General
Skate-It-Forward at Howard Park
What exactly is Skate-it-Forward? Driven by equality among our residents, the Skate-it-Forward program is designed to make sure every resident has full access to our park amenities regardless of personal circumstances. The Skate-it-Forward program is a powerful initiative where every patron of Howard Park will be a changemaker by advancing these equity goals and provide access […]
A Changing Landscape
Boomer Introduced earlier this year, Boomer has reactivated neighborhood parks throughout South Bend. The impact of this program has seen a multitude of partnerships and neighborhood awareness. Over 2,500 people have attended a Boomer event so far, with more to follow throughout the upcoming months. Neighborhood Parks As part of the My SB Parks & […]
A Second Vision For South Bend’s First Park
The first of its kind in many respects, Howard Park is about to become one of South Bend’s most prized assets. Although this project is quite expansive – altering the entire landscape of the park – it’s not the first time this piece of land was transformed. Once South Bend’s trash dump and breeding ground for diseases like malaria in the summer […]
Reinventing South Bend’s Historic Spaces
An elaborate wrought-iron gate frames the entrance to City Cemetery at 211 Elm Street, where a newly poured parking lot sits in stark contrast to the property’s nearly 200-year-old threshold. Undergoing a multi-year redevelopment, City Cemetery is just one of South Bend’s many historic public spaces slated for revitalization, thanks to local community advocates and the city’s My South Bend Parks & Trails initiative. “After many years of not getting attention, the […]
Welcome Back, Howard Park!
As part of the “Welcome Back, Howard Park” grand opening festivities, I had the opportunity to offer three different public addresses. Working on this project along so many talented and generous community members has been one of the greatest honors in my life to date. To fully capture my sentiments, I’d like to share the […]
Back-In Angle Parking at Howard Park
What is Back-In Angle Parking? Designed to improve safety when entering and exiting traffic, back-in angle parking allows drivers to reverse into spots, making them vigilant of other bicyclists, pedestrians and traffic around them. When drivers leave, they pull forward into the street instead of backing into it, allowing them to see oncoming traffic easier. […]
Facilities and Grounds: Thinking Outside the Box
Picture this: litter on the street, overgrown grass, barren and broken parks. Our Facilities and Grounds team works hard to make sure this never happens. It’s easy to forget about the hard work that goes into making our city beautiful. When everything is running smoothly you don’t think about the alternative. The unsung heroes of […]
Coming Soon to South Bend – Boomer, a Mobile Experience
EQUITY The City of South Bend is investing approximately $50 Million of capital improvements into our shared public spaces through an initiative called My SB Parks & Trails. This includes hundreds of deferred maintenance items, such as replacing old and unsafe playgrounds, benches, athletic courts, and sidewalks. The improvements are designed to make our parks […]
VPA Welcomes You to 2019
With everything we do, we keep in mind our mission to inspire a more livable South Bend for all, connecting us to emotionally engaging experiences and each other.
Best. Week. Ever.
2017 was full of exciting changes for our community, including the addition of the 1st Annual Best. Week. Ever. celebration. For an entire week, every day and evening, across every portion of the city, something was happening. 50,000+ residents and visitors attended the approximately 100 experiences that took place. Best. Week. Ever. was built upon […]
Spark’s Top 5
Venues Parks & Arts staff members give you five things they’re looking forward to this fall and winter.
Winter Warriors
VPA Behind the Scenes