From Queens to Chattanooga, Federal Funding Cuts are Killing Park Projects

Federal cuts to a wide range of grant programs are forcing cities to scale back or suspend parks projects, reports Patrick Sisson in Bloomberg CityLab.

“The Environmental Protection Agency’s Community Change grant program, which was slated to provide $1.6 billion in funds for numerous park and climate resiliency projects across the US, was canceled. So was EPA’s $600 million Thriving Communities grantmaking program, an initiative that directed resources to environmental nonprofits in low-income areas; a White House press release called it out for funding organizations “committed to the radical energy agenda” (a federal ruling later ordered $180 million in grants to be disbursed).”

The Trump administration also canceled USDOT grants, particularly those related to walkability and active transportation, many of which contribute funding to park and greenway projects. Although funding for day-to-day operations usually comes from local and state sources, federal funding is key to capital projects like acquiring new parkland and building new parks. 

According to Sisson, “Many of the organizations that were set to receive funding, particularly via EPA grants, were grassroots community groups, often in lower-income areas that have less access to aid from businesses and philanthropic benefactors.” Park advocates say eliminating parks funding also denies communities the positive multiplier effects of green space. “They hire and employ builders, engineers and designers, and adding or improving parks tends to raise property values of adjacent land and create foot traffic for retail activity.”