Communities blossom in Nations in Bloom: the Nations in Bloom annual international awards competition is a worldwide celebration of what makes a community livable, sustainable and enjoyable

Parks & Recreation, Oct, 2002 by Richard Dolesh

Nations in Bloom is the world's leading environment-based awards competition that recognizes the best in environmental management practices, excellence in landscape design, success in heritage management, commitment to empowering local communities and forward planning. Annual awards are granted in five categories of daytime population, ranging from communities of up to 20,000 citizens to those with more than 1,000,000 citizens.

The objectives of Nations in Bloom are to encourage innovation and leadership in communities around the world. The awards recognize those communities that provide vibrant, sustainable and livable communities for residents, who in turn support the efforts to enhance the quality of life and participate in planning for the future.

Communities are judged by five criteria by an international panel of judges:

* Enhancement of the Landscape: How a community enhances its natural and man-made landscapes to create civic pride, facilitate enjoyment of recreation and improve the quality of life within the community.

* Heritage Management: How a community values, preserves and manages its natural resources, cultural heritage and historic sites.

* Environmentally Sensitive Practices: How a community pursues initiatives that result in sustainable management of the environment, including enhancing the quality of air, water and open space as well as reducing the consumption of natural resources.

* Community Involvement: How a community involves all sectors, including individuals, businesses and community organizations in the practical maintenance, management and planning of the local environment.

* Planning for the Future: How a community employs sensitive and creative planning techniques for the creation of sustainable and livable communities.

Nine U.S. communities were named finalists in last year's judging, which took place in late November and early December 2001 in Shenzen, People's Republic of China. Forty-one international jurisdictions in 18 countries were invited to-participate in the finals. Included in the group of finalists were Chicago, Ill., Smyrna, Tenn., Coralville, Iowa, Greenwood Village, Co., Des Moines, Iowa, Rochester, N.Y., Baltimore, Md., Los Angeles, Calif., and Miami-Dade County; Fla.. Three U.S. entries received overall awards in their respective population brackets, and a fourth received a special award for excellence in Heritage Management.

A behind-the-scenes look at the four award-winning U.S. entries--Coralville, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Miami-Dade County--shows how these communities have gained the reputation of being some of the most livable communities in the world.

CORALVILLE, IOWA

First Place, Category B (average daytime population of 20,001-75,000)

Coralville, Iowa, in east-central Iowa, is a city of great civic pride in the midst of the Great Plains. Coralville became interested in the Nations in Bloom competition principally through the efforts of its Parks and Recreation Department. "Nations in Bloom was a wonderful experience and a delightful chance to exchange `green' success stories with colleagues from around the world," says Juli Seydell Johnson, director of parks and recreation of Coralville.

Coralville's presentation demonstrated that, for its community, careful attention to the award-judging criteria was the path to a final award. In recent years, Coralville city leaders have initiated a number of projects that exemplify the spirit of Nations in Bloom. These have included heritage preservation projects; landscape and thoroughfare enhancements; partnerships with housing developers for open space planning; community involvement in redevelopment projects; and a number of environmentally sensitive best management practices in prairie grass preservation, brownfields restoration and wetland enhancements.

Coralville's success in its population category--the only first-place award granted to a U.S. city--shows that you don't have to be big to get it right.

BALTIMORE, MD.

Third Place, Category D (average daytime population of 200,001-1,000,000)

Affectionately known as "Charm City," Baltimore is a bustling industrial city near the Chesapeake Bay with a unique maritime history. Perhaps the best example of the transformation of this once-dingy city is the sparkling top-to-bottom renewal of the Inner Harbor. The Inner Harbor now boasts world-class destinations for enjoying entertainment, culture, education and American history. More than 13 million visitors make Baltimore a travel destination annually, and the combination of retail shops, restaurants and heritage attractions make Baltimore a vibrant, livable and enjoyable place to be.

Baltimore's award-winning presentation revolved around the facilities and parks of the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, but all agencies and departments contributed to the application. William Stine, chief horticulturalist, says, "It took a full year to gather information, take photos and prepare our application. We touched base with volunteers in other city agencies and in all in-house departments. We then systematically winnowed our information to prepare an application that followed the criteria closely and clearly."