City Parks Blog

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09/13/11--14:07: Creating and Financing Infill Parks in the Bay Area: Part III (chan 1260274)

The Trust for Public Land’s Center for City Park Excellence performed a study for the Association of Bay Area Governments, one component of which was identifying examples of how recently completed infill parks were financed. We will be publishing each of the four case studies (see the first here and the second here), with Oakland’s remarkable FROG Park [...]


ryanmdonahue

Playground Construction_Credit_Theresa Nelson

Sweeping_Credit_Theresa Nelson

09/23/11--14:35: Some news from around… (chan 1260274)

The Central Park Conservancy just completed the final phase of the massive overhaul of Central Park that began with the Conservancy’s formation in 1980. Now they’re turning to maintenance and work on trail and drainage improvements. (The New York Times) Georgetown Waterfront Park, a previously barren stretch of land beneath D.C.’s Whitehurst Freeway, opened last [...]


ryanmdonahue

09/29/11--20:58: Bike Sharing Stations to Come to National Mall (chan 1260274)

Last week, Washington, D.C.’s Capital Bikeshare celebrated its one millionth ride, just in time for its one year anniversary. The nation’s capital is the first community in North America to offer a government-sponsored bike sharing system. Capital Bikeshare is extremely popular, attracting over 18,000 members in the past year. This milestone warranted a party, so the [...]


coleengentles

CapitalBikeshare_NationalMall

10/07/11--12:31: Prospect Park and City Park Selected as “Frontline Parks” (chan 1260274)

Each month, City Parks Alliance recognizes two “Frontline Parks” to promote and highlight inspiring examples of urban park excellence, innovation, and stewardship across the country. The program also seeks to highlight examples of the challenges facing our cities’ parks as a result of shrinking municipal budgets, land use pressures, and urban neighborhood decay. Parks are [...]


angelinah

Prospect Park

City Park

10/14/11--19:45: From Dumps to Destinations: Converting Landfills to Parks (chan 1260274)

A tenth excerpt from the recently released book published by Island Press called Urban Green: Innovative Parks for Resurgent Cities. In this post, we look at some cities who have created parkland from capped landfills. New parks can be fashioned out of old garbage dumps. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Balloon Park in Albuquerque, Cesar Chavez Park in [...]


peterharnik

Fresh Kills Park

Mount Trashmore

10/21/11--14:09: Revitalizing D.C.’s “Forgotten River” with Parks and Trails (chan 1260274)

Urban rivers, though cities often owe them their very existence, are accustomed to neglect. The enduring image of the 1969 inferno on Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River, a catastrophe that helped launch the modern environmental movement, is perhaps the most striking example, though many others have suffered through less dramatic but equally devastating decay. Washington, DC has [...]


ryanmdonahue

potomac

Map of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail

Descending from the bridge onto Anacostia Dr.





10/28/11--14:50: Some News From Around… (chan 1260274)

A record-setting $20 million donation to the High Line will fund the design of the third and final segment of the wildly popular park, and also help fund the considerable operating costs borne by Friends of the High Line. (The New York Times) Though Chicago’s lakefront is packed with parks, much of the rest of [...]


ryanmdonahue

10/31/11--20:30: To Form a More Perfect Union Station: Redesigning Columbus Plaza for Pedestrians (chan 1260274)

Washington, D.C.’s Union Station is a major destination for tourists and commuters, with about 29 million people visiting it each year.  As a first glimpse of the city for many people traveling by rail or car, Union Station was designed as a grand entryway to the nation’s capital.  It’s classical Beaux-Arts architecture influenced other popular [...]


coleengentles

Union Station Washington, D.C.

