Dynamic Spaces: The Big Picture

For the past ten weeks, Dynamic Spaces has become an outdoor education platform with a focus on supporting skateparks, bike paths and open spaces. From the onset, the goal of Dynamic Spaces has been to conduct research, tell local and national stories, and share information with readers with a voice of advocacy. It is our shared belief that people will only support and protect what they understand, so we’ve worked hard to introduce you to the outdoor spaces in and around our community, and we’ve encouraged you to use them with resources, words and pictures.

We began with an initial post on the development of City Center Skatepark in downtown Eugene. This article started with a set of surprising numbers that highlight the main problem surrounding skateboard infrastructure. While the U.S. has 111,000 baseball diamonds for 16 million baseball players, there are only 2,300 skateparks for 13 million skateboarders. Local organizations, like Skaters for Eugene Skateparks, and The City of Eugene, are working hard to address this vital need by seeking public support and raising much-needed funds.

Our next post shared the excitement and controversy around the Delta Ponds bicycle and pedestrian bridge currently being built over Eugene’s Delta Highway. We also addressed the criticism that’s been voiced about past funding of similar projects. It’s true, bicycle bridges aren’t cheap, but each one is part of a safe, alternative transportation system that will continue to benefit the people of our city–and maintain Eugene’s gold level bicycle-friendly ranking by The League of American Cyclists.

We next highlighted how local businesses and outdoor activities create a heightened sense of community, drawing people with like interests together. We told the story of Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life and its sense of community outreach. Educating people about safe riding practices, encouraging people to ride, and community good will are a few of this local bike shop’s goals. Our article also showed how local organizations, like Greater Eugene Area Riders (GEARs), a local bicycle advocacy group, have formed community partnerships with Paul’s to achieve shared goals.

The next post zoomed out, and with good purpose. Not everyone realizes Eugene’s wealth of outdoor spaces, so this post compared Eugene with other cities to remind all of us how fortunate we are to live here. The article also told the story of how other cities struggle just to begin building outdoor infrastructure, while here, in Eugene, it’s been part of our development plan for several generations.

We next addressed the issues of education and accessibility by highlighting the University of Oregon (UO) Outdoor Program. This post provided you with an excellent resource for local, and state-wide, outdoor activities, helping to make it easier to do things outdoors. The UO Outdoor Program is a one-stop-shop for people looking for outdoor adventure. The post also included an informative video interview with the outdoor program’s outreach coordinator, Fred Sproat, who describes the program and shares his passion for outdoor activities.

Explaining the ecological importance of wetland habitats, our next post covered open spaces from a more serious angle. Citing research from NOAA and other agencies, we explained how wetland habitats are directly linked to the health of oceanic food chains. So, while Eugene’s local wetlands are amazing places to recreate, they are also fundamentally important for environmental balance. They host one-third of federally endangered species, filter ground water, and are wonderful places to exercise and relax. They are spaces that must be protected.

Did you know that public parks and green spaces lower the frequency of diabetes, increase test scores, reduce childhood obesity and create healthier community relationships? Our next story explained how cities outside Eugene are discovering some not-so-obvious effects of good development planning. A recent article in G Magazine explained how green neighborhoods are measuring not only increased health, but even improved cognitive functioning among the residents who live there.

Amsterdam, another bicycle-friendly city by Erin J. Kaldor

Our final post of the term went international and provided a glimpse of a city with bicycle infrastructure on steroids–Copenhagen, Denmark. While Eugeneans should be proud of their bicycle infrastructure, they may be astounded to learn that over 42% of Copenhagen’s workers commute by bicycle every day. The environmental benefits for the city are obvious, as well as the benefits of having a healthier population. This post also highlighted Boulder, Colorado’s recent victory as the happiest city in America and drew a connection between this designation and Boulder’s support of bicycle infrastructure. 10% of Boulder’s workforce commutes daily by bicycle and the city spends 19% of its transportation budget on improving bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

So, we’ve addressed several components of our topic, but we’ve also stepped back to gain an understanding of the larger, more important questions. Do we value dynamic spaces and will we continue to value them?

In a survey we conducted, 32% of respondents said they ride a bicycle more than once per week and 90% said they enjoy using public parks. 94% said they’d support construction of a public skatepark. But, we also know that 53% of respondents were between 18 and 21, many of them students. This is important because it’s difficult to know whether or not this group will continue to support outdoor spaces when they start families and careers. They may bicycle now, but in five years, they may drive SUVs to box stores built in drained wetlands.

