College Is Worth It - 852 Words

College is a place where students learn what they want to be when they graduate and they use that knowledge they obtained from college to fulfill their dream by what they have studied, so hard for in college. Some people ask, â€Å"Is College worth it?† and the answer to that question is, â€Å"Yes.† A lot of people continue to disagree with that answer, but when it’s all said and done: college is worth it. That is why, there is still students that enroll into a 4-year college or a community college because they want to become successful in life which is the reason why they feel that college is worth it. First, there are some students that disagree on college being worth it because of the cost of tuition that is, so high. They feel that college is far too expensive to even attend, so they just look for a job, instead because they feel that they’re wasting time and money. But, what they don’t know is, that there are other colleges out there that ha ve much cheaper tuition to pay. According to Louis Menand, â€Å"Public Colleges are much less expensive—the average tuition is $7,605—and there are also many less selective private colleges where you can get a good education, and a lot more faculty face time, without having to spend every minute of high school sucking up to your teachers and reformatting your resume† (Live And Learn). Also, there are people that say they don’t have the money after they graduate from high school to get into college, which then, they can apply for financialShow MoreRelatedIs College Worth A College?1254 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the USA college tuition has increased drastically; in the last five years Georgia colleges have had 75% increase along with other states such as Arizona whose tuition has increased by 77% (NPR). Since 2006 the tuition in Utah has increased by 62.8% and is rising throughout the U.S. (Desert News). Between 1885-2016 the price of college has in creased between 2.1% to 4.3% per year beyond inflation (CollegeBoard). Through calculations, that equates to about a hundred precent increase sinceRead MoreIs College Worth It?857 Words   |  4 PagesIs college worth it, many ask and a lot of them wonder. This controversial topic has a lot of arguments and still no fix answer to it. Some people might find college to be not worth it as most people find it useless after graduation as said by TOM BACHTELL on a college graduation â€Å" diploma—need not be a statistics major to know that the odds of stepping into a satisfying job, or, indeed, any job, are lower now than might have been imagined four long years ago†. But in my opinion I would say thatRead MoreCollege Is It Worth It?1317 Words   |  6 PagesCollege, is it Worth it? Is college really worth the time and money? This is the question I am going to be exploring. While many people may have an idea that college is just an abundance of debt, other students argue that most of the information they learn doesn’t provide them with the value they thought it would (Adams 1). Many college students who grow up with the opportunity to go to college usually don’t stress the idea of going to school, but most students who don’t have the opportunity toRead MoreIs College Worth It?923 Words   |  4 PagesThe question here is, is college worth it? Many people question this especially high school students who are about to graduate. This debate is still taking place today. The common misunderstood saying is, if you have a degree you will then have a good job. But this is not the case because in today’s society there are so many people with degrees who still cannot find a job. The rate of unemployment is increasing rapidly on a yearly basi s. High school students see it this way, if I can’t find a jobRead MoreCollege Worth?1116 Words   |  5 PagesIs College Worth It? College is a place for higher education. Many people go there for further study every year. Meanwhile, plenty of people skip college or drop out of college. Sort of people believe college is not worth because it cost too much. Most people think college is worth because you will able to get a good job when you holding a degree. Yes, because being a college graduate can help you gain more than the money you spent to pay for college. College is worth it because you will haveRead MoreCollege Is Worth It?1139 Words   |  5 Pagesdebate about whether or not college is worth it, but it’s hard to measure some of the pros of a college education in numbers. Most agree, however, that college enriches people’s life in some way that isn’t just financial. Through encountering different perspective and getting a liberal arts education, people become better citizens of the world. Or so the argument goes. In his essay, Colleges Prepare People for Life, Freeman Hrabowski argues that everyone should attend college, not just for the financialRead MoreCollege Is Not Worth It?1139 Words   |  5 PagesIn the debate about whether college is worth attending, many argue that college is worth it but others argue that college is not worth it. Those who argue that college is worth it contend to say that college graduates make more