Small Parks & Playgrounds

Nothing could be easier than adding to the city's pleasure through a proliferation of small vest-pocket parks and play areas for mothers and toddlers.  The City might think in terms of taking just one lot per block in the city's poorest districts and spending $100,000.00 to clear and clean it, plant one or two trees, some plant-beds and benches, good lighting for safety, and fences and gates to keep the kids in.  

The problem is money.  The city loses a tax lot and has to spend a bundle in addition.  But arguable a trade-off can be made is the residents of the block would agree to have their assessed value increased by 10% and do so on the grounds that their property-values would be increasing.  Such parks also present an opportunity to hit the 1% for sponsorship with naming rights.