The point is, working, tax-paying Americans decide whether or not outdoor spaces remain valued components in our communities. And many of these working Americans are strapped with the bustle of daily life, working hard to take care of families. So, while we encourage the use and support of outdoor spaces, we must also be aware of a large demographic who do not, and may never, use dynamic spaces. It is critically important to reach this group and to teach them the benefits of vibrant outdoor spaces, even if they don’t use them.

Here’s what you can tell them:

Parks and open spaces are good for the environment, good for health, and good for community-building. More bikes mean less traffic, less pollution, and fewer potholes; and bike paths and bridges create safe and scenic connections for cyclists, school children and tourists. Skateparks give skaters much-needed turf where they can develop physically and socially and without damaging property.

Please continue to learn about, use and support outdoor spaces. Vote for measures that create and protect them. Talk to people who don’t use outdoor spaces and teach them what you know. Explain how they benefit from the existence of outdoor spaces even if they don’t use them. Visit our Media page. Watch our Get Up and Get Out! video and send it to your family and friends. Print our Learn, Locate, Live! poster and hang it up at school or work.

Dynamic spaces can’t talk, so give them voice by using your own.

Last but not least, GET UP and GET OUT!

Links

NOAA

G Magazine

Skaters for Eugene Skateparks

The City of Eugene

League of American Bicyclists

Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life

GEARs

Reuters Copenhagen Article

The New York Times

UO Outdoor Program

San Francisco Chronicle

The Esteem That Follows Bike-Friendly Cities

By Erik Gundersen

In the United States, Eugene, Oregon is ahead of the curve as far the use of bikes as transportation. However, Dynamic Spaces is urging the citizens of Eugene to make greater use of the city’s bike-friendly infrastructure, because many bike-friendly cities in America and around the globe are gaining fame for being very desirable destinations.

However, one city over 5000 miles away is using bikes in a way that most Americans would find unbelievable. In Copenhagen, Denmark, 40% of the city’s population rides their bikes to work.  This level of transport by bicycle is astounding.

It is a very cost effective method of getting to work, by-passing the costly hassle of buying gas for everyday commutes that could be made by bike. This high percentage of the use of bikes for daily transportation has put Copenhagen near the top of lists as one of Europe’s most desirable destinations. Through our research at Dynamic Spaces we have found that a number of cities, in the U.S. as well as Europe are highly ranked as desirable cities or as cities that have a high state of over all well being. There seems to be some correlation between bike-friendliness and such high ratings.

Boulder, Colorado was recently ranked the happiest-city in America. Boulder, like Eugene is a metropolitan area where there is a large population of university students. In the League of American Bicyclists recent rating of America’s most bike friendly cities, Boulder received “platinum” rating, the best possible rating for a city, tied with the likes of Davis, California and Portland, Oregon.  As of 2003, Boulder spent 19 percent of its budget on bike lanes and bike paths to facilitate bike transportation. Also, as of 2003, 10 percent of its population rode their bikes to work daily.

Eugene, which already has a “gold” rating from the League of American Bicyclists, has started new projects to increase bike use in the city. However, even if Eugene adds more bike lanes, bridges and trails, it is up to us, the citizens of Eugene, to take advantage of these resources, which help rid Eugene of traffic problems and of environmental health risks that come with CO₂ emissions, resulting in a healthier and happier population overall. In a recent pole of 96 students at the U of O, in the last 6 months, 32 percent said they rode their bikes once or more per week. While this may seem like a lot, in comparison to other cities, once a week is not really enough to make a major impact.

So get up, get out and enjoy the resources for alternative transportation and recreation that we have in the “Emerald City.” You don’t have to move to another city ranked highly on a well-being scale to be happy because the ingredients that help these cities stand out are already right here, it is just up to you to get out and use them.

