Valley Court Park

A specific design idea that came into mind when reading the article was for the city to reconstruction the ramp that began at Oakhill Ave, and end at the Park. The article concludes, "The paved ramp was in too poor condition to keep open and too expensive to replace with ADA compliance." Yes, the ramp may have been expensive to replace with ADA compliance, but it would've been best for them to raise money to help keep it open. To me I felt that it was a bad decision to destroy it because some people aren't capable of walking, and need things such as a ramp to move around easily. Certain people have underlying health issues that stops them from walking, which is not always obvious. Instead of destroying the ramp, city officials could've create the ramp more effective, but use cheaper materials to produce it. Everything that is expensive is not always effective, and things that are cheap can be managed easier. A good example would've been to reduce the width, length, and height of the ramp so that it's easier to clean/ maintain. The typical ADA ramp is made of aluminum, steel, concrete, and wood. The typical ADA ramp must have a ratio no more than 1:12 slope, minimum of 36 inches wide, edges protected, at least 60 inches long, landing size 5 feet squared. Since concrete degrade easily the city can create the whole ramp out of aluminum since the duration is longer, and needs little maintenance. In fact, an aluminum ramp is easier to move if relocation is possible. Since, the requirements above were listed from an outside resource what I suggest is that the slope of the ramp should be 1:14, 34 inches wide, at least 55 inches long, and landing size 4 feet squared. By reducing the size of the ramp city officials can reconsider creating a new one.
This is beneficial to the people in the community because it'll make people with disabilities happier because they'll feel cared for. The park doesn't have a ramp at all, and only have stairs which is inconsiderate because not just children go to the park. Many elderly people love going to parks to see the beautiful sight of nature, and they can't do that if there isn't a ramp. If there's no ramp we'll see a huge amount of disabled people stuck in their homes, instead of them on the move. Of course the park have many entrances, but next to the ramp there's a beautiful green space area that is very appealing to the public.
This idea can be implemented by a petition being signed around the city begging for officials to take action into reconstructing the ramp. The petition can briefly say "We the people should have the right to be involved in the decision making process that occur in our city, therefore the ramp must be rebuilt for the safety of our elders." "No ramp, more accidents!"

A great idea to progress the city is the ‘Continuation of Helping Hand Services’. When reading articles on this idea, it mentioned how there have been no community driven events/activities. Leading the park downhill with no connections of visitors and surrounding areas. Including past events, for instance, “East Lansing Farmers Market”, had such a huge impact in the 1980’s and 90’s. Eventually, taking a decline. Still, dozens of farmers set up tents selling fresh goods. As well as bringing in residents plus outsiders together within the community. Although, this cherished event ended in early 2000’s due to little activity and less volunteers. However in 2009 it was brought back. From this, it made frequent upgrades and developments in Valley Court Park. focusing on the green space. In the article it states “Council member Ron Bacon said he wants to make sure that all ideas take into account the impact on the green space” (Dreger). Overall, by the support of individuals, officials, plus helping hand services creating more design elements. This would lead to the redevelopment of the city, by adding in performances, activities, drives, events, acts, donations, and more projects. With these upgrades being added to the park, it benefits the environment and area as a whole. Making it livelier and more active. Bringing people of all ages, color, culture, and communities together. Furthering, with the ‘Continuation of Helping Hand Services’ assisting Valley Court Park, it will develop the community driven design concept and strive for the city's future. All in all, An associate director of parks, recreations and the arts. Wendy Wilmers Longpre says "It's important to have a good quality park if you're expecting it to contribute to the community." (Dreger).

I believe that adding a soccer field would be a great addition to Valley Court Park. By gathering some funds from the community or taking a bit of tax money to fund the purchasing of the soccer nets and possibly the purchase of paint for lines on the field. there are many different great outcomes that could come from this addition. A group will need to come together to put together and position the nets properly. Painting the lines on the fields could be done once a year if there is some kind of soccer league ever hosted on the field.
The things that this could do to the community are pretty vast. People of any age could use this field to partake in playing soccer. College students and children alike could play games in scrimmage form or could have leagues hosted on these fields. This will have a positive influence on the community because it will promote physical activity and will bring people together when making teams and creating friendships. It would also make the park more visually appealing, by filling the open space that is currently occupied by nothing.

