Clifton Community Partnership

Burbanck Park Project article:
Burbanck Park Dedication
May 29, 2008
Source: Community Partnership Update/April 2007

Did you know that according to the National Recreation and Park Association, only four percent of Atlanta’s acreage is parkland? That compares to almost nine percent in other big cities. This month, another park emerges thanks to Emory, the Clifton Community Partnership, the Druid Hills Civic Association and Park Pride. On Earth Day—Sunday, April 22—these groups will dedicate the 1.2-acre property located at 1164 Clifton Road as the Drs. Madeline and William Burbanck Park; the property will be converted from a residential site back to its natural state for use as a community park.

Parks and greenspace often create a lush buffer between commercial and residential properties; they also improve the quality of life in the following ways:
•Parks clean the air, filter polluted water and help keep children off the street. An urban ecosystem analysis revealed that in Atlanta, trees remove 19 million pounds of pollutants each year.
•Parks improve physical health, promote mental well-being and help children learn. An ongoing study of DeKalb County parks by Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health found that accessibility to parks strongly correlates to increased physical activity.
•Parks and greenspace unite neighbors, foster friendships and create a sense of community. Parks can stem the downturn of a commercial area and provide a landmark element and point of pride for neighbors.