Copenhagen #2 City in Scandinavia

Copenhagenize.com

Copenhagen Bike Article

List of Bike Friendly Cities

NYT Happiest Cities in America Blog

Eugene Bike Culture Article

Bicycle parking in Amsterdam, another bicycle-friendly European city  PHOTO Erin J. Kaldor

Public Parks and Green Spaces Aid in Improving Physical and Mental Health

By Allie Gavette

Parks create not only a place for community building, but for physical activity to promote a healthy lifestyle for those of all ages. Exercise and health have always gone hand in hand, and people are now doing city planning with citizens’ health in mind, creating more open spaces, including parks, to encourage a healthy, active lifestyle. After all, it is widely acknowledged that physical activity is shown to reduce problems of aging, obesity, and diabetes.

G Magazine recently published an article in their health section in which green neighborhoods were noted as having lower childhood obesity rates than in neighborhoods without ample places that provide opportunities for physical activity. The study they reference not only showed a lower weight gain over a two-year period, but also improvements including cognitive functioning and reduced attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. In this way, green spaces improve physical as well as mental health.

Another project, the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN), cites physical activity as an addition to improving performance in schools. They choose to focus their objective toward the epicenter of the issue: from childcare through high school.

Even the First Lady, Michelle Obama, has gotten on board with this idea, making the fight against childhood obesity her primary goal during Barak Obama’s presidency. Her project, called “Let’s Move,” will “give parents the support they need, provide healthier food in schools, help our kids to be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of our country.” On its highly interactive web site, there is a whole section devoted to the importance of physical activity. Although the project (and website) is still in progress of being fully developed, it shows a lot of promise. One of the suggestions to get kids moving is by building more playgrounds and parks.

More and more activist groups are taking these needs into account when lobbying for certain aspects of city planning. A group called Active Living By Design has a mission that revolves around achieving this across many cities in the US. This project, based in Chapel Hill, NC, has expanded all the way across the country, even reaching Portland, OR. In their mission statement, they explain, “Public health literature has shown that physical activity intervention programs that are organized within an ecologic framework can have the biggest potential to improve the health of populations.” Using this idea, with backup from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, they have created a template for achieving a healthy way of life for people, led by people.

As Active Living By Design’s “vision” says, “All communities are healthy communities where routine physical activity and healthy eating are accessible, easy and affordable to everyone.”

Active Living By Design

Let’s Move

Article from G Magazine: “Green Neighborhoods Lower Childhood Obesity“

National Trails Training Partnership: “Planning Healthier Suburbs, Where Cars Sit Idle and People Get Moving”

CDC-Active Community Environments (ACEs)

National Policy and Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Wetlands: Vibrant and Vital Open Spaces

Canada geese take flight in the West Eugene Wetlands | PHOTO DWMoody

By David W. Moody

A few miles west of Eugene, Oregon lies a beautiful natural treasure. This area, known as the West Eugene Wetlands, is part of the Long Tom River watershed and encompasses 3,000 acres of rich, wetland habitat. Wetlands are defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as areas where water saturation is the primary factor determining what plants and animals exist there. But, what purpose do they serve?

Wetlands serve many purposes, including recreation for people. They are open spaces where people enjoy time away from modern life. They are filled with birds, frogs, turtles and crickets, and an orchestra of natural sound. Wetlands are enjoyed by bicyclists, walkers, bird-watchers and photographers. Some are there for exercise, others for meditation.

Winding down in the West Eugene Wetlands | PHOTO DWMoody

Ecologically, wetlands serve a much deeper purpose. While scientists have long known that wetlands are rich with biodiversity, they have only just begun to understand their larger role. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recently begun studying the connections between wetlands, estuaries and global fisheries–and their findings are startling.

NOAA found that 75% of commercial fish and shellfish depend on estuaries during their life cycle, and that estuaries themselves, depend on wetlands to maintain water quality and nutrients for food chains. This means a significant portion of the human food supply–seafood–is directly linked to the quantity and quality of the planet’s wetlands.

These findings are significant because throughout the ’70s and ’80s, the U.S. destroyed up to 300,000 wetland acres every year. In fact, by 1980, more than half of all U.S. wetland habitat had been destroyed. Here in Western Oregon, 53 percent of wetland habitat has been lost since Europeans arrived; and for a time, Oregon was losing wetland habitat at the rate of 500 acres per year.

These numbers seem grim, but there is reason to be hopeful. Passage of The Clean Water Act and other protective measures has reduced U.S. wetland acres lost to 90,000 per year. And though many say this is still far too many, it shows a big shift toward conservation.

