Friday, March 14, 2008

Why a no sleeping ordinance



Recently I have been researching ways that parks around the country have found ways to control crime and change the usage of parks with a violent history.

One of the most recent find has been the no sleeping/laying down ordinance.
This may seem like a drastic measure but I think the result would be immediately apparent.
The biggest factor is going to be enforcement. Bottom line: NO ONE would be permitted to lay down in the park. It would be in effect against the rules. Since the park is currently thought to be quite a scary place(to change soon) there is a chance that those that sleep might be at risk of robbery, or any other kind of violence. Also, when there are several(last time I counted on a warm weekday there were 6-8) people sleeping there all day it makes it hard to have any other kind of activity(say a frisby game or doggie play date) the kind that brings the space to life an makes it truly a community space.
Eventually it is the hope of our neighborhood to lift the ordinance and restore it to it's original no camping status, but with the support of our neighbors we can take this big step to ensure the success of our park!