Incidents of skin cancer on the rise
CITYWIDE It’s not enough for a park to have plenty of open space, picnic tables, basketball courts and structurally sound playground equipment. It also has to have shade, and lots of it.
It seems some parents feel Santa Monica’s parks don’t have enough, prompting City Hall to study the amount of shade parks receive at different times of the day during different seasons to see if children and their parents are protected from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
“It’s important for these areas for small children to be shaded, not only from the sun, but from other issues such as the equipment being too hot to play on, not to mention the asphalt that can severely burn their little feet,” parent Nikola Caravana wrote in an online petition signed by more than 200 people and presented to the City Council earlier this month.
“Please help keep our kids safe and happy,” Caravana said.
City staff will be monitoring the movement of the sun and making recommendations to the Recreation and Parks Commission, said Karen Ginsberg, assistant director of Community and Cultural Services at City Hall. Staff will then be prepared to make recommendations for funding, including identifying any potential grant funding available.
Currently there is no funding set aside specifically for the purchase of shade structures, Ginsberg said. But if the City Council feels it is a priority, funds could be shifted.
“We are prepared to work Parks and Rec to assess the need and really get a handle from the community, from the moms and others who signed the petition to really understand what they are looking for,” Ginsberg said. “Shade moves of course. So we need to understand what we can do, what kind of analysis is needed at each site and what shade [parents] are looking for.”
City staff is not aware of any state laws mandating a certain amount of shade at playgrounds and parks.
The lack of shade has garnered more attention in recent years given the rise of skin cancer in the United States. More than 1 million people in the U.S. develop skin cancer each year and about 10,000 people die from it annually,according to the American Cancer Society. Skin cancer among young adults and teenagers is more prevalent today than ever and parents are becoming increasingly concerned. Young people get about 80 percent of their total lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18,making protecting them now a top priority. Just one blistering sunburn is estimated to double the risk of developing melanoma later in life.
Statistics like those have prompted organizations like the National Playground Safety Institute to issue articles warning parents about the dangers of over exposure. But even they are finding that there is no standard for shade, often referring to shade structure manufacturers for the latest information on exposure.
Recreation and Parks Commission Chair Susan Cloke said shade has been on the minds of her and her colleagues for some time and they take into account shade when designing new parks. The new Airport Park includes a shade structure at the dog park to protect users, and trees were planted in locations that would provide for the greatest amount of shadows, however, those trees are still young and need time to mature, prompting commissioners to ask themselves if interim measures need to be taken.
“The issue of shade is a concern for us for several different reasons, but first and foremost is public health,” Cloke said. “Secondly, it’s a comfort issue for people using our parks. We want to look at different ways and different opportunities to provide shade in parks.”
Palisades Park is a perfect example of good design, Cloke said. There are areas that are heavily shaded by trees, providing visitors a chance to cool down and get out of the sun. Other areas are uncovered for the most part, allowing people to soak in the rays if they choose.
“We prefer to go the old fashioned way and use trees as much as possible,” Cloke said of providing shade.“But we have looked at different mechanisms such as tarps or canopies. … I think if you look around though you will find a good balance between shade and sun.”
In designing the Annenberg Community Beach House on Pacific Coast Highway, commissioners worked with city planners and designers to incorporate shade structures into the playground. When looking at improvements the Reed Park city staff chose playground equipment that creates some shadows. That, coupled with shade provided by mature trees, should be enough to protect users, Ginsberg said, but the area won’t be covered in shadows completely throughout the day.
Installing shade structures can be expensive, with some of the larger structures selling for as much as $200,000, depending on the size and the material used. Smaller structures can sell for $10,000. That can put a strain on a city or school district already facing tight budgets.
One group, Shade 4 Schools, has developed a fundraising model to help PTAs protect school children. Instead of selling cookies or chocolates and then using that money to purchase the shade structures, the model calls for PTAs to sell the shade itself, asking parents and companies to purchase portions of a shade structure.
There are also nonprofits with money available to purchase shade structures. The SHADE Foundation of America, which is dedicated to eradicating melanoma through the education of children and the community in the prevention and detection of skin cancer and the promotion of sun safety, provides grants to schools.
Some parents say cost shouldn’t be an issue, especially when it comes to the health of children.
“I don’t know of any playground in Santa Monica or Venice with shade,” said Teresa O’Brien.“The sand and the actual structures are unbearable and burn in the summer. Most people play under the structures in the heat. I personally don’t take my kids to any of the parks in the summer. Shade would be wonderful.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 18, 2008. Read the original PDF.