Greater & Greener conference tracks have been carefully curated to foster an honest dialogue around social equity, cross-agency and cross-sector partnerships, funding models, and repeatable solutions for parks. Sessions are developed with input from all sectors of the park community: City Parks Alliance members, parks and recreation agency leaders, other government agencies, designers, researchers, advocates, and other leaders in the park and city-building fields.
Cities and communities are using parks and recreation spaces as vital physical and civic infrastructure for addressing climate change, ensuring resilience, and responding to civic and climate crises.
Shifting federal funding, disruptive macroeconomic trends, and waning philanthropic support are challenging traditional urban park funding models but also offer a chance to reimagine cross-sector roles and partnerships for more sustainable and equitable investment.
As cities invest in parks to support community development and boost local economies, a key focus is on how agencies and partners are ensuring these improvements promote inclusive growth and benefit existing residents without driving displacement.
The COVID pandemic underscored the vital role of parks in supporting physical and mental health, social connection, and childhood development, yet parks remain underrecognized and underfunded as essential components of community health systems.