As Harper Peterson gazed across the river toward the city he once led, he saw inequities in the Wilmington skyline. Standing in Battleship Park under a drizzle of rain, Peterson pointed out publicly funded, glitzy development projects that city officials prioritized over ensuring the poorest neighborhoods had functioning parks-a blindness he says continues to plague decision-making. He says he’s not a pessimist, but rather an optimist for what could be.