think anyone would actually build a park there—but I went. At that meeting, students from a nearby elementary school presented the ideas they had created for the park. Their excitement and enthusi- asm convinced me to join one of the design groups. The experience was like a breath of fresh air—something real and truthful that had never happened before, in all my days living in Newark. I remember thinking: I’ve never heard of The Trust for Public Land, but they’re really delivering for this community.
When did you join The Trust for Public Land staff?
A staffer told me that the Newark office had an internship. I didn’t have a degree and I didn’t know how to type—two criteria for the job—but they said they would make an exception.
That was almost ten years ago. Now you’re a senior program co- ordinator, helping run our Parks for People program in Newark. Yes. I never could have seen myself in this position. But you learn as you go.
I’ve always wondered: What is my purpose? What am I here to do? Now I know: to be of service to my community.
If the Parks for People program achieves its goals, how will Newark be different in ten years? Newark will be a model city! It’s on the verge—we’re already changing people’s mindsets. If we’re successful, Newark will look the way it did when I was a kid. Every person will live within a ten- minute walk of a park or playground, so that even if they don’t have a yard, they’ll have a place to play. Parks and playgrounds will be the foundation of our community.
Why is access to nature so critical?
Seeing nature, living and touching and being a part of it—that’s good for everyone. For children especially, out- door play and a connection to nature is so important for well-being and healthy development. But it’s not just about physical activity—it’s about creating the next generation of stewards and
environmentalists. You have to experi- ence nature in order to become passion- ate about it and want to protect it for the future.
How does The Trust for Public Land help encourage that passion? When we involve children in the partici- patory design process for a park, they learn about much more than play- ground equipment. They learn about stormwater and green infrastructure, landscape design, and other green jobs. Kids in our Summer Ranger program learn horticulture and park mainte- nance, but they also get exposed to new career paths and conservation strategies. We want to introduce people to places they have never been and paths they haven’t yet imagined.
You were recently named a “Sustainability Hero” by the Sustainable Jersey Task Force. What makes a park sustainable? We do more in our parks and play- grounds than just play. Parks are about education, equity, conservation, and job creation, too. It’s about building com- munity: enabling advocates to steward and care for their parks and to report and discourage vandalism. It’s about connecting people to opportunities so that they can grow and support each other. Empowering people with a sense of ownership and responsibility creates sustainable communities—which in turn creates sustainable cities and sus- tainable states, as well.
Quitman Street Community School Playground, Newark, New Jersey.
FIRST LOOK · 23
luke walter
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