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For the second year in a row, the City of
Orlando has been designated a Playful City USA community. In a
time when many parents believe children don’t spend enough time
playing outside, the City is one of 93 communities across the
nation that have taken innovative approaches to make play a
priority for the health and well-being of their kids. KaBOOM!, a
national non-profit dedicated to bringing play back into
children’s lives, is in its third year of honoring cities making
a commitment to play by granting them this designation.
Creating initiatives designed to increase the
quantity and quality of play and playgrounds, while improving
access to existing play opportunities are determining standards
in selecting the top communities. The City of Orlando was
selected in part for convening a committee of interested people
to determine the next steps the City should take to best serve
its citizen’s recreation needs. The committee determined that
the standards for recreation needed to be reviewed and hired a
consultant to develop a strategic master plan for parks and
recreation resources. The condition of the parks, playground and
community centers demographics, trends, and funding sources are
being evaluated, while a plan for improvement is being
developed. The City of Orlando expects an increase in services,
revenue and programming as a result of the findings.
Playful City USA celebrates and highlights
unique initiatives developed by communities across the country.
A primary goal of Playful City USA is to encourage cities and
towns to share creative ideas, concepts and programs in an
effort to increase play opportunities for children.
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