The Power of Civic Engagement
By Rebecca Bear, President and CEO
Over the course of the last month, we have seen the power of what an activated community can do when their park resources are threatened. I am, of course, referring to the advocacy around the proposal to create a playground at Denny Blaine Park. Park remodel projects, particularly the addition of playgrounds, often seem innocuous and very rarely get attention from community (except from those who want the playground). This particular playground proposal, however, would have had the impact of displacing 40 years of historic use by the LGBTQIA+ community and the Nudist and Naturist community.
Denny Blaine Park is a historic Olmsted Park that features green terraces leading to the beach, which was created when Lake Washington was lowered in 1916. This leaves the park with limited sight lines to the water from the parking lot, making it an ideal place to be nude.
We were approached by Seattle Parks and Recreation to be the fiscal agent and project manager for this project, and subsequently turned it down as we determined it was not aligned with one of our core values: equity in public spaces. What we have seen in the past few weeks has been an undeniable representation of another priority area for us: civic engagement and community building.
The day the project sign went up at Denny Blaine Park, messages began traveling through the community of park users. A Capitol Hill Seattle Blog post in October identified the threat to the park’s historic use, and the community immediately mobilized. A “Save Denny Blaine” Instagram account was created, and an online petition collected nearly 10,000 signatures. Media outlets throughout the city began sharing the stories of those impacted and asking questions about the motives behind putting a playground in this location.
Members of the organizing group testified at the City Council meeting and flooded the inboxes of City Council members and the mayor’s office. Advocates for Save Denny Blaine researched better locations for play areas around the neighborhood and even received support from pediatricians and urban planners who identified the lack of sight lines as a drowning hazard to children.
By the time the community meeting arrived on December 6, the groundswell of support for the LGBTQIA+ community whose safe space was threatened was clear. There were over 200 people packed into the Martin Luther King FAME community center, each of them courageously testifying about how important this space was to a community that rarely has safety in public spaces, let alone safety to be unclothed.
As a bridge between neighborhood groups and public agencies, we are often approached by community groups and/or the city to partner on projects related to open spaces. We strive to partner with groups who are working to advance equity in public spaces, activated parks and healthy people, neighborhood-based climate solutions, and increased civic engagement and community building.
Seeing Seattleites come together in support of their community and fighting for their public space last week was a profound experience for me. It was a textbook example of the vision of Seattle Parks Foundation: that people feel welcomed and invested in our parks and public spaces, leading to healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities.
The City announced on Friday, December 8, that they would not move forward with this project. In their public statement the Seattle Parks Department said:
Many members of the public spoke to the importance of this space and use as a beach, and the cohesion it has brought within the LGBTQIA+ community. Additionally, community spoke of the unintended consequences adding a play area to this beach site would possibly bring. This is why we have a robust community engagement process, ensuring all people – including those who have been historically marginalized – have their voices heard and perspectives considered.
It is part of Seattle Parks Foundation’s mission to provide resources to community groups seeking to address issues in the public spaces they treasure. We also work closely with our partners at the Parks Department and other city agencies to ensure they connect with our community to ensure the best outcome for all. The incredible organizing effort Denny Blaine advocates managed is a great example of how effective civic engagement can make a difference when it comes to changes in public spaces. Our hope is that a new Friends of Denny Blaine group emerges from this effort, and together we can improve the experience of all park visitors and neighbors.