Equitable Park Funding Hub

The Equitable Park Funding Hub provides easy access to information on a variety of funding sources relevant for parks and recreation in low-income communities and communities of color, and highlights the partnerships required for successful funding.

Parks, trails, and nature support public health, workforce development, local economies, the environment, and community cohesion. And yet historic disinvestment has left many communities with the greatest need with the least access to quality parks and recreation opportunities.

The Equitable Park Funding Hub highlights six sectors and summarizes grant and technical assistance opportunities under each, including eligibility, park funding use, match requirement, and other important information to help determine if the program is the right fit for a project. It is not intended to be a comprehensive source of funding opportunities but a starting point with examples and links to the various agencies that oversee the programs.

As many federal funding sources in the Hub are competitive, require match dollars, and often cannot cover maintenance or programming, stable local public funding is essential for a successful and equitable park system. Local funding enables communities to ensure investments promote equitable impacts and address local disparities.

The COVID-19 pandemic shined a spotlight on the need for safe, quality parks and on park inequities throughout communities. Now more than ever, high-quality parks and public spaces in disadvantaged communities require creative and wide-ranging partnerships to unlock public and private funding sources. We hope you will find this resource helpful in assisting with your local park funding needs.

View Funding Areas

The Equitable Park Funding Hub is the result of a two-year collaborative research effort between the City Parks Alliance, Groundwork U.S.A., and the Urban Institute. Support for this work was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Speedwell Foundation.

Explore Equitable Funding Strategies for Parks and Green Infrastructure

The Equitable Park Funding Hub is a living resource intended to be a starting point for researching funding strategies with examples, case studies, and links for further information.

Explore each funding area in depth with links below, or use the sorting feature to help you identify the funding sources that may best match your needs.
We invite you to help us make this Hub stronger by sharing your experiences applying for, and implementing programs with these funding sources. Share your experience below.

Funding Areas

Conservation

Conservation funding can be used to create equitable access to park and recreation amenities, which is critical to improving the health and quality of life of residents in low-income communities.

Brownfields

Brownfields contribute to blight and prevent reinvestment in economically distressed communities. Transforming them into parks can drive reinvestment and improve community health.

Climate Resilience & Stormwater Management

Parks, trees and nature play an important role in cooling neighborhoods and building resilience to natural disasters. Communities of color often lack the greenspace needed to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Community Development

Increasingly, community reinvestment efforts are leveraging the benefits of parks to create vibrant, healthy, and livable neighborhoods with access to jobs and affordable housing.

Local Funding

Stable, local public funding is essential for a successful and equitable park system. It is the primary source for critical maintenance, operations and programming.

Transportation

Federal transportation funding can create trail connections for parks and neighborhoods, which provide new outdoor recreation and commuting options, air-quality and congestion benefits, and local economic development opportunities.

EXPLORE PARK FUNDING

Use this tool to filter, sort, and learn about funding opportunities and potential partnerships.

Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continued the Transportation Alternatives set-aside from the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) program. The Transportation Alternatives (TA) program is the nation’s largest dedicated source of funding for trail and active transportation projects. It provides federal funds for a variety of generally smaller-scale transportation projects such as pedestrian and bicycle facilities; construction of overlooks, and viewing areas; community improvements such as historic preservation and vegetation management; environmental mitigation related to stormwater and habitat connectivity; recreational trails; safe routes to school projects; and vulnerable road user safety assessments.
The Atlanta BeltLine comprises 22 miles of unused railroad tracks circling the core of the city’s in-town neighborhoods. From trails and walkways to open green spaces and parks, the Atlanta BeltLine connects people to neighborhoods, offers transportation options, and promotes redevelopment throughout the city. The Atlanta BeltLine has received numerous federal transportation funds, including Transportation Alternative grants to support the design and construction of the BeltLine’s multi-use trail.

