Greensboro Plan2Play Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2019

28 - FEBRUARY 2019

Essential Services for Areas of High Need Not all changes in Greensboro’s economy have been positive. Even with 19.5% growth in jobs since 2000, there has been significant displacement in manufacturing. Since 2000, manufacturing lost over 4,000 jobs, while the service industry gained around 22,000 jobs. Even with the gain in service industry employment, Greensboro did not keep pace with other top ten North Carolina cities. Greensboro also continues to have a higher poverty rate than the state and the nation. There are many reasons for growth in jobs but lags in personal wealth. Median earnings in Greensboro have increased, but not at the pace of other North Carolina cities and in 2015, the city’s costs for housing and transportation were higher than the national average and higher than many of the top ten cities in North Carolina. The Department’s provision of essential services to all community members is particularly important as part of an equitable city.

The Benefits of Parks and Open Spaces A strong recreation and park system is an investment that generates numerous economic benefits. Studies have shown that parks have the ability to increase property value, catalyze development, and promote tourism, while also serving as direct revenue generators themselves. Recent investments in Greensboro’s urban open spaces including Gateway Gardens, the Downtown Greenway, and LeBauer Park have contributed to major investments across the city including street scape and mobility improvements, night- time programming and residential and commercial development close to the city center. According to the Trust for Public Land, great parks can raise neighboring property values by an estimated 15%, which also increases city property tax revenue. The study, titled Measuring the Economic Value of a City Park System , also noted that parks and new trail connections can

Figure 14. Declan's Playground is an upgraded inclusive play- ground adjacent to the Greensboro Arboretum.