Christina Hernandez
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Miriam Schupacheveci hasn't ventured into a Philadelphia park in
years. There aren't enough bathrooms or security personnel to make her feel
comfortable. And there are too few railings for her husband, who needs support
when he walks.
Philadelphia has one of the world's largest urban park systems. And, according
to census data, the city has the highest proportion of people 65 and older of
any of the 10 largest cities in the country.
Yet 73 percent of Philadelphians over 60 reported never using their
neighborhood park in the previous year, according to data from Public Health
Management Corp.'s 2008 Household Health Survey.
That troubles local advocates for seniors because of the benefits that public
parks can provide for older adults. Being engaged and connected in the
community is related to older adults' being more physically active and to the
length of time that seniors want to stay in their homes, according to an
analysis by Allen Glicksman, director of research and evaluation for the
nonprofit Philadelphia Corporation for Aging.
Regular exercise can help seniors prevent falls, the leading cause of injury
or death for people 65 and older. Other research from the 2008 survey showed
that people with health limitations are less likely to use public recreation
facilities. So even perceived risks to unsteady legs, such as uneven steps,
rickety handrails and cracked sidewalks, could deter older adults from using
parks, Glicksman said.
Hoping to close the gap, the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging has launched a
citywide effort to make Philadelphia parks more "age-friendly." A
draft checklist for senior-suitable parks includes amenities such as nonslip
pavement, abundant shade and programming for all ages. The plan is to make the
city's current and future parks more hospitable to seniors, said Kate Clark, a
planner with the corporation, who is leading the effort.
As part of the initiative, Philadelphia's Parks and Recreation Department is
using mapping technology to identify parks near senior centers and apply the
age-friendly checklist there, said Sarah Low, director of spatial analysis and
conservation planning. "Some parks could be perfectly age-friendly and
still not be used by seniors because they're located in places where seniors
aren't."
Parks near senior centers will be among the first transformed into
age-friendly oases. "It's very exciting because there is a lot of
momentum around looking at parks from an age-friendly perspective," Low
said. "Nationwide, this is becoming a bigger issue because baby boomers
are getting older and that population is becoming a real force."
Senior Boom
With seniors expected to make up one-fifth of the American population by 2030,
communities across the country are realizing the importance of designing parks
to meet their needs, said Kathy Sykes, a senior adviser for the Aging
Initiative in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In Albuquerque, N.M., a program encourages health providers to write
prescriptions for park use. In New York City, free tennis, yoga and fitness
walking classes for seniors are offered in city parks.
Officials from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said no current
initiatives specifically call for making parks more usable for seniors.
"Philadelphia is definitely an ambassador for other communities to
recognize the resource of their parks," said Sykes, who helped the
Philadelphia Corporation on Aging prepare its initiative. "They can make
them more of a resource when they invest in them and the age-friendly
aspects."
Of course, some Philadelphia parks are already known to be senior-friendly.
Many of the city's squares, including Rittenhouse Square and Franklin Square,
are lush with shade trees and filled with benches for weary visitors, Clark
said.
Pennypack Park is also popular among seniors, including Jay Lipschutz, 64, who
bikes and walks there several times a week. "It's well-maintained,"
he said. "The only drawback that I've seen in the usage of Pennypack Park
for older people is the lack of bathroom facilities."
Neglected Parks
Yet some city parks are sorely lacking, local seniors said. Corner-store owner
Catalina Hunter, 60, a 15-year Hunting Park resident, said she had watched her
community's 87-acre namesake space decline for a decade. "This is a park
that was a little bit neglected," she said, citing litter on the grounds
and insufficient lighting. Because many residents avoided the North
Philadelphia park, Hunter said, seniors were left with few local options for
activity and socializing. "Seniors have nothing around close by,"
she said.
The Fairmount Park Conservancy is working to bring safety and senior-related
improvements to Hunting Park, said Meg Holscher, the conservancy's director of
development. "Our parks are healthy and they're safe and they're used in
the best manner possible when they are used by the communities that surround
them," she said.
One area of age-friendly focus there is a community garden with raised beds.
"If you're a senior or in a wheelchair, you're still able to garden with
some ease," Holscher said. Other initiatives include park-wide lighting
and reopening the concession building. "With 87 acres, you could easily
spend a whole day there," she said. "But without having the ability
to buy some water or a snack, I'm sure that deters quite a few people."
Community Garden
Hunter is eager to stake out a raised plot in the community garden and plant
tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. The garden will be "part of the
entertainment" for local seniors, she said. "You can have a garden,
and you can have a group," Hunter said. "You can make a
friend."
The announcement this month that Philadelphia will create 500 new acres of
publicly accessible green space by 2015 means the focus on seniors will
broaden.
Hank Gathers Recreation Center in North Philadelphia, for instance, will get
more than 40 new trees, a shaded sitting area, and a community garden, said
Michael DiBerardinis, commissioner of Parks and Recreation. That effort is for
the entire community, he said, "but that does play to [the senior]
audience."
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Christina Hernandez wrote this article for the Philadelphia
Inquirer as part of her MetLife Foundation Journalists on Aging
fellowship, in partnership with New
America Media and the Gerontological Society of America. Photo
by The Inquirer’s Laurence Kesterson. RedwoodAge is publishing
this story with permission from New America Media.
