Right to Portland Parks and Recreation Community Centers I believe that everyone has the right to access recreational community centers and the free activities that come with them. Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) is funded through taxes by the citizens of Portland. One of the community centers is Mt. Scott Community Center, located in southeast Portland. This center has been an important part of my life since I was a young child. I’ve been going to Mt. Scott Community Center for my whole life, and my perception of it has changed over time. When I was younger there was only two reasons for going to the community center; either I was playing basketball at an open gym or in one of the little leagues, or I was swimming at the in pool. I now work at Mt. Scott as a lifeguard. Now that I am an adult and employed by the center, I see how important the programs are to youth. I was one of the individuals whose beliefs were shaped by the equitable access to interesting and fun recreational programs. I know firsthand how crucial it is for youth to be involved in active and positive activities. Being involved with this center as an adult has helped to shape my belief in the importance of the parks programs for all. In 2012, Portland Parks & Recreation developed a strategic plan that states that “Public parks and recreation contribute endless benefits to the community. The outcomes are “more than fun and games,” playing a substantial role in developing healthy lives and building community, preventing crime and providing positive alternatives for youth.” However, this report also states that not all Portlanders have equal access to recreation facilities and the opportunities they offer. The data showed that youth in communities of color and the elderly do not have enough facilities near them and that it is a hardship to travel to recreation centers that were further away. In Portland, many of the black families moved from NE Portland to outer SE Portland. This gentrification, the systematic process of upgrading a neighborhood so that the existing residents can’t afford to live there, caused an influx of communities of color to relocate to southeast where the cost of housing was cheaper. The 2016 Performance Report from PP&R reveals that the East Portland Community Center, which serves this neighborhood, is inadequate both in size and services to meet the needs of the youth and elderly that live in the area. Because I believe that every person has the right to participate in recreation programs in Portland, It is important to the health of our city that every individual have the support needed to access a recreational facility. Portland Parks and Recreation refers to this effort as “closing the play gap”. To close this gap, PPR needs to improve their facilities, do outreach in a variety of places such as schools and neighborhood associations and to partner with other agencies like Tri-Met for transportation to the recreation centers. Onc.

1. Right to Portland Parks and Recreation Community Centers
I believe that everyone has the right to access recreational
community centers and the free activities that come with them.
Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) is funded through taxes
by the citizens of Portland. One of the community centers is Mt.
Scott Community Center, located in southeast Portland. This
center has been an important part of my life since I was a young
child. I’ve been going to Mt. Scott Community Center for my
whole life, and my perception of it has changed over time.
When I was younger there was only two reasons for going to
the community center; either I was playing basketball at an
open gym or in one of the little leagues, or I was swimming at
the in pool. I now work at Mt. Scott as a lifeguard. Now that I
am an adult and employed by the center, I see how important
the programs are to youth. I was one of the individuals whose
beliefs were shaped by the equitable access to interesting and
fun recreational programs. I know firsthand how crucial it is
for youth to be involved in active and positive activities. Being
involved with this center as an adult has helped to shape my
belief in the importance of the parks programs for all.
In 2012, Portland Parks & Recreation developed a strategic plan
that states that “Public parks and recreation contribute endless
benefits to the community. The outcomes are “more than fun
and games,” playing a substantial role in developing healthy
lives and building community, preventing crime and providing
positive alternatives for youth.” However, this report also states
that not all Portlanders have equal access to recreation facilities
and the opportunities they offer.
The data showed that youth in communities of color and the
elderly do not have enough facilities near them and that it is a
hardship to travel to recreation centers that were further away.
In Portland, many of the black families moved from NE

2. Portland to outer SE Portland. This gentrification, the
systematic process of upgrading a neighborhood so that the
existing residents can’t afford to live there, caused an influx of
communities of color to relocate to southeast where the cost of
housing was cheaper. The 2016 Performance Report from
PP&R reveals that the East Portland Community Center, which
serves this neighborhood, is inadequate both in size and
services to meet the needs of the youth and elderly that live in
the area.
Because I believe that every person has the right to participate
in recreation programs in Portland, It is important to the health
of our city that every individual have the support needed to
access a recreational facility. Portland Parks and Recreation
refers to this effort as “closing the play gap”. To close this gap,
PPR needs to improve their facilities, do outreach in a variety
of places such as schools and neighborhood associations and to
partner with other agencies like Tri-Met for transportation to
the recreation centers. Once a community center is accessible in
location, the strategic plan must look at ways to improve their
program to attract youth of color. One incentive would be to
make sure that the workforce at the community center reflects
the diversity of the community it serves.
In his 1968 book, The Right to the City, Henri Lefebvre
puts forth ideas about encouraging urban policies that promote
justice, sustainability and inclusion in cities. Improving access
to these centers is just one example of this idea. Lefebvre also
discusses how the individual can help to shape the processes of
urban life...of the city.
Now that I am an employee of PP&R, I have an opportunity to
do this; to help shape the future of the centers by providing
input into every aspect of the programs. In other words, because
I believe that everybody has the right to participate in
community recreation centers, I have the opportunity to help
implement the strategies that will improve this access.
Improving access to community centers for youth from
communities of color and seniors will impact healthy living for

3. all citizens in this beautiful city.
References
Portland Parks and Recreation
Strategic Plan 2012 - 2015, Vision, Mission and Values
www.portlandoregon.gov/parks
Portland Parks and Recreation
2016 Performance Report
www.portlandparks/gov
Lefebvre, Henri (1996), "The right to the city", in Kofman,
Eleonore; Lebas, Elizabeth, Writings on cities, Cambridge,
Massachusetts: Wiley-Blackwell,