Some improvements that could be added to Albert street could be the addition of food trucks that are able to occupy the streets. The addition of food trucks would most likely require the assistance of the police to either shut the street down or to have a good location that the food trucks could park to which they would not cause any danger for the people purchasing from the food trucks. This would also bring the abundance of new businesses that may be trying to get a start in East lancing but dont have enough money to be able to rent one of the places on grand river. This will promote the creation of new businesses because it will be easier for them to gain a flow of income.
The addition of food trucks could bring about the mixing of cultures within east Lansing. Food trucks make it very easy for foods of any kind of culture to be easily accessible. With the vast amount of races that reside in East Lansing, as it would allow students and citations to experience other kinds of food. This will also bring the community together by having people gather outdoors and creating a very social welcoming atmosphere.

A design idea that I came up with while reading the article is to add a swimming and hot spring pool; in other words, the pool is used as a swimming pool in summer and used as a hot spring pool in winter. The pool doesn’t need to be too big, being a little small is OK. The advantages of introducing a pool far outweigh the disadvantages. On the one hand, a number of people, especially kids and teenagers, can regard playing in the pool as a way of entertainment. As we know, in summer, swimming is the best way to relax and cool ourselves; in winter, being in hot spring is a good approach to warming ourselves. Furthermore, providing a swimming pool in summer is an appropriate place where kids or teenagers can practice swimming in order to improve their swimming skills and levels, which can help them get a better foundation for developing their interests and habits. The only advantage I could come to my mind is that someone could probably get hurt or pull out a tendon while swimming.
The pool project could be implemented by seeking opinions for the residents in the local community and starting off a petition for the local government. Measuring the surroundings and environments nearby is the key to deciding how large and deep the pool would be. Furthermore, whether the pool should be indoors or outdoors is up to the local climates; if it rains a lot, it'd better be indoors, otherwise outdoors.

The amount of food wasted every day in East Lansing is atrocious. In addition to making a personal effort to only take what we will consume, we should be more thoughtful as a community about where the food waste goes. When food waste rots in landfills it produces methane, harming the environment. This makes absolutely no sense when the option to compost exists. Rather than harm the environment with food waste, we can actually help it. Food waste can be decomposed, recycled, and used to enrich soil which benefits worms and fungi. This sustainable option should be implemented in Valley Court Park. It would be an ideal spot to install a community compost because it is a central and accessible location for MSU students as well as other East Lansing residents. The compost wouldn’t require too much space, and once composted, the material could be used to enrich Valley Court Park's soil.

To better improve East Lansing I believe in implementing the "super block" specifically on Albert street. The concept of super blocks will help a city like East Lansing because it would help to be more accessible by foot. Reducing roads will create more walking space, more business for the stores, and will create a better community space in town. Transitioning Albert street from parking and a busy road to a community space will help create a bigger city center and sense of community. With creating Super Blocks the economy will bloom in the new foot traffic, and the surrounding green space will help the environment. East Lansing is big and the majority of people living here do not have cars for transportation, adapting the city to a more walking friendly town will change the typical way of city life. Community, green space, and parks are all easily accessible by foot without the tough traffic of cars. East Lansing should strive to create a market space in these Super Blocks because it will profit not only the city, and environment, but also the economy.

I grew up in Detroit and witnessed the revamp of the Downtown area. Part of that makeover included the incorporation of public biking by a non-profit organization: MoGo. This instantly came to mind because I've seen the effectiveness of public biking in Detroit. The community seems cleaner due to fewer cars causing less air pollution and the allowance for more people to travel through downtown at the expense of a couple of dollars. This idea also came to mind because East Lansing is a college town, and many students don't have their cars. This deters many from going Downtown. The inclusion of public biking will give college students more of an incentive to transverse and converse with others throughout East Lansing!

