As one who worked as a professional designer for the decade between this and my last university experience, I have the luxury, and the burden, of a first-hand understanding of the disconnects between theory and professional practice. In my second reflection, titled "Adaptive Management," I spoke of one of the largest challenges facing its adoption. Adaptive Management (AM) can work if projects receive enough funding to implement programs that track and help anticipate the inevitable variabilities that arise with complex adaptive systems.
One of the strengths of this course is its application of the ideas presented in class to the 2010 Surrey Bend Regional Park Management Plan. This plan is for an ecologically sensitive 348 hectare site on the Fraser River to the southeast of Vancouver. Upon re-reviewing the 116-page plan, I came across a bit of inspiration that could provide an insight into addressing costs associated with AM practices. In the conclusion of the section titled, "Protecting Natural Area Integrity," recommendations were made to implement a research and monitoring program to study the site, especially its hydrology and bog ecosystem, as well as providing phasing and adaptive management strategies "to test and observe the environmental impacts of trail and facility development and to adjust the program as necessary" (P. 35). Such recommendations could be costly to implement if it is a sub-consultant who is to perform the work. However, I am instead reminded of the idea of parks conservancies, specially Central Park Conservancy, and the more affordable and creative model they provide.
Central Park Conservancy was established in 1980 to return Central Park to its original Olmstedian splendor from its decline and peak of squalor in the 1970s. The new model, as public-private partnership, enabled the organization to raise over 70% of the funds needed to restore the park from private sources. Currently it is seen as the model for sustaining parks and provides fundraising and management advice to anyone seeking assistance with parks throughout the world.
In the case of Surrey Bend Regional Park, a conservancy could be established as part of its plan (the original agreement between New York City and the Central Park Conservancy was for 18 years, and was reaffirmed for another 8 years in 2006) as a means to fund the monitoring and research programs needed to implement adaptive management of the site. A park conservancy largely runs as volunteer organization with a board of directors and a few staff. Instead of hiring sub-consultants to provide the work needed for monitoring and maintaining the park, volunteers could perform a large percentage of the work once programs are established.
In our current economic climate, where funding streams continue to constrict, it might become a best practice to adopt the time-tested practice of asking for help in new and creative ways. It might be in the best interest of those working out the details of the 2010 Surrey Bend Regional Park Management Plan to consider the establishment of a Surrey Bend Regional Park Conservancy to help ensure the park is born with sustainable footing.
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