Kenneth Allen, director of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, remembers riding his bike to MacGregor Park near his childhood home in Houston, full of anticipation. As a kid, he loved swimming in the pool and playing on the ball fields. Decades later, Allen is partnering on a major overhaul of the park that has […]
At City Parks Alliance, we believe excellent urban park systems are critical infrastructure for equitable, resilient, and thriving cities. We focus on the design, funding, building, programming, operations, and stewardship of parks and how they support related urban systems and public policy goals. Parks today are not just a collection of disparate assets in a […]
Greater & Greener is a conference unlike any other. With nearly as many sessions outside as in, it offers an immersive, energizing, and innovative learning experience focused on the issues that you face daily in your work. It’s a conference for doers from government, nonprofits, and communities who are using the power of parks to […]
Welcome to the new member portal! Here are a few actions to take to maximize your user experience. After logging in, we recommend you update your profile and account settings. Update Your Profile In the member portal, from the top right icon, click “Profile” to edit your contact information, title, and organization. Don’t forget to […]
We’re excited for you to explore the new City Parks Alliance Member Portal. Below you will find instructions for how to log in, locate the membership management tool, and update the members on your account, and more. If you need additional help, please contact [email protected]. Log In to your account You have two options to […]
On a sunny early-summer day in 2024, a crowd of park leaders and enthusiasts from across North America descended on T. T. Minor Playground in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Seattle. In a flurry of activity, they joined Seattle parks employees to give a makeover to the playground that had become underused and underappreciated, as […]
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 […]
Atlanta, Georgia (October 22, 2025) – City Parks Alliance is excited to announce that Greater & Greener 2028, the premier event exploring the transformational power of urban parks, will be hosted in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference is expected to bring together more than 1,200 urban park leaders, city planners, design professionals, and advocates from around the […]
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 […]
At the Park Circle Playground in North Charleston, South Carolina, kids can explore a sensory tunnel full of colors, lights, and textures, wide enough for a wheelchair and stimulating yet calming. This sensory tunnel is part of the world’s largest inclusive playground, a place where people of all abilities and ages can be engaged, challenged, […]
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 […]
At City Parks Alliance’s May Board of Directors meeting, the board elected four new members. The board also elected a new co-chair and other officers, while recognizing the service of several board members who are term-limited. Four New Members Elected to Board of Directors Stephen Bentley (Raleigh, NC) is the Director of the City of Raleigh (NC) Parks, […]