A multicultural festival where East Lansing small businesses could sell some of their items, restaurants could open their doors, local artists could set their artwork on display, as well as different cultures could be celebrated through the presentation of their traditions, through artwork, food, or music. This would all available for the public to enjoy and would be a great way to bring the community together similar to a cosmopolitan canopy. The idea is that people from all over could come to East Lansing and enjoy both their surroundings and their company by sharing a meal or supporting local shops.

In terms of developing community events and parks we can use the concept that has been discussed before by using the superblock as one of the solutions, this concept worked really well for improving what the city needs and it will be enjoyed by all of the people, the increase are of the parks by the bits of help of superblock the concept can work because of the demographics of the city especially if the student were involved there are huge possibilities to improve upon such concept, we also can invite some low to mid-income businesses to increase the variant of things to explore, and with the addition of creating more events on that area will attract more community and people from other cities to go and enjoy the park and possibly increase the business economy as a whole more free spaces for the pedestrians to enjoy and let everyone truly enjoy the park in a whole different level, some certain holiday can be celebrated and even leveled up with this concept and truly help to bring the spirit of the holiday itself.

With the park holding an inclusive and handicap-accessible playground, I believe the park can be enjoyable for every child in the community, even those who have mobility or other challenges. Inclusive and handicap-accessible playground equipment benefits children on all levels. For those with challenges, accessible equipment allows them to play, just like everyone else. Even children without challenges benefit, as playing with children of different backgrounds and abilities encourages empathy and helps develop social and emotional skills, serving them throughout their lives. I feel as though this would just be another opportunity to be able to bring this community together and open up diversity in this area.

Parks are perfect spots for both private and public special events. Many people hold family gatherings and city events in these kinds of areas. I think people are more likely to go and enjoy parks if they're strategically outfitted to include space for various entertainment opportunities. Both kids and adults need places where they can play sports, gather with friends and family, go on a date, or relax. While most community parks include shelters that protect picnickers from the elements, some additional features with entertainment potential include covered and open eating areas, barbecue pits, benches, athletic fields, gazebos, and even stages and theatrical venues. Back at my park closest to my home in Rochester Hills Michigan, there is a big entertainment stage where people very often come to listen to perform shows, and I would love to see that kind of diversity and inclusion in parks here, and have noticed that everybody that goes seems to highly enjoy themselves.

The city of East Lansing should follow the lead of modern cities around the world, in which the streets lay the foundations of privately-owned businesses through the medium of food trucks, stands, and tents. From there, residents may express their ideas through a temporary settlement, by which an array of vends can initiate a local market and stagger an economic boost for the city. Others can proceed with awareness such as charity and preaching, while events can also be held for the sake of entertainment among East Lansing residents and visitors alike.

The expanse of Valley Court Park should be no exception, as it holds the perfect opportunity of granting people their natural rights of expressing themselves through ideas as well as produce for the common buyer. Such events can help the quality of the area in terms of both general attraction and capital. Laying the utilization of Valley Court Park to the people should be the priority, as it gives malleability to the area's notability.

The Vally Court Park provides the East Lansing community with a great open space for people to enjoy their time. The park itself offers the use of sports fields, quiet spots to relax, restroom facilities, etc. Another thing that the park offers is a spot for live performers to hold shows and events. Typically, performers play to a crowd that is tailgating in the parking lot. Although this method of entertainment is typically successful, I think it can be improved upon. With the installation of a new patio and seating area, life performances could feel more formal and professional. This improvement could benefit the popularity of Vally Court Park, as well as the economy and people of East Lansing.

The installation of this seating area could be completely funded by local businesses and donors, who in turn would receive advertising privileges at the park. This would create a buzz around the different restaurants and stores who are deeply rooted in the economy of downtown East Lansing. Another result could include the increase in popularity of the park itself. If more people are visiting the park, more connections are being made. This in turn creates tradition, and a better personal value of the city. This plays in well into the principle of Designing with the Community In Mind.

