In a City that may sometimes feel like a concrete jungle, parks serve a number of vital functions. They serve as our backyards, contributing to our physical health by providing space for organized and recreational sports and supporting our emotional health by providing a peaceful area for relaxation away from the buzz of the city. But they also serve as important community gathering spaces, bringing together diverse residents in a single space.

While the neighborhoods in my Assembly district have among the least park space of the entire city, it is a constant struggle to preserve this parkland and create new space. One of the community's biggest victories was the creation of Hudson River Park. I remember visiting the old west side piers as a young adult. Despite the piers' crumbling and dilapidated condition, people flocked to the waterfront and, on any given weekend, the piers would teem with people. The creation of Hudson River Park gave new life to the waterfront, and, today, it is even more popular with residents and visitors.

However, the Park remains unfinished largely due to the unfulfilled financial promises of the Pataki administration. As is the case with parks throughout the City, government is looking increasingly to private interests for funding, instead of viewing the creation and maintenance of parks as fundamental government responsibility. And so there have been attempts to privatize portions of public parks. Whether it is closing off a substantial portion of Union Square Park for a year-round private restaurant or near approval for a private developer's plan for a mega-entertainment complex on Pier 40 in Hudson River Park, this trend is highly problematic. The effect of private development on public parks has also been seen in less direct ways, such as the shadows from developments that cast sizeable shadows onto the parks, decreasing users' enjoyment of the space.

The Lower Manhattan community has a rich history of standing firm and fighting to protect its scarce green space. I will continue to be a leader in the fight to protect public park space so that it is free, well-maintained and able to be enjoyed by all.

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