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This idea and pitch is triggered by the fact that native trees have now been cut down at FDR Park. I have footage from today 8/24/2022 at 11 am.
I’m going to explain what’s going on and connect it with an idea, a solution.
That’s how I process all these emotions, this energy. I strongly feel we need to pause this destructive, unilateral project and analyze it and adapt it for the benefit of all. We all need to coexist and we must all join and make contributions to the issues of climate change and gun violence. Everything is connected. And if we put the youth, the kids in the heart center of the issue, all things fall into place. We need to free ourselves from stress by solving problems with everyone in mind for the kids.
Hear me out.
There is a Master Plan lead by Parks and Rec and others that has a $225 million-dollar-budget to overlap a couple of needs and businesses. As of now, astroturf practice fields need to be in by 2026 (because Philly now will host the next Fifa World Cup) and there needs to be a place to put a bunch of dirt from the airport for the new runway.
There is already damage. Trees are down, but this is not all.
The social vision (or lack thereof) is nowhere contemplated in the Master Plan.
And that is the heart of the problem.
So how about this? Here’s an idea: CUS parks.
CUS are Creative Urban Sports, that is: Parkour, BMX, skateboarding, wall-climbing, breakdancing - aka Breaking, what else?
Get astroturf out of The Meadows and into The Hood.
Athletes, celebrities, sports team owners, RedBull, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and anyone who wants to participate, imagine this: multipurpose CUS facilities spread throughout the city.
SINCE the World Cup is coming up and Breaking is now Olympic, and skateboarding is, too, how about we make this a social effort and ask big companies to create alliances for the benefit of the children in the community? Build soccer and CUS facilities close to the kids. Food trucks will come, girls and boys, families can all witness practice, they can help run the facilities, equipment, clean up, learn how to do maintenance, help with social media and diffusion.... We need everyone showing younger people how they can work on something and get better, a system that is transferable to other areas in their lives. It doesn’t have to just be soccer. This can extend to all sports.
If anyone out there is reading this, believes in it and wants to do something about this, hmu.
To make this happen, we’d need a production team (my business: Creative Synergy Media), allies, architects, urban planners, CUS park designers, someone to connect with local groups and individuals (commerce, schools, etc.)
And funds. We need money.
That's it.
Here are a couple of articles to check out:
http://pp4fdr.org - People for FDR. They wrote an open letter and have a good perspective on what is really happening and a clear set of actions needed.
Thanks for reading. Your attention is energy.
I believe that.
Your actions would be even better!
Xo
Patricia
