After dozens of kids cut ribbons June 29, 2023, to inaugurate major additions to Comiskey Park in Dubuque, Iowa’s North End neighborhood, “chaos” ensued, according to Mayor Brad Cavanagh and other attendees. But it wasn’t bad chaos, it was just a sign of how excited kids were to race to the new splash pad and […]
The Land & Water Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) grant program is a smart investment for America’s cities and towns. The ORLP is a nationally competitive program managed by the National Park Service that provides matching grants to assist cities that have little to no access to outdoor recreation opportunities. The program provides […]
On June 22, 2025, the US Conference of Mayors (USCM), at its 93nd Annual Meeting in Tampa, FL, adopted a new city parks resolution that urges the U.S. Department of the Interior to continue its strong support and to prioritize funding for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP). The resolution passed unanimously. Cleveland, OH Mayor Justin […]
First – and only – permanent and dedicated urban parks bill ensures more Americans will have access to safe, quality parks. On December 19, 2024, Congress passed the EXPLORE Act which contains the first – and only – dedicated and permanent city park legislation. The EXPLORE Act includes the Outdoors for All Act which codifies […]
The Rainier Valley neighborhood in Southeast Seattle is known as one of the most diverse urban enclaves in the country, home to immigrants and their descendants from Italy, Japan, the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and other countries. It’s also a dense area with little green space and few places for families living in […]
The coastline in Stamford, Connecticut, is one of the city’s greatest assets. But residents of the Waterside neighborhood, despite the name, have not had much access to the water. That is now changing thanks to a sweeping renovation of Boccuzzi Park, funded in part by the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP). The 12-acre park’s design is being […]
Getting outdoors to play, walk, or just enjoy the fresh air has countless physical, mental, and social benefits, many studies have shown. But underserved communities in urban neighborhoods disproportionately lack access to parks and green space for such activities. The federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program aims to change that by providing dollar-for-dollar matching funds for new parks and […]
Saint Paul, Minnesota, school teacher Hannah Reiderer lives right near Fritz Klark Park. But she usually takes her three kids to parks in other parts of town since the local park has become run-down, and the adjacent busy, wide Rice Street is inhospitable. Saint Paul’s North End neighborhood is one of the most diverse in […]
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act. This bill contains the Outdoors for All Act which would codify the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP). Established in 2014, the ORLP focuses on providing outdoor recreation in disadvantaged communities within urban areas. Since the program’s creation, 96 […]
The past few years have thrown parks into the spotlight. Parks are safe havens, critical urban infrastructure, and manifestations of equity, or too often the lack thereof, in our cities. The COVID-19 pandemic, the national reckoning with racial equity and justice, and the impacts of climate change have all highlighted the vital role urban parks […]
“Parks make our cities work.” I shared those words at a press conference in late November on the steps of the US Capitol building, calling for passage of the Outdoors for All Act. The legislation would codify much-needed funding for park projects in underserved urban communities. It has yet to pass Congress but is the […]
Washington, DC (December 1, 2023) – Yesterday, City Parks Alliance Executive Director Catherine Nagel joined Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.-1), National Parks Recreation Association (NRPA) CEO Kristine Stratton, and Sierra Club CEO Ben Jealous at a rally on the steps of the United States Capitol building in support of the Outdoors for All […]