money, college allows students to explore career options, and not going to college will cost people more money in the future but on the other hand, those who argue that college is not worth it contend to say that college graduates are employed in jobs that do not require degreesRead MoreIs College Worth It?1177 Words   |  5 PagesStatistics Say Yes To College If you walked across the stage at your high school graduation ceremony you probably were confronted by the options of college, military service, work force, etc. If you decide college is the place to go, then questions start to arise, how am I going to pay for college, where should I go, what do I want to study. Is college is a voluntary place to further your education or is it mandatory to achieve a decent paying job? College has now become something that everyoneRead MoreIs College Worth It?972 Words   |  4 PagesIs College Worth It? In recent discussions of Is College Worth It? By John Green, a controversial issue has been whether, people should attend college or get a job after they finish high school. On the one hand, some argue that people can get a monthly income better than if they have a degree. From this perspective, some people they do not want to attend college. On the other hand, however, others insist that people should attend college after they finish high school. In the words of John Green,Read MoreIs College Worth It?1073 Words   |  5 PagesIs College Worth It? Is college worth it? This one question turns into this debate high school seniors begin to think about before graduating. In our society you cannot really say no to college education because many make it known as a necessity to be successful in life. Many of our parents have raised us to know that college is a must go and that there are no failures. However some may think different. A lot of people may think that not setting a foot in a university or community college does

Theories Of Emotion, Relational Theory, And Social...

Introduction In the case study, Dasani goes through many hardships. Over time, the events that occur take a toll on her. Through the losses she experiences, Dasani exhibits behavior that can be explained with four theories. These theories are Piaget’s Cognitive Theory, Physiological Theories of Emotion, Relational Theory, and Social Identity Theory. Synopsis of Health and Wealth Theory When dealing with the health care system, the socioeconomic status of an individual can influence the quality of service they receive. The Health and Wealth theory shows that the amount of money someone has determines how well they are treated medically. Money gives individuals access to health care and for those who have very little amount of money or none at all are at risk of not receiving quality health care. In many instances, individuals with poor health are more likely to live in low end areas, have minimal education, and a low income (Hutchison, 2015). People who have a low income usually have more health problems than those with high incomes because they are exposed to hazardous environments and partake in unhealthy habits like smoking and not exercising (Hutchison, 2015). Affordable health care can be hard to come by. Having insurance can help give people access to health care, but the cost of health insurance can hinder some peopl e from having it (Hutchison, 2015). Also, just because someone has health insurance does not mean they have automatic access to health careShow MoreRelatedEssay about How do we categorize oneself ?651 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Social Psychology Types of Self and Identity How do we categorize oneself? There are numerous ways to define our identity. During the course of this essay, I will analyse these methods in order to gain a better insight as to how we are able to define our identity and self. Social Psychologists (Tajfel and Turner, 1986; Hogg and Abrams, 1988) have long argued that there are two distinctive identity groups that help to define types of self. These two groups are social and personal identity. SocialRead MoreCO2520 Final Review Essay1273 Words   |  6 PagesIgnoring (d) Bullying 5) What type of roles helps establish a group’s social atmosphere? (a) Relational Roles (b) Communication Roles (c) Leadership Roles (d) Expressive Roles 6) Ludwig von Bertalanffy advanced a theory of seeing organizations as systems embedded in larger systems. This is known as the? (a) Perfection Theory (b) Globalization Theory (c) Work Force Theory (d) General Systems Theory 7) Conflict in the Middle East leads both to fears that oil productionRead MoreSigmund Freud And Erik Erikson1110 Words   |  5 Pagespredominantly attained by parents of children with emotional problems 70- 80 decades ago. The discontinuous psychosexual and psychosocial theory takes place in stages in one course moving through drives that are biological along with societal expectations (Berk, 2013). The contributions to this perspective include both Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson. Freud examined psychosexual theory and how those first childhood years of drives shape the personality. Thus, such