Introduction
In the context of the PBS documentary Growing Up Poor in America, the discourse of public city parks seems oblique. Yet, these verdant civic spaces are a significant stakeholder in the narrative of urban poverty. Enshrined in the heart of urban areas, these parks have always been a sanctuary for the city’s residents, offering an oasis of greenery amidst the concrete agglomerations. However, as the documentary portrays, these public parks have slowly receded into the background.
Main Body
The neoliberal turn in public-private development of new urban green spaces has yet to obliterate these parks. Still, it has subtly nudged them into the shadows. The focus has shifted from maintaining these public spaces to facilitating the development of privatized green spaces. The urban planning narrative now revolves around creating novel, manicured green areas that often come with a price tag. These new spaces, aimed at enhancing the quality of urban life, inadvertently exclude the underprivileged sections of society – the ones who rely on the free, accessible public parks. These public parks’ physical and financial decline is a stark manifestation of this shift in focus. As more resources are diverted towards developing private green spaces, the public parks – once the pride of urban spaces – have begun to exhibit signs of decay.
Patches of brown now mar the once lush green landscapes; the play areas lay deserted, and the infrastructure decays – all symptomatic of neglect and disinvestment. This shift is subtly chronicled in the documentary through the lives of Shawn, Kaia, and Laikyen as they navigate the challenges of poverty in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic (Public Broadcasting Service, 2020). Public parks are significant for them and countless others in similar predicaments. These parks provide them with a safe space for recreation, a place to breathe amidst the claustrophobic confines of urban poverty.
Shawn, with his mother incapacitated by kidney disease and living in a trailer, would have found in these public parks a sanctuary from his crushing reality. For Kaia, who, along with her homeless mother, lives in a single room, these parks could have offered a semblance of home – a place to roam freely, away from the stifling quarters. Laikyen, grappling with ADHD and a mother working the night shift, could have found in these parks a therapeutic retreat – a place to calm her restless mind. However, as these parks recede into the background, their accessibility and safety are compromised, leaving the likes of Shawn, Kaia, and Laikyen bereft of these essential urban spaces (Public Broadcasting Service, 2020). This is a consequence of the neoliberal turn in urban planning, where the focus has shifted from public good to profit-making.
As these parks move from the foreground to the background, the underprivileged sections of society are most affected and are deprived of the benefits these public spaces offer. In the documentary, the absence of public parks in the narrative of their lives paints a glaring picture of their decline. Their stories testify to the correlation between these parks’ physical and financial decay and their relegation in the urban planning discourse.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the PBS documentary “Growing up Poor in America” provides a compelling narrative on the effects of poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic on the vulnerable sections of society. It also subtly underlines the changing dynamics of urban planning and its impact on public city parks. These once ubiquitous spaces have slipped into the background, and their decline has far-reaching implications for the urban poor. The correlation between their physical and financial decay and their moving from the foreground to the ground in urban planning is a profound commentary on the neoliberal turn in public-private development. The need of the hour is to rethink urban planning strategies, focusing on inclusivity and the preservation of public spaces, which are essential for the well-being of all urban residents.
Reference
Public Broadcasting Service. (2020). Growing Up Poor in America [Video]. PBS. Web.