American cities have come a long way from our agricultural and industrial pasts, now cities are expected to provide residents with an “experience” like Parks and Recreation.  That’s the message Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness provided to the Parks and Recreation Foundation during their breakfast Thursday morning at Saxony Hall.

“Cities are in the experience business,” the mayor said.  “I have to create an experience here that is second to none, that attracts human capital here to our community because businesses will locate to where the human capital’s at.”

Fadness told the crowd pedestrian connectivity is now a major component of how a city must design itself.  He emphasized how important parks are to connecting those dots.

Green space and social infrastructure are also important ways parks fit into how a city develops.  He talked about the latest big green space for Fishers, the planned park on Geist Reservoir.  He also explained that Parks & Recreation activities can pull people out of their homes with high-tech television sets and get them into more social settings.

Mayor Fadness also lauded Linda Carlino, long-time head of the local youth sports organization, who plans to retire later this year after 18 years with the nonprofit organization.   You can listen to a podcast I recorded last April with Linda Carlino at this link. 

For more information on the Fishers Parks and Recreation Foundation use this link.