Laura Vanderkam tells of a not-too-distant past where New York's parks and public places were in disarray, and it took public-private partnerships to bring them back to their former glory (and maybe better).
Vanderkam says that cities all over the country "...are trying to replicate the success that New York's public-private partnerships have achieved." Looking in particular at Central Park, she considers how far the park has come since the 1970s:
"[P]erhaps the most amazing thing about Central Park is how little tax money goes into maintaining it. Though it is still ultimately the city's responsibility, the park has been managed since the 1980s by the nonprofit Central Park Conservancy, and it relies on private donations for most of its budget. The marriage between the city and the Conservancy has been a fruitful one. Can this model, known as a public-private partnership, restore and invigorate all of New York's green spaces, including neighborhood parks in less affluent areas? "
FULL STORY: Parks and Re-creation

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Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie