Time was, you could count on the town you live in to make sure the parks in your neighborhood were in good shape.
But in many cities around the world, including our hometown of San Francisco, budgets aren’t what they once were. And it takes some unique partnerships to keep parks what they should be – safe for kids and families, clean, and fun.
We’re proud to be helping out. Working with The Trust for Public Land and some San Francisco companies, the Levi Strauss Foundation is helping fund a parks-improvement initiative for three local parks.
According to one nearby parent, the Balboa Park playground was unsafe, and the park itself was uninviting. No longer.
The park has recently reopened, and as the accompanying images attest, it’s something the neighborhood can be proud of – not scared of. One of the city’s oldest parks is new again, with new landscaping, renovated tennis courts, a new picnic area, new walking paths, and, of course, new play equipment.
Unique to Balboa Park– mosaic art, designed and built by students from nearby schools. And six new trees that residents purchased and planted.
This is the second of the three local parks to be improved as part of this initiative. The first, Hayes Valley Playground, included recycled denim insulation in its clubhouse.
The Levi Strauss Foundation contributed $1 million to launch The Trust for Public Land’s “Parks for People” program. The smiles on opening day at Balboa Park indicate a great return on that investment.
Image: Jamie Hopper, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department
