Public Parks

View of Golden Gate Bridge from Presidio Golf Course with tall trees in foreground in San Francisco, California.

Urban Golf Courses: Publicly Subsidized, Privately Enjoyed

City golf courses, paid for by public dollars, are rarely used by the vast majority of residents. Some advocates want to see them opened to the public as parks or repurposed for housing.

November 7, 2023 - Business Insider

Rendering of people walking on grassy lawn and gravel walkway under 6th Street Bridge in Los Angeles

New Park Breaks Ground Under L.A.’s Sixth Street Viaduct

The park will connect to the Los Angeles River bike path and transit projects coming to the area.

August 8, 2023 - Urbanize LA

A rendering of a large park space and public theater.

Harley Davidson Includes Community Park in Headquarters Revamp

Milwaukee is about to get a major community space upgrade thanks to one of its most recognizable hometown brands.

January 12, 2023 - Urban Milwaukee

Heritage Rail Trail County Park, York, Pennsylvania with railroad next to unpaved walking/biking trail and sun filtering through green trees

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Issues 2022 Grants

The organization awarded 25 grants for projects that promote outdoor recreation and access to trail facilities for underserved communities.

November 22, 2022 - Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

People walking on sidewalk adjacent to bike lane with trees and buildings in background in Hong Kong park

Tiny Parks Make Big Impact in Hong Kong

New pocket parks provide valuable opportunities for residents to play and gather in the territory's dense neighborhoods.

October 26, 2022 - CNN

Hiking trail through green, forested area

Identifying and Addressing Rural Park and Recreation Needs

Rural communities are not homogeneous. Each has its own unique demographics, location, topography, history, park and recreation needs, and community preferences.

October 24, 2022 - Parks & Rec Business

View of Capitol building on Pennsylvania Avenue

Three Concepts for a Pennsylvania Avenue Makeover

The Pennsylvania Avenue Initiative seeks to redesign the capital’s most famous thoroughfare to include more park space and pedestrian amenities.

April 29, 2022 - WTOP

An aerial view of Los Angeles at dawn, with Westlake and MacArthur Park in the foreground and Downtown Los Angeles in the background.

Mobile Recreation Program to Serve Park-Poor Areas

Los Angeles County launches "Park On the Move" initiative to offer recreational activities and opportunities in underserved communities.

February 13, 2022 - Associated Press

Water Works at Mill Ruins Park

New Minneapolis Park Connects City to the Mississippi River

The newly built Water Works Park and Pavilion incorporates elements of historic mills and provides amenities long absent from the city's waterfront.

November 24, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

Playground

Schoolyards as a Solution for Park-Poor Cities

Opening schoolyards to the public could be 'game-changing' for communities lacking in green space.

September 12, 2021 - The Trust for Public Land

Washington Square Park, New York City

Manhattan Residents Cling to Public Space Amid NYPD Crackdowns

The city's police has begun issuing citations and implementing curfews in public parks that became oases of social activity during the pandemic.

June 16, 2021 - Gothamist

Magnolia Gardens

New Tool Aims to Make Parks More Resilient to Climate Change

The interactive mapping platform helps park managers understand the risks in their area and create long-term resilience plans.

June 2, 2021 - Next City

Downtown Houston and Buffalo Bayou

New Park Opens as Part of Houston's Ambitious Bayou Greenways 2020 Plan

Bayou Greenways Park is part of a decade-long project building 172 miles of connected greenways around the city of Houston.

May 30, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Esplanade at Battery Park

Meet Some of New York City's Newest Parks

In a city where density is everything, these park projects make creative use of existing public spaces—and, in some cases, create their own.

March 7, 2021 - Urbanize New York

Chicago Dog Park

Boston Leaders Want A Dog Park in Every Neighborhood

City leaders want to build more off-leash dog parks, partly as a response to the trend of "pandemic puppies" that has led to a sharp spike in urban dog ownership.

February 24, 2021 - The Boston Globe

Park(ing) Day

The Pandemic Revealed Public Space as 'Essential Infrastructure'

COVID-19 restrictions have highlighted the importance of abundant, multi-use open spaces accessible to all.

February 5, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

COVID-19

Staying Healthy During the Pandemic

Local parks and green spaces that enable safe social distancing have never been more important to people living in cities. The Trust for Public Land has released a new report showing their importance and the challenges they are facing.

August 4, 2020 - The Washington Post

New York City Park

Report: New York City Public Parks Under Stress Due to Budget Cuts and Lack of Private Funding

The private non-profit organizations that support half of New York City's public parks anticipate up to a 60% decrease in funding at a time when people rely on parks more than ever before.

May 18, 2020 - The Architect's Newspaper

Central Park from Rockefeller Center Historic Photo

Design in the Time of Cholera: How Pandemics Reshaped the Built Environment

Some of the most beloved public parks and essential advances in public sanitation can be traced back to their roots in the Cholera outbreaks in the 1800s.

May 8, 2020 - History

Basketball

Legalize Basketball Hoops

Noise and drug dealers are two reasons to remove city-owned basketball hoops every day. Or you could give the public resources for fun and exercise in place, which is what Toronto decided to do this week.

June 28, 2019 - The Star

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