drive names are the id, ego, and superego. TheRead MoreCognitive, Social And Personality Changes1011 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction The persistent personal characteristics that are revealed in a particular pattern of behavior in different situation are known as personality. This paper will explore the cognitive, social and personality changes that occur when a person is 24 years old. One of the major issues in cognitive development has been â€Å"nature and nurture†, i.e. if cognitive development is mainly determined by an individual’s innate qualities (â€Å"nature†), or by their personal experiences (â€Å"nurture†). First,Read MoreInteraction Is The Basis Of Social Understanding Essay1565 Words   |  7 Pagesthese points ultimately lead Gallagher to the conclusion that interaction, not observation, is the basis of social understanding. Quoting De Jaegher, he defines interaction as â€Å"a mutually engaged co-regulated coupling between at least two autonomous agents where the co-regulation and the coupling mutually affect each other, constituting a self-sustaining organization in the domain of relational dynamics† (Gallagher 2012, 3392). According to this definition, interaction constitutes, not just causes,Read MoreThe Unconscious Theories Of Personality Development856 Words   |  4 PagesUnconscious There are as many theories of the effects of unconscious motivations to behavior as there are general theories of personality. Some theorists, such as Freud, consider the unconscious at the very least highly influential, if not the sole motivating force behind personality development. Unconscious motivations have been linked to genetic predispositions, and up to 50% of variances can be linked to genetics (Bleidorn et al., 2014). Psychodynamic theories are often considered to hold intellectualRead MoreOne of the Main Divisions Between Mainstream and Critical Social Psychology Is That of the Methods Adopted. Discuss with Reference to the Cognitive Social and at Least One Other Social Psychological Perspective.1698 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween mainstream and critical social psychology is that of the methods adopted. Discuss with reference to the cognitive social and at least one other social psychological perspective. Social psychology has existed for about 100 years, before which psychology was a branch of philosophy. Social psychology studies individuals in their social contexts. It is a diverse discipline made up of many theoretical perspectives and variety of different methods are used in social psychological research. Read MoreTheories Of Development Of Self And Personality Processes1496 Words   |  6 Pagesexplaining how affect develops. In your own words, explain how Labouvie-Vief (2005) describes the process of affect development. Provide YOUR OWN real-world example. Theories of development of self and personality processes have centered on structural or dynamic processes. Labouvie-Vief (2005) outlines a theory, called Dynamic Integration Theory, which suggests that these two aspects can be joined by expanding on Piaget’s concept of representation as a relationship between self and object to one betweenRead MoreTransformational Leadership And Authentic Leadership Theories1598 Words   |  7 PagesTheories Out of all the different leadership theories I learned about this semester I really feel that I best relate to transformational leadership and authentic leadership theories. During the development of my personal theory I found that these theories tended to list many similar traits, and values that aligned with my own. Additionally, both authentic and transformative theories place a significant amount of emphasis on the relationship between the leader and her/his followers. The success andRead MoreOutline Of Social Identity Theory1278 Words   |  6 PagesOutline social identity theory and with reference to recent research critically evaluate the strategies individuals or groups might use to achieve a positive social identity. Social Identity Theory (SIT) is a relational term, defining who we are as a function of our similarities and differences with others. It is shared with others and provides a basis for shared social action and the meanings associated with any social identity are products of our collective history and present. Therefore Social identity

Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space Free Essays

