A new report by the Center for an Urban Future signals the need for attention to the Big Apple's parks before they are beyond repair.
The Center for an Urban Future released a report on New York City's public parks this week, capturing the attention of multiple media outlets in the process of telling the story of an aging and neglected parks portfolio.
The report, titled "A New Leaf: Revitalizing New York City's Aging Parks Infrastructure," was funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. According to the website for the report, A New Leaf "offers a new level of detail about the infrastructure needs of New York City’s parks—including invisible infrastructure, pathways, built facilities, and landscape—and encompasses both well-known facilities like playgrounds and bathrooms, and lesser-recognized yet integral components, such as drainage systems and retaining walls."
The report also produces more than a 20 recommendations, focusing on issues of financing, maintenance, planning, and construction.
For insight into the media reaction to the report, read the following news stories written since the report's release.
- Inside NYC’s $6 billion parks problem (The New York Post)
- New York City Parks Are In Desperate Need Of Repairs, Study Finds (CBS New York)
- New York City parks hobbled by age, underinvestment according to new report (The Architect's Newspaper)
Eli Dvorkin, managing editor of the Center for an Urban Future, also penned an op-ed for the Gotham Gazette to make the case for a concerted revitalization effort for the city's parks.
FULL STORY: A New Leaf: Revitalizing New York City's Aging Parks Infrastructure
Making Park Plans a Reality
Los Angeles County implements equity-focused community parks and recreation plans.
New Park Coming to Chinatown in Los Angeles
A new half-acre park is taking shape on a previously undeveloped hillside property in Chinatown, one of the more densely populated and park-poor areas in L.A.
Adopting an Intersectional Approach to Parks Planning
This approach makes sense because parks are not isolated spaces, and park planning cannot be done effectively or holistically without considering the social, economic, physical, and political context in which parks are located.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Meet NYC’s New Office of Livable Streets
The NYC DOT program will build on pandemic-era initiatives to promote safe and comfortable streets that enhance community and expand uses beyond just moving cars.
Transit Riders Face the Highest Safety Risks in These 10 States
According to federal data, the average number of safety incidents on public transportation averaged 55.2 per 100,000 people across all states between 2010 and 2023. Which states came in well above the national average?
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