Another point of hope is that wetlands are resilient. EPA data demonstrates a fortunate wetland characteristic–their ability to bounce back. Drained wetlands retain their soil and hydrological characteristics and can be returned to a functional wetland state with relative ease.

At the federal level, wetland restoration is also making gains. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Wetlands Reserve Program (PDF link) provides land owners with information and capital to facilitate restoration of privately-owned wetlands. By 2008, the program had already begun restoring 1.9 million acres.

Bicycling in the wetlands | PHOTO DWMoody

Wetlands are biologically diverse. They are filled with meadowlarks, otters and butterflies. They are home to one-third of all federally endangered species and provide fundamental nutrients to the oceanic food chain. They are places to unwind, exercise, and meditate–natural sanctuaries.

How can you get involved? A great way to begin is to go experience a wetland habitat. Take a walk or bike ride. Grab a camera and go look for birds and other interesting animals. Learn what’s there by doing and seeing.

Next, watch for wetland-related news and support local preservation and restoration measures. Wetlands can’t talk, so give them voice by using your own. And finally, get others involved. Take your friends and family on a wetlands excursion and tell them what you know. Tell them that wetlands are vital to our planet’s health and deserve to be enjoyed and protected.

Links

wewetlands.org

U.S. EPA: Wetlands

United States Department of Agriculture: Wetlands Reserve Program (PDF Document)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Wetlands Conservancy

actionbioscience.org

UO Outdoor Program – The Ulimate Gateway to Nature and Adventure

Story and Multimedia by Elise Elshire

Nestled in the back corner of the Erb Memorial Union sits one of the University of Oregon’s finest treasures – the UO Outdoor Program. With a history dating back to 1967, the OP exudes a cooperative attitude; students can facilitate their own outdoor trips, while planning and sharing the costs with other participants.

Considered a pioneer of collegiate adventure programs, the UO Outdoor Program became a model for other Universities in the 1970′s. From the 1980′s until the present, many college outdoor programs have been forced to conform to “trip packages” that are often more expensive. We are lucky to have a thriving outdoor program based on cooperative adventures that provide opportunities for leadership and growth in the midst of nature.

The OP plans local excursions to Mt. Hood, Willamette Pass, and Crater Lake, as well as more intense trips like backpacking in Hell’s Canyon. A handful of adventures are documented on the OP blog for students to get a glimpse of past experiences.

Signing up for trips is a simple process; there is a board with future trips and past trips, all the sheets labeled with descriptions, costs, and spaces for participants. The OP also uses their twitter page as a tool to spread the word about new trips.

Often times, specific gear is essential for outdoor experiences. Many college students cannot bring their snowboards to school, or do not own their own pair of snowshoes, but the OP gear rental has you covered. Students can rent gear at reasonable prices for OP trips, or even for private trips with friends.

For those students who want to plan and lead their own trips, the Outdoor Program offers trip initiator clinics every term, in addition to many other classes and programs. The OP Bike Program recently received full funding from the ASUO. As a result, more long-term bike loans can made and the program has room to expand. Education and leadership programs are key tools for outdoor exploration.

With its broad range of activities and opportunities, the Outdoor Program is really about giving students the access and opportunity to enjoy nature. Fred Sproat, the OP’s outreach coordinator, has been involved with the program since he came to the University. Fred believes the program is truly what students make of it, whether that involves only a few trips a year, or initiating a backpacking trip.

All students at the University of Oregon are OP members, so take advantage of this resource and open up your world. Participants who are not students at the U of O can join the co-op for fifteen dollars a year. In addition, the city of Eugene has its own active Outdoor Program for those who seek even more opportunities.

With springtime just within our grasp, many exciting trips are in the works that are well suited for sunshine. Fair costs, great experiences in the outdoors, and building new friendships are just some reasons to experience the OP, but you’ll have to make the discovery for yourself.

Watch a more in depth interview with Fred Sproat, the OP outreach coordinator, below:

Links

OP Website Home

OP Blog

OP Twitter

OP Bike Program

City of Eugene Outdoor Program

Eugene: Pedaling Ahead of the Rest

By Erik Gundersen

In the past weeks, we at Dynamic Spaces have shown how Eugene has been expanding its already large infrastructure of skateparks, bike paths and open spaces. We have seen how Eugene is getting more of what it already has; and cities around the country are following some of the same trends.  Some are struggling to gain some of the same luxuries we in Eugene experience.

