Finding ways to fund, operate, and maintain parks is an enduring challenge for communities. In Omaha, The RiverFront is a 72-acre transformation of three underutilized parks into a connected public realm linking downtown to the Missouri River. A two-year master planning process led to the decision to turn operations over to a nonprofit that manages public venues which led to over 1,200 events annually, 2.5 million visitors in two years, and over $500 million in reinvestment. In contrast, Parks for the Town of Cary committed to a 20-year framework to acquire downtown parcels for public space. In less than two years, the park welcomed 1.5 million visitors and catalyzed downtown reinvestment.
This session invites discussion around ways to develop integrated and early planning models for funding, governance, and activation that help catalyze support and economic success for parks. These examples will compare how both parks structured short- and long-term operational targets and how activation planning supports revenue projections.
Attendees will leave with relevant tools and techniques that can be adapted to a wide range of communities and park projects that are seeking funding strategies and how parks become self-sustaining.