The City Wild: The Strategic Role of Green

Urban parkland is critical to the health and viability of our communities. It improves the quality of life for residents by providing space for community events, recreation, and retreat.

But parks do much more. They serve as green infrastructure frameworks, provide valuable ecosystem services, and create value for neighboring land uses. In sum total, parks set a cornerstone for regional economic competitiveness. Imagine Downtown Columbus without the Statehouse Lawn. Imagine Clintonville without Whetstone Park. Imagine Westerville without Blendon Woods or Reynoldsburg without Blacklick Woods. More importantly, the retention and attraction of workers demands a high quality of life. Greenspace and urban parks are clearly part of that equation.

Key Questions:

1) What is our regional strategy to shape a coherent set of green infrastructure outcomes and how can we pay for the development of green space in tough economic times?

2) How do parks and green space shape the economic landscape in our region?

3) How can “green” infrastructure mitigate the cost of traditional “pumps and pipes” infrastructure?

4) How can stronger public‐private partnerships emerge which deliver parkland and responsible land use outcomes?

5) If we were to build our “Central Park,” where would locate it?