A resident of Austin, Texas, for more than 40 years, Nancy Naeve is an active member of the Lost Creek Home and Garden Club and former president of the Lost Creek Neighborhood Association. In the latter role, Nancy Naeve spearheaded an initiative to create two public parks in the 1250-home Austin neighborhood.
Neighborhood parks are essential in a community as they provide a place for children to play, parents to bring their little ones, and adults to congregate. Here are just a few of their benefits:
1. Parks encourage physical activity. Kids who spend time outdoors tend to perform better in school and have fewer behavior problems, and the presence of a park can increase aerobic activity across ages by as much as 25 percent.
2. Parks facilitate community connection. For busy adults, making friends can be difficult. Parks offer a safe communal space where neighbors can meet each other and connect in person.
3. Parks are good for the environment. Communities with green spaces, such as parks, have healthier air quality, as each acre of tree cover can remove 80 pounds of pollution from the air.
4. Parks improve property values. Well-maintained neighborhood parks make the area attractive to newcomers and make homes more valuable.
