This panel will examine how cities are redefining equity and confronting gentrification by repairing harm and reinvesting in places long left behind. Guided by real-world examples—such as from a former convict leasing site, decommissioned mental health institution, wetland in a chronically flooded and neglected neighborhood, and segregated pools and amusement parks—panelists will examine how park planners and operators are confronting challenging legacies by investing in spaces with care and creativity, using processes that focus on trust-building with communities.
Attendees will leave with fresh insights into how to reposition parks as platforms for restoration—socially, ecologically, and institutionally. In the process, you may rethink the meaning of the term “destination parks” from being a far-flung regional and tourist destination to instead meaning any park space where connections can be made, fractures can be healed, trust can be built, and a city’s identity can be conceived and re-imagined.
