Like Rome, Parks are Not Built in a Day

The Month of July is National Park and Recreation Month in the United States. This month Rural Resurrection will have a series on Parks and Recreation (no, not the TV series). We’ll look at park improvements, different types of parks, and new ways to look at parks.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” is a well known saying that emphasizes practicing patience when completing an overwhelmingly large task. Such is the task of completing park improvements in your community. The excessively massive costs of park improvements can be staggering when first calculated. Playground equipment has especially shot through the roof over the past decade. The costs of meeting new regulations, like the regularly evolving ADA accessibility requirements, can also put a burden on a budget as well.

Wentworth Park Construction, by Ken Heaton; Creative Commons 4.0

However, park improvements do not need to be completed “in a day”. Many of our communities are well over 100 years old. Likewise many of your parks are decades old as well. Gorgeous massive oak trees that adorn many parks are a testament to this. They have provided shade and character to your parks for years and will likely be around for many more. Although some parks have crumbling shelters, others have well-built iconic structures that stand the test of time. A good park takes time to develop and mature. It’s OK to take your time.

So dig out that cost estimate that you’ve stuffed away in a binder. Dust it off and look at it in a different light. Can you piece this project up into multiple years to make it palatable and workable? A philanthropic organization may be unwilling to provide a grant for a sizable part of the overall cost. But would the help out with the park shelter, or the playground equipment? Maybe you wait for a downturn in the economy to talk a local construction company to donate some grading work during the slow times. Or your local community foundation could start a fundraising drive for the trails in the park.

Think of it like a large chocolate cake. Looking at it, you want to devour it in one fell swoop. But if you try it’s likely you’ll overeat, get sick, and stay away….at least for a little while. But if you eat it piece by piece, you are able to savor the cake over time and appreciate each piece you eat a little more.

Don’t let the project stagnate though. Always have something going with the project. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.