This idea for Valley Court Park would allow members of the community, regardless of their background, to come together. The idea of a community garden would see a section of the park dedicated to growing flowers or some sort of fruit or vegetable (in all honesty, it doesn’t even have to be a garden, just something that anyone can contribute to help with at any time) that everyone in the community can enjoy. Not only would it be sustainable and give people in the park something to do, it would also bring people together and overall create a more welcoming and inclusive space similar to the cosmopolitan canopy we talked about in class.

During a warm weekend, the park should hold a festival and be set up with tents and vendors. This festival can focus on cultures from all over the world. People can bring tents and tables and set up things from their own culture. This could include food, music, and very important art. There can also be an open area for these people to show off performances and activities native to their homeland. This is an event open to the public that lets anyone come and learn and indulge in different kinds of culture in a respectful way. This is a great way to spread positivity. These cultures can spread and help people learn. It is a great way to celebrate diversity and help the community out at the same time. People are enjoying a nice time in their community and helping out small businesses while they are in the area. It is a great way to open the community to new experiences and cultures.

In this proposal for Valley Court Park, the idea is a small library driven by the community. The idea is that the library would start with an assortment of literature and when someone would like to borrow a book, they would replace their choice with something new. You would not be required to put a new piece of literature in when you take something out if you do not have the means to, but it would be more helpful. This way, there would be a constant change in the available literature and people would get the opportunity to read something that they would not otherwise be able to. This small library would be entirely community driven and is something that everyone could participate in. It would promote reading, sharing, and community involvement.

Image from article titled "How to bring a Little Free Library to your Community"
https://readingpartners.org/blog/little-free-library/

I believe on the weekends at Valley Court Park there should be a specific time frame where the park is filled with food trucks. Each food truck would have an affordable menu that consists of different cultures of foods. For example, a taco truck, an American/burger truck, Chinese food truck, Mediterranean truck, a beer truck, Thai truck, etc. The trucks could fill the outline of the parks perimeters and be filled with picnic tables and benches for people to enjoy what they bought.

This park improvement would bring many people of all kinds to the park. It would create a busy community space where you would find people enjoying their food, spending time with family and friends, listening to the bands, sitting on blankets, and throwing frisbees or just sampling relaxing! The food trucks would also bring an economic benefit to the vendors and city. The trucks would have to pay a fee to participate, and the vendors would also make their own income on the crowds that come.

When thinking of this design idea, I asked my friends about what they would change about East Lansing/campus, and one of the responses that I had not thought about was to have more trash cans around campus. Littering seems to be an issue here, and on top of it being a college-city, there are also not enough trash cans. While I was walking around campus, I noticed the lack of trash cans and how they are only next to large buildings. On game days, there usually is much better access to trash cans, but unfortunately on weekdays, the trash cans which could easily be used, are flipped and inaccessible. By adding more trash cans around campus, it would be useful, and convenient instead of forcing students to go out of their way to find one nearby. Adding more trash cans around campus would make cleanly throwing trash away just as convenient for people as littering.

An improvement idea I have for Vally Court is an international farmers market. I believe that bringing international inclusivity to East Lansing is a great way to attract people of all ethnicities. Also having these once a week is a great way to have university students connect with the residents of East lansing. In my hometown we have farmers market every sunday and I always meet new people and learn.

While East Lansing does have a farmers market, they should expand on the concept by actively bringing in vendors that sell a variety of products that span a variety of different cultures. This would draw in a larger crowd because community members would be able to experience cultures apart from their own and engage with people who don’t run in the same circles in the community. This is especially needed in a time like today in the wake of the Coronavirus. The 2020 pandemic has had a substantial psychological impact on society. After being trapped in doors and kept six feet apart people have an instinctual need to interact, humans are social creatures and we need a safe and stimulating space to do so. Another learning lesson we saw in 2020 was the resurgence of racial/social justice, showing how critical it is to interact, listen, and laugh with peoples of different cultures. Finally, not only would this project have great social benefits, but would also help promote local businesses and have positive impacts in East Lansing’s economy.