string(25) " gardens in vacant lots\." The Benefits of Parks: Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space BY Paul M. Sheerer Published by: 116 New Montgomery Street Fourth Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 495-4014 www. Tip. We will write a custom essay sample on Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space or any similar topic only for you Order Now Org 02006 the Trust for Public Land – Reprint of â€Å"Parks for People† white paper, published In 2003. Table of Contents Forward: Will Rogers, President, Trust for Public Land 5 Executive Summary 6 America Needs More City Parks U. S. Cities Are Park-Poor Low-Income Neighborhoods Are Desperately Short of Park Space Case Study: New Parks for Los Angles The Public Wants More Parks 8 History of America’s City Parks: Inspiration, Abandonment, Revival The Decline of City Parks A Revival Begins Budget Crises Threaten City Parks 10 Public Health Benefits of City Parks and Open Space America’s Twin Plagues: Physical Inactivity and Obesity Access to Parks Increases Frequency of Exercise Exposure to Nature and Greenery Makes People Healthier 12 Economic Benefits of Parks 14 Increased Property Values Property Values in Low-Income Urban Areas Property Values at the Edges of Urban Areas Effects on Commercial Property Values Economic Revitalization: Attracting and Retaining Businesses and Residents Tourism Benefits Environmental Benefits of Parks Pollution Abatement and Cooling Controlling Stemware Runoff 17 Social Benefits of Parks Reducing Crime Recreation Opportunities: The Importance of Play Creating Stable Neighborhoods with Strong Community 18 Conclusion 20 Notes 21 Bibliography 24 3 Forward At the turn of the 20th century, the majority of Americans lived in rural areas and small towns, relatively close to the land. At the beginning of the 21st century, 85 desperate need of places to experience nature and refresh ourselves in the out-of- doors. The emergence of America as an urban nation was anticipated by Frederick Law Limited and other 19th-century park visionaries, who gave us New Work’s Central Park, San Franciscans Golden Gate Park, and similar grand parks in cities across the nation. They were gardeners and designers-but also preachers for the power of parks, fired from within by the understanding that they were shaping the quality of American lives for generations to come. In the view of these park visionaries, parks were not â€Å"amenities. They were necessities, providing recreation, inspiration, and essential respite from the city blare and bustle. And the visionaries were particularly concerned that parks be available to all of a city residents-especially those who did not have the resources to escape to the countryside. As population shifted to the suburbs after World War II, this vision of parks for all faded. Many cities lost the resources to create new parks. And in the new suburbs, the sprawling lan dscapes of curving CUL-De-sacs were broken mostly by boxy shopping centers and concrete parking lots. The time has come for Americans to rededicate themselves to the vision of parks for all the nation’s people. As the action’s leading conservation group creating parks in and around cities, the Trust for Public Land (TIP) has launched its Parks for People initiative in the belief that every American child should enjoy convenient access to a nearby park or playground. This white paper outlines how desperate the need is for city parks-especially in inner-city neighborhoods. And it goes on to describe the social, environmental, economic, and health benefits parks bring to a city and its people. TIP hopes this paper will generate discussion about the need for parks, prompt new research on the benefits f parks to cities, and serve as a reference for government leaders and volunteers as they make the case that parks are essential to the health and well-being of all Americans. You will find more information about the need for city parks and their benefits in the Parks for People section of Tap’s Web site (www. Tip. Org/poor) where you can also sign-up for Parks for People information and support Tap’s Parks for People work. TIP is proud to be highlighting the need for parks in America’s cities. Thanks for Joining our effort to ensure a park within reach of every American home. Will Rogers President, the Trust for Public Land City parks and open space improve our physical and psychological health, strengthen our communities, and make our cities and neighborhoods more attractive places to live and work. But too few Americans are able to enjoy these benefits. Eighty percent of Americans live in metropolitan areas, and many of these areas are severely lacking in park space. Only 30 percent of Los Angles residents live within walking distance mile. Low-income neighborhoods populated by minorities and recent immigrants are especially short of park space. From an equity standpoint, there is a strong need to redress this imbalance. In Los Angles, white neighborhoods enjoy 31. 8 acres of park space for every 1,000 people, compared with 1. 7 acres in African-American neighborhoods and 0. 