One of these struggles to develop more dynamic spaces in Alameda, California was recently covered by the San Francisco Chronicle. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, there is a large fight over what will happen with the property that is being abandoned by the United States Navy at their Alameda Point base.

The San Francisco Chronicle states that a developing company has a $228 Million plan to build 15 miles of bike paths along with new schools and housing. However, in the current economic climate, the cost of this new development is the main cause for concern.  Cities like Alameda are looking to add something to their city that would no doubt improve their quality of life, so it is unfortunate that there is a strong likelihood the ballot measure allowing these developments won’t pass.

While cities such as Alameda have the fate of their biking citizens up in the air, others cities like Eugene are trying to turn people’s attention to bikeways, parks and open spaces as a green alternative for recreation and transportation.

New York City probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of bike friendly cities, but the city government is trying to change that.  They call attention to their “Greenways,” which are 100 miles of paved bike paths built along side pedestrian paths. These “Greenways” are something that New York is trying to expand to give its citizens a safe, environmentally friendly way to move around the city by biking, walking, or skating.  This proves that there is no city that is too big or too small to be biker friendly.

Dynamic Spaces is trying to increase awareness about how bike- and recreation-friendly the City of Eugene is. In looking outside of Eugene we can see other cities struggling to attain what Eugene already has. Also, we can see great, cosmopolitan cities that pride themselves on alternative routes of transportation and open spaces for recreational use.

Eugene’s bike paths, open spaces and skateparks are some of the greatest features of the city. The citizens of Eugene have an abundance of opportunities to experience the great, natural environments within our city, and they are all accessible by bicycle, with ever-expanding routes.  Sometimes it takes just one look to the rest of the country to see how fortunate we in Eugene really are.

City of Alameda, California

San Francisco Chronicle article on Alameda Project

SunCal Developing Company

New York City Greenways Page

City of Eugene Parks and Recreation Services

Eugene Bike Shop Reaches Out to Community

By Allie Gavette

Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life is not only a place to purchase bicycles, but is a great example of a local business getting heavily involved in the Eugene community. A goal of Paul’s is to figure out how to get more people riding, and to improve the convenience and safety for riders of all ages.

Paul's won "Best Bike Shop/Repair" in Eugene for 2009-2010

Some people at Paul’s have jobs specifically focused on Community Outreach. One of these important people is Paul Adkins (not to be confused with the namesake of the shop, Paul Nicholson), who also happens to be the President of Greater Eugene Area Riders. GEARs is a non-profit organization that encourages and promotes bicycle riding for both transportation and recreation. They work with the community to coordinate weekly rides, provide safety and skill education, defend the rights and responsibilities of bike riders, and overall, work to enhance the bicycle culture in Eugene and its surrounding area.

Luckily, the city of Eugene (like another bike-friendly city—Boulder, CO) seems to share the same values in promoting bicycle transportation and recreation. Although there is always some opposition in providing funding for new developments, Eugene has a hard-core group of bikers who are willing to endure the rain and other obstacles to ride. There are already great trails around the city and its surroundings, and drivers are respectful of the riders, for the most part. Paul points out that a lot of drivers are also bicycle riders, so they can understand and respect their alternative mode of transportation.

In fact, Paul has noticed that more and more customers are choosing bikes in exchange for car transportation. People are looking to reduce their carbon footprint as well as making the conscious choice of a more active and healthy mode of transportation.

The City of Eugene is looking to follow in Portland’s footsteps using the Smart Trips Program, which is a direct marketing technique that involves people going door-to-door in neighborhoods, making sure people understand their options of alternative transportation already available to them.

Paul’s has had a hand in recent community activities: neighborhood block parties, complete with a “bike rodeo” and tune-ups; classes at elementary schools; bike maintenance workshops; commuting competitions for local businesses; and the upcoming Kidical Mass, an event put on by GEARs, which promotes awareness that “Kids are Traffic too,” and educates families on how to involve their children on rides.

The next class at Paul’s is titled Art and the Zen of Bike Maintenance, and will be held on Feb. 2nd, 6:30-8:00 PM.
Boulder Bike Story

Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life

Greater Eugene Area Riders

Kidical Mass

SmartTrips, Portland