Dogs are man's best friend, and we should create a fenced in section of Valley court Park to accommodate the many families that own pets. Parents looking to bring children to Valley Court shouldn’t have to worry about leaving their pets at home, possibly tearing up the house. Instead, we should bring these dogs out to safe spaces to unleash their pent-up energy. Additionally, a dog park is a great place for owners to make friends and socialize alongside their four-legged counterparts. However, on the occasion that dogs (or owners) do not get along they should be able to separate themselves by attending different parks. Which is why I believe the addition of a dog park would be so beneficial to East Lansing, seeing as we currently have only one, Northern Trail Dog Trail. Finally, the addition of a dog park at valley court would increase business in Downtown East Lansing only a couple of blocks away. Promoting foot traffic and decreasing cars as a means of getting through the city, seeing as people would be accompanied by their pets and would prefer to walk.

Valley Court Park is a great place to engage with other members in the East Lansing community, offering a space for people to chat and spend time together in a beautiful outdoor space. However, Valley Court does have a draw back, in that it currently does not have a public restroom. I think the addition of a public restroom would make Valley Court a more desirable destination for families looking to spend the day outdoors. Parents wouldn’t have to worry about rushing back and forth between nearby businesses and the park, and would be able to bring young children to the park for longer durations of time. Thus, increasing community engagement and giving East Lansing residents more of an incentive to visit Valley Court Park over other parks, further away with more amenities.

One way East Lansing can improve the city is establishing an International Cultural Farmers Market. It's mentioned that international students at MSU as well as people of different cultures feel un-welcomed. With little dedication to their culture/homeland is shared through not many food or store businesses. With this being said, it's known that East Lansing has markets. For instance the Farmers Market based on Valley Court Park. Where multiple vendors sell fresh goods to the community. Thus, if East Lansing initiated the International Cultural Farmers Market, vendors can sell cultural products. Plus people from different regions can come together and engage with different cultures. Through sharing food, clothing, languages, and more. From this it can help reunite locals within the area to interact with the outside world and individuals. Creating an open plus livelier diverse environment. Not only this, but exchanging interactions with each other, notifies others to engage in all different groups along with ages. Which leads to more social benefits for not just the community but the city as a whole.

A great idea to help strengthen the community is to install free library boxes throughout the Valley Court Park area that purely runs-on donations from others. A policy like “take a book, leave a book” can be established, meaning, if you see a book you might enjoy, take it and when you are done with it, return it to any of the free library locations. If you would like to share a book, you can leave it at any of the locations as well. Not only does this encourage community building and book-sharing, but it inspires creativity and motivates others to read more. A way to vitalize this idea is to leave a note in the book telling others what you love about it or possibly having a bigger book for people to write their comments and recommendations in. To help attract people to the free libraries, each of the boxes can be colorful and have its own design or theme pertaining to the area or different book genres. The boxes can have 3 shelves or something of a sort, one for younger kids, older kids, and adults, helping reach a broader audience and make sure no one is left out. Considering COVID-19 is still around, disinfectant wipes can be put out with the hopes people will wipe down the book covers before placing them back in the box and hand sanitizer can be kept out as well.
Whether you are an avid reader or are just starting out, free library boxes around the Valley Court Park area can be extremely beneficial, as they will help bring the community closer together, and expose others to new ideas and perspectives.

This picture depicts an intersection designed for better pedestrian safety. Walkability is a significant aspect of improving a city and bringing more than just those with cars out. This type of walkway allows for safe passage for pedestrians. At the same time slowly edges out the need for vehicles which saves money for the city in many ways. Added benefits include less uptake needed for vehicles, more exercise- promoting a healthy lifestyle-, and bikes being less expensive than cars.

Installing more solar panels, the idea is for more roofs, from big buildings to people houses be fitted with solar panels and wired down to the power grid, supporting the government mission of Green Recovery Plan especially the US plan to cut the nation’s fossil fuel emissions of 50% by 2030 and transform into renewable energy. They are also becoming more efficient and affordable than fossil fuels in recent years because of the advancement of technology. Installing more solar panels could also increase job opportunities such as Solar Photovoltaic Installers. (Center city project).

