Examining the opportunities and challenges technology offers to enhance the public realm and support the role of parks as critical civic infrastructure
The COVID pandemic exposed many inequities, including the lack of sufficient access to quality parks and greenspace for all communities. Now more than ever, it is critical for parks agencies and their nonprofit partners to have access to timely, relevant information, tools, and resources so they can position parks and recreation as essential civic infrastructure in cities. There is an opportunity, due to rapid innovation, to employ technology as a tool to better understand park use, connect park visitors with more inclusive narratives, help park users discover nature and biodiversity, crowdsource community advocacy, analyze equity in park investments, and even provide Wi-Fi to neighborhoods in need of better access.
With support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, City Parks Alliance launched the Parks & Technology Initiative in June 2023 to lift up community stories, data, and practices around the use of technology in designing, maintaining, and programming public spaces. With programming over two years, the Alliance will amplify the promise and challenges of technology in parks and public spaces to support data-driven decision-making for use and managements, promote community engagement and partnerships, expand narratives about place, and improve social equity in parks and the public realm.
Image courtesy of the Underline in Miami, FL and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Highlights from Greater & Greener 2024
Through this initiative, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation supported the following programs at Greater & Greener 2024 in Seattle, WA on the themes of data and technology:
Keynote
How Tech and Data Can Help with More Equitable Use and Management of Parks and Public Spaces by Jackie Lu, President & Co-Founder, Helpful Places, Toronto, Canada
Workshops
Skill-Building Workshop on Using Data to Create Equitable Park Investment Strategies
Mobile Workshop to Cheasty Greenspace: Forest Trail Mapping with Mobile GIS Technology
Virtual Programming
Deploying Technology to Explore Park Usage and Impact (January 2024 Webinar)
Guest speakers from The Underline in Miami and Boston Harbor Now shared how they are deploying technology to measure and understand park usage patterns, access issues, and the impacts of parks on the community and the environment. They also discussed the use of predictive modeling to make more informed maintenance and environmental design choices.
Making Data Part of Your DNA: Operationalizing Data Processes (February 2024 Peer Conversation)
Members of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s Data Insights Team, which has centralized data and the projects it touches within the organization, shared their journey to a more coordinated, proactive, and organized approach to utilizing data across departments. Attendees then investigated strategies to make data part of their organization’s DNA.
Previous City Parks Alliance Programming
Using Technology to Measure Park Use (April 2023 Webinar)
Guest speakers from Memphis and Detroit park nonprofits discussed the different ways they’ve leveraged technology to understand how their parks are used, as well as how they’ve used this data to “make the case for parks” and provide a more responsive user experience.
Understanding Park Use Through Technology Tools (May 2023 Peer Conversation)
Staff from the Center City District in Philadelphia led a discussion on various technology tools they utilize, the types of data these tools provide, and how they apply this information in their work. Tools include counters and geo-fencing, which when used together, help them understand visitation patterns, some demographic information, and engagement with the space.
More to Come
A synthesis of learnings from City Parks Alliance programming on what park leaders need to know and what questions to ask around the opportunities technology offers to create and manage more equitable public spaces and position parks as essential civic infrastructure, and the challenges that might arise in the process.
Follow-up about the outcomes of the technology-focused park and public space work of speakers from Greater & Greener sessions.
An introductory library of relevant data and resources for parks professionals.
More City Parks Alliance virtual programming on this topic in 2025.
Support for this initiative is provided by:
