NY Rangers to share parks experience with Belfast

Urban rangers from New York are set to arrive in Belfast next week to advise the City Council on how parks in the ‘Big Apple’ have been reclaimed from anti-social elements and are now proving top attractions for local communities.

The rangers will be attending a conference on Urban Parks at Belfast Castle in order to highlight the tactics they used to change public perceptions about parks in New York.

They will also be meeting councillors, visiting local parks, including the Waterworks, Falls and Woodvale to meet users and community groups to hear their views on what they would like to see happening in their local parks.

The Urban Parks conference takes place at Belfast Castle on Friday, September 1 and Maurice Parkinson, Belfast City Council’s Head of Parks and Cemeteries, said: “The conference is part of an integrated approach to tackling anti-social behaviour in parks and encouraging people to make better use of open spaces generally.

“The urban rangers have been very successful in reclaiming New York’s parks. At one stage Central Park was considered a dangerous place to be but now it is used for many major events and is a top tourist attraction with a host of activities going on daily for locals.”

He continued: “Community safety and public perceptions about it are vital to encouraging greater use of open spaces and public parks and the conference is one of the ways we are looking to encourage a community approach to tackling anti-social behaviour.

“Vandalism in parks costs thousands of pounds annually to repair, money which could be spent upgrading or providing new facilities for the community to enjoy.”

The visit is to go along with the Council’s priorities of improving community safety and working in partnership with other agencies to make Belfast a healthier place.

(EF)