Growing up outside of Chicago I have seen the endless flow of traffic in the morning, and the sea of people streaming from the L. Transportation, is necessary for a city to continue to grow and expand. When Chicago got the rentable likes I was able to see the change with my won eyes. I believe East Lansing would benefit from the insulation of rentable bikes around the city. East Lansing is dominated with college student, most who do not own cars, so public transportation is relied on heavily. The Spin Scooter instillation has reduces air pollution, encourages students to go outside, engages the community, but has to be recharged. Bikes however, do not run on battery, they serve as transportation and a way to keep you healthy! East Lansing would prosper from the instillation of bikes.

A great improvement idea for the Valley court park, that would be beneficial for the community is an outdoor ice skating rink. The main purpose for an outdoor ice skating rink at the valley court park is to provide a space for the community to come together. Nothing screams winter time and the holiday season like a good old fashioned community ice rink. The community ice rink is a place where people can hang out and play a friendly game of hockey, or just have fun skating around and enjoying the beautiful east Lansing winters. There are lot of houses and apartments around the valley court park, ensuring the rink would go to use.

The community ice rink would obviously only be in affect during the winter when it is cold enough outside. The ice skating rinks would be located in the center of the field, so there is still space for other activities. There would be two 60 foot x 70 foot ice rinks built. One ice rink would be for pickup hockey games, and any type of hockey gameplay. The other ice rink would be strictly for figure skaters and beginner's, no pucks or sticks would be allowed on this rink. there will be a one foot wall with padding on it so no-one will get hurt skating. the Valley court ice skating rink will be a fun, free and safe place for the community to come together.

To improve renewable energy-powered public transportation, not only add more buses but for the transport system to use the electrically powered vehicle and leading to a bus system that is not only smarter but consumes less energy per passenger-kilometre or fossil-fuel-free, but also can still be cheaper for passengers. Just like how Stockholm uses their Urban Vehicle Access Regulations(UVARs) to not only reduce congestion but also introduce low emission zone and improve their air quality.

Like a Park, a dog park would allow members from different communities- no matter one's sex, race, or beliefs- to come together while providing a space for their pets. This area would be dedicated to the safety and care of dogs, allowing them to have an adequate space to run around and mingle with other dogs. It also allows the owners to bond with fellow dog owners through their commonality. Not only is this widely sustainable and gives people/dogs a way to come together, but it also creates a welcoming and inclusive group of pet owners!

Having a park created/adapted into a garden can allow for people of all different kinds of backgrounds to come together and work on a project. A green area like this would most definitely benefit the community as a result of teamwork and communication amongst different kinds of people groups. Whether the garden be flowers, vegetables, or a combination of both, I think that the main focus should be bringing people together through an inclusive space. Also, community gardens reduce negative environmental impacts by promoting sustainable agriculture. With the addition of urban horticulture, both animal-life and plant-life should improve and make a positive impact within the overall ecology of the area. On top of that, a garden is very eco-friendly and supports the city in its development towards sustainability and going green.

As a current resident of East Lansing, I think a great way to improve the city is better pedestrian walk ways. The main reason I'd like to focus on this is because all Freshman of MSU are unable to have vehicles on campus. Their main form of transportation is going to be either walking, busing, or bike riding. Personally I have study session with friends over in East Neighborhood later at night. I often feel like some of the areas I cross are poorly lit and this cause some concerns on my part. My design Idea would involve installing more street lights not only on campus but in the surrounding neighborhoods to create a more safe environment for those that walk at night. Better lighting also creates space were people can gather. Creating lighting for the park, will allow individuals to gather more hours of the day.

I think that the city council should consider putting up more historical signs around both East and greater Lansing. These signs help represent the history of both the city and MSU. Having this information for the public can help create a sense of community and local pride as a result of our rich history here in East Lansing. For being in a location that cares so much about education and knowledge, I think that these signs are a perfect and easy way to grow these two ideals. While it is not mandatory to look over a sign while passing, I think that for the people who are interested, these signs will mean a great amount. Not only that, but for people new to Lansing/East Lansing, these signs can help give them a better understanding of who we are as a city. These signs were originally created around the United States through the Antiquities Act in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Its purpose, and benefit to the community was to promote education, tourism, job opportunities, and increase in property value. Local and state historical societies tend to manage historical marker programs. If a person is interested in erecting a historical monument, they can contact their local historical society and make a claim towards their enthusiasm.

