The importance of urban parks​

With more than 80% of Americans living in urban spaces, and the world's populations growing rapidly, urban parks are more important than ever. 
City parks are crucial for social, environmental and economic health of a city and their residents.
Around the country community members and elected officials have been expanding and improving their city parks in order to address public infrastructure and health issues, and promote more equitable communities.  

Social

Encourage active and healthy lifestyle

• Promotes mental and physical health
• Provide our children with a place to play
• Increase community engagement
• Promote equitability, providing residents of all backgrounds with free and accessible places to recreate
• Improve public health
• Reduce crime​
• Protects fisheries, which has is culturally and economically important to American Indians

Environment

• Clean the air
• Filter rain, reducing pollution of streams, rivers, lakes and ocean
• Provides habitat to plants and animals
• Promotes water cycling: soil stores water; plants use water to produce energy, and return part of it to the atmosphere 
• Provides shade and humidity to the air, keeping cities cooler
• Sequesters and stores carbon, reducing climate change
• Prevents soil erosion and flash floods
  

Economic

• Reduce costs with public health
• Strengthen local economies and create job opportunities 
• Reduce costs related to water treatment, energy bills, and remediation of catastrophic events
• Reduce costs related to stormwater management and flooding mitigation
• Protect fishery

Hood River Parks

• Children's Park (Eugene St & 9th St)
• ​Culbertson Park (6th St. and Heights Ave)
• Collins Baseball Field (May Street west of 13th Street)
• Friendship Park (18th Street & Taylor Street)
• Jackson Park (May St & 13th St)
• Mann Park (Eugene Street at 22nd Street)
• Montello Court (30th Street & Montello St)
• Morrison (Disc Golf) Park ( Wasco Ave and N 20th St)
• Overlook Memorial Park (2nd St & State St)
• Rotary (Skateboard) Park (20th St & Wasco Ave)
• Stratton Rose Garden (2nd St south of State St)
• Tsuruta Park (13th St & State St)
• Tsuruta Tennis Courts (May St between 13th St &17th St)
• Waterfron Park (Portway Ave & N 8th St)
• Wilson (2nd St & May St)

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