6 acres in Latino neighborhoods. This inequitable distribution of park space harms the residents of these communities and creates substantial costs for the nation as a whole. U. S. Voters have repeatedly shown their willingness to raise their own taxes to pay for new or improved parks. In 2002, 189 conservation funding measures appeared on ballots in 28 states. Voters approved three-quarters of these, generating $10 billion in conservation-related funding. Many of the nation’s great city parks were built in the second half of the 19th century. Urban planners believed the parks would improve public health, relieve the stresses of urban life, and create a demonstrating public space where rich and poor would mix on equal terms. By the mid-20th century, city parks fell into decline as people fled inner cities for the suburbs. The suburbs fared no better, as people believed that backyards would meet the requirement for public open space. Over the past couple of decades, interest in city parks has revived. Governments and civic groups around the country have revalidated run-down city parks, built greengages along rivers, converted abandoned railroad lines to trails, and planted community gardens in vacant lots. You read "Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space" in category "Papers" But with the current economic downturn, states and cities facing severe budget crises are slashing their park spending, threatening the health of existing parks, and curtailing the creation of new parks. Strong evidence shows that when people have access to parks, they exercise more. Regular physical activity as been shown to increase health and reduce the risk of a wide range of diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes. Physical activity also relieves symptoms of depression and anxiety, improves mood, and enhances psychological well-being. Beyond the benefits of exercise, a growing body of research shows that contact with the natural world improves physical and psychological health. Despite the importance of exercise, only 25 percent of American adults engage in the recommended levels of physical activity, and 29 percent engage in no leisure-time physical activity. The sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet of Americans have produced an epidemic of obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called for the creation of more parks and playgrounds to help fight this epidemic. Numerous studies have shown that parks and open space increase the value of neighboring residential property. Growing evidence points to a similar benefit on commercial property value. The availability of park and recreation facilities is an important quality-of-life factor for corporations choosing where to locate facilities and for well-educated individuals choosing a place to live. City parks such as San Notation’s Riverview Park often become important tourism draws, contributing heavily Green space in urban areas provides substantial environmental benefits. Trees reduce air pollution and water pollution, they help keep cities cooler, and they are a more effective and less expensive way to manage stemware runoff than building systems of concrete sewers and drainage ditches. City parks also produce important social and community development benefits. They make inner-city neighborhoods more livable; they offer recreational opportunities for at-risk youth, low-income children, and low-income families; and they provide places n low-income neighborhoods where people can feel a sense of community. Access to public parks and recreational facilities has been strongly linked to reductions in crime and in particular to reduced Juvenile delinquency. Community gardens increase residents’ sense of community ownership and stewardship, provide a focus for neighborhood activities, expose inner-city youth to nature, connect people from diverse cultures, reduce crime by cleaning up vacant lots, and build community leaders. In light of these benefits, the Trust for Public Land calls for a revival of the city parks movement of the late 19th century. We invite all Americans to Join the effort to bring parks, open spaces, and greengages into the nation’s neighborhoods where everyone can benefit from them. 7 The residents of many U. S. Cities lack adequate access to parks and open space near their homes. In 2000, 80 percent of Americans were living in metropolitan areas, up from 48 percent in 1940. 1 The park space in many of these metropolitan areas is grossly inadequate. In Atlanta, for example, parkland covers only 3. 8 percent of the city area. Atlanta has no public green space larger than one-third of a square mile. 2 The city has only 7. Acres of park space for every 1,000 residents, compared with a 19. 1 acre average for other medium-low population density cities. 3 The story is much the same in Los Angles, San Jose, New Orleans, and Dallas. Even in cities that have substantial park space as a whole, the residents of many neighborhoods lack access to nearby parks. In New York City, for example, nearly half of the city 59 community board districts have less than 1. 5 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. Low-Income Neighborhoods Are Desperately Short of Park Space Low-income neighborhoods populated by minorities and recent immigrants are especially short f park space. Minorities and the poor have historically been shunted off to live on the wrong side of the tracks, in paved-over, industrialized areas with few public amenities. From an equity standpoint, there is a strong need to redress this imbalance. In Los Angles, wh ite neighborhoods (where whites make up 75 percent or more of the residents) boast 31. 8 acres of park space for every 1,000 people, compared with 1. 7 acres in African-American neighborhoods and 0. Acres in Latino neighborhoods. 