Match from other sources
20% state or local match
Park Funding Use
Planning/Capital/Maintenance
Eligibility for Accessing Funds
LOCAL/REGIONAL/TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, TRANSIT AGENCIES, NATURAL RESOURCE OR PUBLIC LAND AGENCIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES, NONPROFITS
Learn More
Recreational Trails Program (RTP)
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continued the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) as a set-aside from the Transportation Alternatives program. The RTP provides funds to states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both nonmotorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The funds represent a portion of the motor fuel excise tax collected from nonhighway recreational fuel use by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, and off-highway light trucks.
Match from other sources
20% state or local match
Park Funding Use
Capital/Land Acquisition/Maintenance
Eligibility for Accessing Funds
LOCAL/STATE GOVERNMENTS, NONPROFITS (ALLOWED IN SOME STATES)
Learn More
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ)
The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program provides funds to States for transportation projects designed to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality, particularly in areas of the country that do not attain national air quality standards. The program has been a key mechanism for supporting investments that encourage alternatives to driving alone, improve traffic flow, and help urban areas meet air quality goals. Eligible projects include bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
The Loop Dallas is building a 50-mile circuit trail by the same name that will encircle the core of the city. By connecting 39 miles of existing trails in Dallas with 11 miles of newly built trails, The Loop Dallas will increase access to public transportation and green space, ensuring residents can access these resources across the city to commute, for recreation, and wellness.

A catalyst for mobility and economic opportunity, The Loop Dallas will make the city more vibrant and pedestrian-friendly, creating a sense of community and making abundant green space part of its identity. By bringing connections to more neighborhoods and creating a stronger, more united Dallas, The Loop Dallas’ urban trail system can be considered the single most important investment Dallas can make for its residents for generations to come.

In 2019, The Loop Dallas, a 501 (c) 3 formally partnered with the City of Dallas to lead efforts to complete four missing links needed for the 50-mile circuit. One of the projects, the Hi Line Connector, received $8 million in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) funds to overcome the physical barrier created by I-35E. In securing these funds, The Loop Dallas worked closely with its Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) who administered the funds. The Loop Dallas used private philanthropic dollars to drive project management, design and other soft costs and navigate right of way challenges. In 2021, the CMAQ funding was supplemented with additional infrastructure funding from a tax increment financing district bringing the project hardcost total to $11.5 million. This signature project will unite the iconic placemaking of the Katy Trail with the burgeoning Design District in one of the most advanced active transportation projects in Texas.

Match from other sources
20% state and local match, typically
Park Funding Use
Planning/Capital
Eligibility for Accessing Funds
STATE DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION, METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS (ELIGIBLE PROJECT SPONSORS CAN PARTNER WITH PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND NONPROFITS)
Learn More
Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program (RCP)
According to estimates from the U.S. Department of Transportation, highway construction has displaced more than 475,000 households and more than a million people. Highways across the country have cut through neighborhoods, disrupted the pedestrian landscape, worsened air quality, and lowered property values. During this time, impacted communities have suffered lost homes, small businesses, and places to gather. The impacted neighborhoods were largely racial minority and/or low-income communities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included $1 billion towards the new Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program designed to remove, retrofit, or mitigate eligible facilities, restoring community connectivity, and improving people’s lives. The RCP Program will also provide technical assistance and capacity building support through the Reconnecting Communities Institute.
Match from other sources
20% state or local match
Park Funding Use
Planning/Capital
Eligibility for Accessing Funds
PLANNING GRANTS: STATE/LOCAL/TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS, AND NONPROFITS CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION GRANTS: OWNERS OF FACILITIES WHERE ALL REQUIRED PLANNING AND FEASIBILITY STUDIES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED
Learn More

Additional Equitable Funding Research

Report

Investing in Equitable Urban Park Systems: Case Studies and Recommendations

Learn from seven municipalities using equitable, data-driven park investment strategies for distributing park resources.

Report

Closing the Gap: Public and Private Funding Strategies for Neighborhood Parks

Learn about local public funding approaches in this report from City Parks Alliance and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.