- Written by Alejandra Guzman
- Published in Economic Development
City Park: A New Orleans Treasure.
City Park: A New Orleans Treasure.
By Alejandra Guzman
Click aqui para español- > City Park: Un Tesoro en Nueva Orleans
The New Orleans community has the good fortune of enjoying one of the oldest urban parks in the nation.
Spanning a total of 1,300 acres, City Park offers a unique experience to millions of visitors each year. From taking a stroll through the beautifully cultivated botanical gardens, to biking, jogging, and walking the park’s paths, to adventuring the rides at the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, City Park offers fun and diversion for everyone.
A personal favorite characteristic of our park is its beautiful oak trees, which represent the world´s largest stand of mature live oaks. This grove includes a grand oak that dates back nearly 800 years! Although this fact alone qualifies City Park as a veritable treasure, there are many other reasons why we should cherish and care for our urban park.
Urban parks play a fundamental role in a city’s economic and community development. Livable cities must be able to support vibrant populations and highly skilled workforces in order to compete with the global marketplace. Highly talented individuals are naturally interested and attracted to places that offer economic opportunities and diverse amenities that contribute to a superior quality of life.
An essential amenity to a livable city includes a network of green areas and parks. This contributes to a healthy environment, economic growth, and community cohesion.
From an environmental perspective, unpaved grounds have the capacity to absorb water. Considering that our city receives at least 60 inches of rain every year, having the right green infrastructure to manage water is fundamentally important.
In terms of social development, parks offer the amenities that contribute to an excellent quality of life. A well-maintained and properly designed network of green spaces is part of a core strategy to attract and retain a strong workforce and encourage future investment.
Green areas are also a place where members of our community come together for inclusive interaction, recreation, and physical activity. These areas stimulate healthy development in our children and the city’s youth by providing them with sufficient and adequate space for play and expression.
Additionally, through recreation and interaction with nature, people of all ages can participate in the many aspects of civic involvement.
City Park offers the opportunity to host many of our city´s legendary events including the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, also known as Voodoo Fest.
These events help preserve the unique character and culture of our city and further provide a boost to the economy by bringing thousands of visitors to our area each year. Festivals generally produce millions of dollars in income, including tax revenues for the City and State.
Not every community enjoys the privilege of having a treasure like City Park—yet another reason why New Orleans is such wonderful place to live! Until next time!