5 This inequitable distribution of park space harms the residents of are costs alone are potentially enormous. Lacking places for recreation, minorities and low-income individuals are significantly less likely than whites and high-income individuals to engage in the regular physical activity that is crucial to good health. Among non-Hispanic white adults in the United States, 34. 9 percent engage in regular leisure-time physical activity, compared with only 25. 4 percent of non- Hispanic black adults and 22. 7 percent of Hispanic adults. And adults with incomes below the poverty level are three times as likely as high-income adults to never be physically active. Even where the government or voters have allocated new money for park acquisition, there is sign ificant risk that wealthier and better-organized districts will grab more than their fair share. The Los Angles neighborhood of South Central-with the city second-highest prove- The Trust for Public Land TTY rate, highest share of children, and lowest access to nearby park space-received only about half as much per-child parks funding as affluent West Los Angles from Proposition K between 1998 and 2000. Case Study: New Parks for Los Angles With 28,000 people crammed into its one square mile of low-rise buildings, the city f Manhood in Los Angles County is the most densely populated U. S. City outside the New York City metropolitan area. 10 Its residents-96 percent are Hispanic and 37 percent are children-are often packed five to a bedroom, with entire families living in garages and beds being used on a time-share basis. The Trust for Public Land (TIP) has been working in Manhood since 1996 to purchase, assemble, and convert six separate former industrial sites into a seven-acre rive rside park. The project will double Manhood’s park space. 11 Before TIP began its work, the future park site was occupied by abandoned arouses and industrial buildings, covered in garbage, graffiti, rusted metal, and barrels of industrial waste. Until the late asses, the parcels contained a glue factory, a transfer facility for solvents, and a truck service facility; one parcel was designated an Environmental Protection Agency Superfine site. 12 TIP is preparing to acquire the final parcel and has developed preliminary designs for the site. The completed park will invite Manhood’s residents to gather at its picnic benches, stroll its walking trails, relax on its lawns, and play with their children in its tot lot. The Manhood project is a precursor of Tap’s Parks for People-Los Angles program, an ambitious new effort to create parks where they are most desperately needed. The case for more parks in Los Angles is among the most compelling of any American city today. Only 30 percent of its residents live within a quarter mile of a park, compared with between 80 percent and 90 percent in Boston and New York, respectively. 3 If these residents are Latino, African American, or Asian Pacific, they have even less access to green space. TIP has set a goal of creating 25 new open space projects in Los Angles over the would be invested in undeserved minority communities. To accomplish this goal, TIP will help these communities through the gauntlets of public and private fundraising, real estate transactions, strategi c planning, and stewardship issues. Los Angles is also the site of Tap’s first application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to assess the need for parks. TIP launched the GIS program in late 2001 in Los 9 O The Trust for Public Land Angles and has since expanded the program to New York, Lass Vegas, Boston, Charlotte, Miami, and Camden and Newark, New Jersey. Tap’s GIS system uses census, anemographic and other data to map out areas of high population, concentrated poverty, and lack of access to park space. With GIS technology, TIP can now pinpoint the areas of fastest population growth, study landownership patterns, and acquire key parcels before development demand drives up property prices or destroys open space. Further, GIS helps TIP create contiguous park space, protecting natural habitats and connecting larger parks with linear greengages, rather than create a patchwork quilt of open space. 14 Voters have repeatedly shown their willingness to raise their own taxes to pay for new or improved parks. In the November 2002 elections, voters in 93 communities in 22 states approved ballot measures that committed $2. 9 billion to acquire and restore land for parks and open space. Voters approved 85 percent of such referendums in these elections. 1 5 Voter support in 2002 increased from the already strong 75 percent approval rate for similar measures in November 2001. 