical about hearing about what the city was doing so I took the opportunity to drag my nieces and nephews to the park over the weekend and I am proud to say that the City of Mesa absolutely got this one right. The new ultramodern outdoor park offered a lot of green space, water space, along with water activities and an exceptional modern playground for families to share. The park pretty much had something for everyone except maybe, enough parking.
All too often you hear the tales of urban planning and city revitalization but it tends to end up as just fun trips for those given the task but few with little vision for what is really needed for the community. I was genuinely amazed at the diversity of the individuals using the park and the number of different activities occurring while I was there. I got the feeling that this was the type of park that could sit anywhere in Small or Large town USA. It was a park that could make a difference for those … looking to make a difference.
If any of you city planners are listening, this just may be the park you want to visit and emulate!!!!! ENJOY!
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Best regards ……….
dK
