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Happy to see I'm not alone and someone else is complaining about our sad parks, "What we call parks look like parking lots with some grass on them, perhaps a b

Happy to see I'm not alone and someone else is complaining about our sad parks, "What we call parks look like parking lots with some grass on them, perhaps a baseball diamond. That's not the kind of park that draws people in," Tayana Panova, a researcher who studies the built environment's effects on mental health, told me. "We need parks that have amenities and assets that make it desirable for people to go there." A third space of dreams isn't a barren field. It also includes pools, benches, art, fountains, playgrounds, and food stands — things people gather at.

hgsgm 3y ago
Sounds like regular parks in my city.
mrguyorama 3y ago
>It also includes pools, benches, art, fountains, playgrounds, and food stands — things people gather at. Can't have those, the homeless might use them to avoid suffering for a few minutes and be visible, and that makes people angry.
- dpkirchner 3y ago
  Around these parts it's more like a few hours to a few days but it is still a fair point. One answer would be to build and support more places, enough for everyone to enjoy.
  - mrguyorama 3y ago
    Nah, better for it to be a crime to be homeless in public
- Supply5411 3y ago
  >avoid suffering for a few minutes Not sure where you live, but where I've lived, they form camps, do drugs in the open, scream at people, and vandalize their surroundings. They make a good environment hostile to everyone. That's what most people are angry about.
  - datavirtue 3y ago
    In Ohio we have professional hobos. People that hang out with signs, know all the laws, dress a certain way, make themselves up all dirty, and beg for money. They do quite well with the fools here. You can see them change out for shifts. Whole families cycle through the shifts or work in a group with their children on display.
    - dopidopHN 3y ago
      I guess they are entertainer then ? I’ve seen that described several time here on this forum. I’m skeptical that those people really do “well for themselves”. But I’m open to it? I doubt they have sick day or that they’re saving for retirement. But who know? Who you say they make more than a service industry worker for instance ( per hour )
  - brnaftr361 3y ago
    That's only half of the story. A lot of those people are mentally ill. There are also a lot of "hidden" homeless people who live diverse lives. I knew some travelling kids that rode freight around the country, they were typically sheltered by friends. They did odd jobs and could busk, and yes they did drugs, but they weren't shitting in the street and boofing heroin in plain sight. There's people that are down on their luck, and there's people who just gave up the rat race - and there's a good chance they aren't slamming meth, but they can turn into drunks fast.
  - mrguyorama 3y ago
    Nah, the "camps" around here are a bunch of tents where people just want to be left alone. The only violence happens to other homeless people, so it's "contained" in a way. The best part is that the city keeps throwing away everything these people physically own, so they have no hope of improving their situation and ever escaping homelessness, and all the social workers struggle to keep in touch with the homeless community because they keep being jerked around and screwed with for no benefit. Tell me, if you are homeless, where are you supposed to go when the sun goes down? As far as I can tell, it is a crime to not be in a bed you have paid for. Why have we made it a crime to be alive?
autoexec 3y ago
Ideally, you'd have a bit of both. A large open space is needed for a lot of sports and hobbies. In cities I see a lot more parks that are nothing more than a bit of run down looking playground equipment and a couple benches than large open fields. The parks with more amenities tend to have things like fenced off areas, nets and marked courts for ball sports, bright overhead lights, buildings, and actual parking lots. Busy outdoor entertainment centers are nice, but open green space is important too.

hgsgm 3y ago

Sounds like regular parks in my city.

mrguyorama 3y ago

>It also includes pools, benches, art, fountains, playgrounds, and food stands — things people gather at. Can't have those, the homeless might use them to avoid suffering for a few minutes and be visible, and that makes people angry.

dpkirchner 3y ago
Around these parts it's more like a few hours to a few days but it is still a fair point. One answer would be to build and support more places, enough for everyone to enjoy.
- mrguyorama 3y ago
  Nah, better for it to be a crime to be homeless in public
Supply5411 3y ago
>avoid suffering for a few minutes Not sure where you live, but where I've lived, they form camps, do drugs in the open, scream at people, and vandalize their surroundings. They make a good environment hostile to everyone. That's what most people are angry about.
- datavirtue 3y ago
  In Ohio we have professional hobos. People that hang out with signs, know all the laws, dress a certain way, make themselves up all dirty, and beg for money. They do quite well with the fools here. You can see them change out for shifts. Whole families cycle through the shifts or work in a group with their children on display.
  - dopidopHN 3y ago
    I guess they are entertainer then ? I’ve seen that described several time here on this forum. I’m skeptical that those people really do “well for themselves”. But I’m open to it? I doubt they have sick day or that they’re saving for retirement. But who know? Who you say they make more than a service industry worker for instance ( per hour )
- brnaftr361 3y ago
  That's only half of the story. A lot of those people are mentally ill. There are also a lot of "hidden" homeless people who live diverse lives. I knew some travelling kids that rode freight around the country, they were typically sheltered by friends. They did odd jobs and could busk, and yes they did drugs, but they weren't shitting in the street and boofing heroin in plain sight. There's people that are down on their luck, and there's people who just gave up the rat race - and there's a good chance they aren't slamming meth, but they can turn into drunks fast.
- mrguyorama 3y ago
  Nah, the "camps" around here are a bunch of tents where people just want to be left alone. The only violence happens to other homeless people, so it's "contained" in a way. The best part is that the city keeps throwing away everything these people physically own, so they have no hope of improving their situation and ever escaping homelessness, and all the social workers struggle to keep in touch with the homeless community because they keep being jerked around and screwed with for no benefit. Tell me, if you are homeless, where are you supposed to go when the sun goes down? As far as I can tell, it is a crime to not be in a bed you have paid for. Why have we made it a crime to be alive?

autoexec 3y ago

Ideally, you'd have a bit of both. A large open space is needed for a lot of sports and hobbies. In cities I see a lot more parks that are nothing more than a bit of run down looking playground equipment and a couple benches than large open fields. The parks with more amenities tend to have things like fenced off areas, nets and marked courts for ball sports, bright overhead lights, buildings, and actual parking lots. Busy outdoor entertainment centers are nice, but open green space is important too.