16 History of America’s City Parks: Inspiration, Abandonment, Revival During the second half of the 19th century, American cities built grand city parks to improve their residents’ quality of life. Dubbed 19th-century pleasure grounds by ark historians, the parks include New Work’s Central Park and San Franciscans Golden Gate Park. Municipal officials of the time saw these parks as a refuge from the crowded, polluted, stressful cities-places where citizens could experience fresh air, sunshine, and the spiritually transforming power of nature; a place for recreation; and a demonstrating public space where rich and poor would mix on equal terms. The new parks were inspired by â€Å"an anti-urban ideal that dwelt on the traditional prescription for relief from the evils of the city-to escape to the country,† Galen Crane writes. The new American parks thus were conceived as great pleasure grounds meant to be pieces of the country, with fresh air, meadows, lakes, and sunshine right in the city. † 17 The Decline of City Parks spending on city parks declined. The well-to-do and white abandoned the cities for the suburbs, taking public funding with them. Cities and their parks fell into a spiral of decay. Cities cut park maintenance funds, parks deteriorated, and crime rose; many city dwellers came to view places like Central Park as too dangerous to visit. 18 The suburbs that mushroomed at the edges of major cities were often built with little public park space. For residents of these areas, a trip out of the house means a drive to the shopping mall. Beginning around 1990, many city and town councils began forcing developers to add open space to their projects. Still, these open spaces are often effectively off-limits to the general public; in the vast sprawl around Lass Vegas, for example, the newer subdivisions often have open space at their centers, but these spaces are hidden inside a labyrinth of winding streets. Residents of older, low- and middle-income neighborhoods have to get in their cars (if they have one) and drive to find recreation space. 9 More recently, city parks have experienced something of a renaissance which has benefited cities unequally. The trend began in the asses and flourished in the asses as part of a general renewal of urban areas funded by a strong economy. It coincided with a philosophical shift in urban planning away from designing around the automobile and a backlash against the alienating modernism of mid-2 0th-century public architecture, in favor of public spaces that welcome and engage the community in general and the pedestrian in particular. Government authorities, civic groups, and private agencies around the country have worked together to revivalist UN-down city parks, build greengages along formerly polluted rivers, convert abandoned railroad lines to trails, and plant community gardens in vacant lots. The Park at Post Office Square in Boston shows how even a small but well-designed open space can transform its surroundings. Before work on the park began in the late asses, the square was filled by an exceptionally ugly concrete parking garage, blighting an important part of the financial district. Many buildings on the square shifted their entrances and addresses to other streets not facing the square. 20 Completed in 1992, the 1. -acre park is considered one of the most beautiful city parks in the United States. Its immaculate landscaping-with 125 species of plants, flowers, bushes, and trees-its half-acre lawn, its fountains, and its teak and granite benches lure throngs of workers during lunchtime on warm days. Hidden underneath is a seven-floor parking garage for 1,400 cars, which provides financial support for the park. 21 â€Å"It clearly, without any question, has enhanced and changed the entire neighborhood,† says Serge Denis, managing director of Lee Meridian Hotel Boston, which borders the park. â€Å"It’s absolutely gorgeous. Not surprisingly, rooms 11 Yet despite such success stories, local communities often lack the transactional and development skills to effectively acquire property and convert it into park space. TIP serves a vital role in this capacity, working closely with local governments and community residents to determine where parks are needed; to help develop funding strategies; to negotiate and acquire property; to plan the park and develop it; and finally, to turn it over to the public. Between 1971 and 2002, the Trust for Public Land’s work in cities resulted in the acquisition of 532 properties totaling 40,754 cress. In the nation’s 50 largest cities TIP acquired 138 properties totaling 7,640 acres. 3 In the wake of the bursting of the economic bubble of the late asses, states and cities facing severe budget crises are slashing their park spending. With a projected $2. 4 billion budget shortfall in the two-year period beginning July 2003, Minnesota has cut its aid to local governments, hurting city park systems across the state. The Minneapolis Park Recreation Board, confronting a 20 percent cut in its funding through 2004, has been forced to respond by deferring m aintenance, closing wading lolls and beaches, providing fewer portable toilets, and reducing its mounted police patrol program. The required program cuts â€Å"represent a huge loss to the Minneapolis Park Recreation Board and to the children of Minneapolis,† says Park Board Superintendent Mary Merrill Anderson. 