TR Parks for TR People!

A Call for REAL Community Engagement in the Travelers Rest Parks Master Plan

TR:  A Home Near the Park

Five years ago, my children ran with delight through the woods.  We watched mountain bikers jump while eating a picnic lunch.  A fellow mom and I chatted while pushing swings:  the local library was on the other side of the trees, and she and her mother ran a nature-based preschool at the edge of the mountain we could see in the near-distance.  I was sold:  Travelers Rest would be our family’s new community.

TR, as I would soon learn to call it, looks great on paper.  Southern Living calls it “South Carolina’s Best-Kept Secret.”  The activities they feature are almost exclusively outdoors, and most are free and on public land:  from the Swamp Rabbit Trail for biking or Trailblazer Park for events and markets.  I knew this in my mind when my family embarked on a COVID-era, cross-country move to the Asheville/Greenville area.  But it was that day in its parks, connecting to its people while surrounded by its trees, that I knew it in my heart.

But Who Controls the Parks?

In 2026, Travelers Rest has an opportunity to build on shared love of the outdoors, while also empowering its residents.  Just over a year ago, Greenville County transferred three local parks to City ownership, including Gateway Park where I chatted by the swing-set.  The mayor announced that they will engage the community in a master planning effort for all City parks.  That engagement effort is described as a survey to “give us insights” as the City determines the future of the network of parks that serve city residents.

This survey approach isn’t new or unique.  In fact, asking residents for their input at all can feel like a win, but it’s a disappointing prize.  Local government attempts at community engagement range from the boring to the unproductive to the disingenuous.  For decades, local governments have made engineering drawings available to the public, received little productive feedback, and called it a day.  In an era where trust in government is at an all-time low, that is no longer sufficient.

Meaningful Engagement Means Shifting Power

The Master Plan for parks in Travelers Rest should be designed by the people, for the people.  The City has an opportunity to empower local residents to make decisions about the future of their shared green spaces through a meaningful co-design process.

In South Carolina’s political tradition, this is simply an extension of states rights.  Just as the federal government should not interfere with state functions, state and county governments should not interfere with the work of local governments.  The County shifting park management to the City fits this tradition of making decisions by those closest to residents’ needs and wants.  Empowering community members directly only further honors this principle.

But Aren’t Common Folk Too Uninformed to Decide?

There is sure to be someone who argues that “common folk” can’t be trusted with decisions of this magnitude.  Won’t they waste money on something frivolous?  What if they just argue and get nothing done?

Actually, research shows that regular people are just as capable of serving the collective good as public servants.  A study of school councils in Utah reveals that “in decision-making institutions where ordinary citizens are given actual power to administer public resources, they constantly have to mediate and negotiate common concerns.”   When residents are given time and space to fully explore an issue, they don’t just vote for what will serve them:  they make informed choices that serve the community as a whole, now and into the future.

Attempts at direct democracy are not new or scary.  Communities in Massachusetts have been governed by Town Meetings for 300 years, calling their process “the purest form of democratic governing.”  More recently, participatory budgeting has become a method for engaging people in some of the most important governance conversations.  If communities from Rochester to Los Angeles can find meaningful ways to talk about accounting and fund allocations, TR can find ways to talk to people about parks.

It Starts with TR Parks

The Trust for Public Land outlines nearly 50 tactics for intentional park design, specifically “authentic methods of community engagement that prioritize sharing power between traditional decision-makers and those community members who represent local wisdom, expertise, and the interests of historically marginalized populations.”  Research confirms that parks that are co-designed with community have more use, a higher sense of community ownership, and promote social cohesion.

Parks are a critical component of any city, particularly Travelers Rest. I know this firsthand.  A deep and authentic engagement process with city residents takes time, but it will result in better parks, a stronger city brand, and more engaged residents.  The City would have to be open to experimenting, and fortunately, there are many ideas, strategies, and lessons, just in the resources linked here.  That, combined with the City’s shared identity as a leader in active living, will make it possible.  As we say, “it starts with TR.”