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What Happens When Private Groups Save Public Parks?

Connecticut Public Radio | By Colin McEnroe,
Chion Wolf, Betsy Kaplan, Patrick Skahill
Published September 20, 2013 at 4:30 PM EDT
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Credit Wikimedia Commons
Chapel Street Bridge in Edgewood Park, New Haven, Conn.

New Havenitesreclaiming a beautiful park in their city got us thinking about urban parks in general. Frederick Law Olmsted is the undisputed father of American city parks, including Central Park itself. He came from Hartford, and he is buried here.

Hartford was an incredible park city, and by the 1930s it probably had more park acreage per capita than any other city in the nation. From the end of the Civil War to the beginning of World War II, Hartford was a city other cities looked at when they wanted ideas for beautiful parks. Today, the city doesn't even have a parks department, and many of the city's greatest parks are shadows of their former selves. So what do cities do about this? Today, we pool some ideas with people from New Haven and Hartford.

GUESTS:

  • Willie Franklin Hoffman - President, Friends of Edgewood Park
  • Mark Oppenheimer - Reporter/New Haven Resident
  • Brendan Mahoney - Hartford Resident/Park User
  • Henry Hester - Vice President, Friends of Keney Park
  • Nancy Macy - Member, Friends of Pope Park/Director, Pope Park Hartford Designated Fund
  • Alex Ulam - Journalist

Colin McEnroe
Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.
See stories by Colin McEnroe
Chion Wolf
Chion Wolf is the host of Audacious with Chion Wolf on Connecticut Public, spotlighting the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood.
See stories by Chion Wolf
Betsy Kaplan
Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows.
See stories by Betsy Kaplan
Patrick Skahill
Patrick Skahill is the assistant director of news and talk shows at Connecticut Public. He was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show and a science and environment reporter for more than eight years.
See stories by Patrick Skahill

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

Donate