Three ways inclusive parks add value to communities

Never Say Never Playland will bring an essential public service to Walworth County. When you ordinarily think of public services, there are the ones you pay for: Water, sewer, fire, and police, as examples. This project – once fully funded – actually pays you back. Here's how...

1) Play areas, especially ones accessible to people of all abilities, help establish and maintain the quality of life in a community. Play is healthy for families and kids. That part everyone understands. But when a park is viewed as a neighborhood or community resource, it contributes to the

economic and environmental well-being of a region. In a 2007 survey of Fairfax County, VA, residents of 8 of 10 households rated a quality park either very important or extremely important to their quality of life.

2) Parks improve the local tax base and increase property values. The value of privately owned land increases – the closer such land is to parks, the more the increase. This increase boosts property tax revenues and improves local economies. According to the National Recreation and Parks Association, a Texas A&M review of 25 studies investigating whether parks and open space contributed positively to the property values of surrounding properties found that 20 of the 25 studies found that property values were higher. “The real estate market consistently demonstrates that many people are willing to pay a larger amount for property located close to parks and open space areas than for a home that does not offer this amenity.” An inclusive park is viewed as even more attractive to homeowners.

3) Parks don't attract trouble, they deter it. Inclusive parks have a value to communities that transcend the amount of dollars invested. (In our case, very little of the overall building cost is borne by taxpayers, anyway. We're building Never Say Never Playland with sponsorships and donations like yours.) Lake Geneva is relatively low in crime. Research by the Project on Human Development indicates that community involvement in neighborhood parks is associated with even lower levels of crime and vandalism, and reduced juvenile delinquency.

Consider your tax-deductible contribution a gift you're giving back to yourself year after year.