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 […]
Seattle’s Rainier Community Center Garden Wins the 2024 Toro Urban Park Innovation Award$50K grant to support innovation in urban food systems and workforce development Washington, DC (March 12, 2024) – Today, the City Parks Alliance and The Toro Company, a leading global provider of solutions for the outdoor environment, announced that the Rainier Community Center’s new […]
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 […]
U.S. REP. NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGÁN LEADS RALLY IN SUPPORT FOR “OUTDOORS FOR ALL ACT” WITH CHIEF EXECS FROM THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION, SIERRA CLUB, AND CITY PARKS ALLIANCE WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 30, 2023) – Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.-44) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) co-hosted a press conference today on the […]
In January 2024, City Parks Alliance updated our membership structure to better serve our members and increase access to our member-exclusive programming and resources. Key membership improvements include: Your City Parks Alliance membership will continue to provide the existing benefits you know and love including: Renew early to access the new benefits right awayCurrent City […]
Austin, Texas (September 21, 2023) – City Parks Alliance is excited to announce that Greater & Greener 2026, the premier international event exploring the transformative potential of urban parks, will be hosted in Austin, Texas. The conference will bring together more than 1,000 urban park leaders, city planners, design professionals, and advocates from around the world to […]
Note: Chester Kano, an architect and the Chief of Development Division with the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation, was a participant in the Alliance’s St. Louis Park Study Tour. Thank you to Chester for sharing his reflections on his experience with this guest blog. Is there anything better than a good surprise? Something […]
The City Parks Alliance Board of Directors voted in five new board members, one new officer, and two new committee chairs at its spring board meeting. The new members took their seats on the board as of July 1. They bring a depth of experience in parks, urban design, and environmental conservation and represent the public, private, […]