Creating Green Spaces in Urban Cities

Highlights

Pogo Park in Richmond has revitalized an area plagued by high rates of poverty, unemployment, violence and limited opportunities for children into a neighborhood oasis.
Built for the community, by the community, Pogo Park and Elm Playlot showcase the transformative power of parks.

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Welcome to Transformation Tuesday. Every week we highlight different aspects of our Transformation effort. It is important for us to share with you how policies, procedures and guidelines are being altered to support an entrepreneurial, service-oriented, creative, and collaborative culture with the California Department of Parks and Recreation. But it is also important for us to learn about the programs that our dedicated staff manages.

This week we are highlighting Pogo Park, a community in Richmond revitalized with Proposition 84 funds. The grant program is managed by the Office of Grants and Local Services.

A $2 million dollar grant gave the funding needed for Pogo Park and the community to transform the two parks from places that were unsafe for children to safe community gathering places for residents to bring their children for outdoor exercise and socialization. Residents of Richmond’s Iron Triangle neighborhood planned, designed, built and now manage revamped Elm Playlot and Harbour-8 Park. More than 5,000 at-risk children now have improved access to the outdoors thanks to projects like these.

We invite you to watch the short video on Pogo Park’s two projects in the Iron Triangle and see how a community was built stronger by building together.

View Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3GGXEeoWNU

For information on other grant allocations managed by OGALS, please visit www.parksforcalifornia.org/grants.

Reminders

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