24 When Georgians state legislature went into session in January 2003, lawmakers found themselves grappling with a $650 million budget shortfall. Part of their response was to eliminate the planned $30 million in fiscal 2003 funding for the Georgia Community Greengages Program, after appropriating $30 million per fiscal year in 001 and 2002. The legislature also cut the 2004 budget from $30 million to $10 million. The program helps the state’s fastest-growing counties set aside adequate green space-at least 20 percent of their land-amid all the new subdivisions and strip malls. Most of the affected counties are around Atlanta, among the nation’s worst examples of urban sprawl. For legislators hunting for budget-cutting targets, Georgians $30 million Community Greengages Program â€Å"was like a buffalo in the middle of a group of chickens,† says David Swan, program director for Tap’s Atlanta office. The cut â€Å"makes a compelling argument that we need a dedicated funding source, so that green space acquisition isn’t depending on fiscal cycles and the legislature. â€Å"25 The federal government has also cut its city parks spending. In 1978, the federal government established the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery (PARR) program to help urban areas rehabilitate their recreational facilities. The program received no funding in fiscal year 2003, down from $28. 9 million in both 2001 and 2002. 26 President Bush’s budget proposal for fiscal 2004 also allocates no PARR funding. How to cite Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space, Papers

Bean Trees By Kingsolver Essay Example For Students

Bean Trees By Kingsolver Essay In The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, readers are given the chance to see how two characters that have completely different lifestyles come together and deal with everyday problems, family relationships, and motherhood. Lou Ann chose a lifestyle that would cause her to get married, have a baby and move away right after high school. On the other hand Taylor did everything in her power not to end up living that lifestyle, and I think it resulted in Taylor being a more dependent and strong person than Lou Ann. A good example of how different their characters are is how they deal with everyday problems. For example, the way they go about trying to find a job clearly shows that Taylor is optimistic and Lou Ann is pessimistic. Really, Maam I could understand why you wouldnt want to hire a dumb old thing such as myself P.144 This is something that Taylor imagines Lou Ann saying when she is on a job search. This statement clearly describes Lou Ann perfectly, she has no self-confidence she is pessimistic and doesnt stick up for herself because her husband continuously verbally abused her, and treated her bad. Taylor on the other hand is very optimistic and self-confident when she is out job-hunting because she always had motivation and support from her mother. Eventually Taylor motivates Lou Ann to have self-confidence and try hard to get a job and she notices differences in her character I was liking Lou Ann a great deal these days. In a few weeks since she started working she had begun to cut her hair far less often having a job seemed to even out some of Lou Anns wrinkled edges. Motivation and support played a big role in creating these characters personalities. The reader really gets to see the difference in characters and also how combining the personalities changed their lifestyles. Family relationships played a big role in creating these characters. Lou Ann and Taylor both came from small cities in Kentucky but they were raised differently. Lou Ann moved to get married and raise a family but her mother disapproved for the wrong reasons, she disliked him because he was Mexican P26 Taylor never wanted to live the lifestyle that Lou Ann had Taylors mom said barefoot and pregnant was not my style. P3 Taylors mom supported Taylors decisions and gave her the opportunity to find independence. Taylor has a really good relationship with her mother; the lines of communication and support are wide open. Lou Ann on the other hand doesnt have good communication with her mother, she couldnt even tell her mother and Grandmother she was getting a divorce. Angel had agreed to move back in until after her mother and Grandmothers visit. P54 I think Taylor comes through for Lou Ann in this situation because Taylor played a mother like role towards Lou Ann. She gives her support she needs, consoles her, and is her friend. These two women are both completely alone in  an unfamiliar state and they both dont have anyone but each other except Taylor still has her mother left to talk to. Motherhood is a big factor in differences in character. Taylor views motherhood along with marriage as a complete failure in life for example in the end of the book Taylor says to Turtle. That means your kid so youll always know who you are. P232 Shes finally seeing Turtle as her own daughter and not as an adopted child. Taylor also helps Lou Ann overcome something and that was her marriage she helps Lou Ann get over Angel and move on with her life. It was interesting to see how two completely different people come together and rebuild their lives together. They had many issues to overcome and it seemed that when they finally came together they resolved many things and they made their lives better.