Mesa is 2015 Playful City USA
The City of Mesa Park, Recreation and Commercial Facility is being honored with a 2015 Playful City USA designation for the sixth time. The national recognition program honors cities and towns across the country for making their cities more playable.
“We are delighted that Mesa was chosen again this year as Playful City USA,” Mesa Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities Director, Marc Heirshberg said. “This year we opened five parks, one pool, added and upgraded playground equipment all while maintaining affordable and fun recreation programs for our community. I encourage our residents, young and old to go out and explore what Mesa has to offer.”
Mesa was selected for its outstanding dedication to play. Mesa has developed a framework for planning and generating support from the community and city leaders for the growth of play in Mesa. With the passage of the 2012 Parks Bond Project we can now see some of those projects come to fruition.
“With the support of Mesa voters passing the Parks Bond in 2012, we’ve been able to add new parks, pools and bike trails for our residents to enjoy,” Mesa Mayor John Giles said. “Our new places to play are state of the art and some of the best in the nation.”
Hopscotch sidewalks, structured recess programs, mandated neighborhood play spaces, city-wide play days and mobile recreation vehicles are all ways in which these communities are appealing to residents, and attracting and retaining residents.
“Playability is crucial to the success of our future communities, and we are proud of the work these cities and leaders are doing to provide a better quality of life for all residents, and especially families,” says KaBOOM! President, James Siegal. “Play provides a competitive advantage for cities looking to attract and retain residents. With these esteemed leaders, and our friends and partners across the country, we continue to prioritize play for all kids.”
To learn more about these cities, see the full list of the 241 communities named 2015 Playful City USA honorees, or to gather more information on the Playful City USA program, visit www.playfulcityusa.org. We also encourage you to take part in the conversation on #playability with these thought leaders on Twitter and Facebook.