Incorporating a garden within a park can bring people from many different backgrounds together. By adding this to the area, both human and plant life will benefit, positively improving the attitude of those in this green space and maximizing the plants' emissions into the air. A green area like this would benefit the community by facilitating teamwork, communication, and cooperation amongst those presented with a common task. Additionally, community gardens promote sustainable agriculture, which reduces negative environmental impacts. Citizens can also utilize this space to relax and take in the fresh air. As a bonus, gardens are contributing to sustainability and green initiatives in cities.

The creation of a river park would provide a great space where people can go and interact with nature as well as other people. Having a place like this promotes community on the red cedar river. With this, it's a great area where people can be social, play games, lounge/hammock, have picnics, have semi-permanent food trucks, movie nights/place for venues, yoga in the park, concerts, chess and checker boards, etc.. A river park on the banks of the red cedar river would be an amazing place that promotes a stronger connection between the people living around East Lansing and greater Lansing and the nature surrounding. With the addition of trails and pathways along the river, this would help facilitate active recreation and commuting from walking, biking, and other local transportation. Having a large park either on or closer to campus would bring a positive impact towards the community. On top of that, it could provide an equal space to promote other positive impacts, such as a community garden or amphitheater.

I believe that adding a soccer field would be a great addition to Valley Court Park. By gathering some funds from the community or taking a bit of tax money to fund the purchasing of the soccer nets and possibly the purchase of paint for lines on the field. there are many different great outcomes that could come from this addition. A group will need to come together to put together and position the nets properly. Ben Roth talked in his article “Community Place” that Community Productive spaces should aim to be conducive to public events, adaptive to personal desires, and encourage non-commercial personal interaction” If there were to be lines painted on the fields could be done that could be done once a year if there is some kind of soccer league ever hosted on the field.
The things that this could do to the community are pretty vast. People of any age could use this field to partake in playing soccer. College students and children alike could play games in scrimmage form or could have leagues hosted on these fields. This will have a positive influence on the community because it will promote physical activity and will bring people together when making teams and creating friendships. It would also make the park more visually appealing, by filling the open space that is currently occupied by nothing.

The inclusion of a Fit Park in Valley Court is a great resource to promote a healthy lifestyle within the East Lansing community. Outdoor exercise is known to yield more benefits than a traditional indoor workout as we are exposed to sunlight, increasing vitamin d production, and helping to improve one’s mood. It is a space that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and fitness levels. This outdoor fitness park is an eco-friendlier option to regular gyms as the equipment requires zero electricity and is made of recyclable materials. It is free and easy to use leading to a happier and healthier community.

Since the area surrounding the park in Valley Court Park is made up of a lot of grass and empty land, something that could help fill the space is the addition of a skatepark. With Lansing made up of many college students, a skatepark would help to create more diversity in available activities that students could partake in. For example, Jackson Heights is not only diverse in its languages and cultures, but it also incorporates a variety of events such as dancing and music. Adding a skatepark would add to the diversity of the park itself, since there are only standard park equipment such as a swing, slide, and climbing gears. Furthermore, instead of skateboarders having to resort to skating in places such as parking garages, they can have a nearby designated spot. This would also provide an attraction for residents and students to watch.

There’s a lot of green space near Valley Court Park, which provides an opportunity for building social spaces where the people of Greater Lansing can connect with each other. Since parks generally appeal to children more than any other age groups, adding things like concession stands and holding events like farmers markets and food trucks would create a more inviting space for both residents and students. Furthermore, people would use the space for picnics and a general hangout spot. The idea of visible life is an important aspect of making an attractive city. With food trucks and street markets, the people selling the food would be on display. The ability to see the things that are going on would help make others feel connected, which would lead to a city full of life.