York City Parks Superintendent Tom Landis Reflects on Childhood Parks, Urges Their Continued Value

Tom Landis, superintendent of York City Parks, Recreation, and Sanitation, opened the remarks by identifying himself and recounting how the city's parks shaped his childhood. "My name is Tom Landis. I am the superintendent of York City Parks, Recreation, and Sanitation," he said, then described growing up on Conawaga Avenue and spending time at Lincoln Park, Newnan Fields and Kiwanis Lake.

Landis gave specific memories to illustrate the parks' role in young people's lives: fishing in the creek at Lincoln Park, swinging across Willis Run from a rope swing and participating in the summer playground program where activities like box hockey were offered. "The summer playground program was extremely important, to me as well as the rest of the youth in the city of York," he said. He said those experiences influenced his career choice and his long-term commitment to city parks.

He framed the parks system as more than recreation, saying playgrounds were selected "in a way that promotes learning and thinking and imagination and creativity" and that play helps children develop motor skills, exercise and socialization. Landis noted the system's historical planning goal that each child should have at least one park within walking distance of home, and he used his own experience to argue for preserving that accessibility.

Landis has led York City Parks for decades and emphasized operational priorities: keeping parks "clean, well maintained, and safe for all residents to enjoy." His remarks combined personal history with a policy-oriented case for the continuing upkeep and accessibility of the city's park system.