11/09/11--13:55: The Nation’s Mayors Seek President’s Continued Support for Land and Water Conservation Fund (chan 1260274)

50 mayors across the country urged President Obama this week to support federal funding of urban parks and green space as a strategy for creating jobs and driving economic development. Mayors from Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and smaller cities like Bozeman, Montana, and Bridgeport, Connecticut, sent a letter requesting the administration’s continued [...]


angelinah

11/16/11--09:35: Civic Center and Rotary Centennial Selected as Frontline Parks (chan 1260274)

Each month, City Parks Alliance recognizes two “Frontline Parks” to promote and highlight inspiring examples of urban park excellence, innovation, and stewardship across the country. The program also seeks to highlight examples of the challenges facing our cities’ parks as a result of shrinking municipal budgets, land use pressures, and urban neighborhood decay. Civic Center Park Civic [...]


angelinah

CCInt

RotaryB_FINT

11/22/11--08:22: Creating and Financing Infill Parks in the Bay Area: Part IV (chan 1260274)

The Trust for Public Land’s Center for City Park Excellence performed a study for the Association of Bay Area Governments, one component of which was identifying examples of how recently completed infill parks were financed. This is the last of the four cases studies we’ve published from the study. (See the first three in Emeryville, Windsor, [...]


peterharnik

MissionCreekByNing Deng,MartaFryLandscArchs

MissionCreekCourtesyMissionBayDevelAgency

11/29/11--13:44: Some News from Around… (chan 1260274)

A partnership of agencies in Minneapolis are pushing for a greener downtown, highlighted by the Gateway, a project that would create a center-city park and a connection to the Mississippi River. (Star Tribune) Dog parks have been exploding in popularity over the past several years, but a dog park planned for Hudson River Park in [...]


ryanmdonahue

11/30/11--15:34: “Freedom’s Fortress” Finally Free to be a National Monument (chan 1260274)

Earlier this month, President Obama used his authority under the 1906 Antiquities Act to designate Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia a National Monument. The significance of President Obama’s Proclamation cannot be understated; it is the first time he has used this authority and Fort Monroe is a unique and historically important military base worth federal [...]


coleengentles

Aerial of Fort Monroe in Hampton, VA

ft_monroe_maps_Page_2

12/02/11--06:12: City Parks Alliance Seeks Nominations for “Frontline Parks” Section on Website (chan 1260274)

“FRONTLINE PARKS” highlights urban parks that are creating economic, environmental and social capital through new kinds of partnerships.  This feature on CPA’s website (www.cityparksalliance.org) promotes inspiring examples of urban park excellence, innovation, and stewardship across the country. Twelve parks – one each month – will be featured on CPA’s website home page in 2012.  Each [...]


angelinah

12/08/11--08:11: 2011 City Park Facts Released: Urban Parks Grow as Employment Declines (chan 1260274)

The Trust for Public Land has released its most recent data on city park systems from across the country, showing that the 100 largest cities added more than 120 parks in the past year. Despite aggregate increases in acreage and facilities across the U.S., many city park departments are struggling with funding shortages. Operational spending [...]


ryanmdonahue

2011 City Park Facts

12/12/11--13:33: Signature Park Survey Released (chan 1260274)

City Parks Alliance and HR&A Advisors surveyed 58 dedicated park stewardship organizations across North America to understand their role in park management and the opportunities they create for signature city parks.  Among the findings were that these organizations augment public investment with substantial private funding to improve public spaces. The typical organization sponsors 60 programs [...]


angelinah

12/20/11--07:44: Some News from Around… (chan 1260274)

St. Louis has passed two bond measures for city parks totaling $64 million, along with a commitment of another $280 million in private matching funds. The repair and renovation of city parks is expected to create 580 construction jobs and generate $1 million in sales and income tax for the city. (The St. Louis American) [...]


ryanmdonahue

12/22/11--13:36: Parks Breathe Life (and Jobs) into Cities (chan 1260274)

The South Platte River has become a cherished recreational asset for residents and visitors to Denver. Thoughtful, visionary planning and public-private partnership have restored and transformed the city’s waterfront from what was once called an “urban dump” to refuge for wildlife and people alike. Local efforts to improve the river have created new jobs and [...]


angelinah

12/30/11--20:33: “A Design that Celebrates the People”: Normal, IL Traffic Circle Wins Smart Growth Award as New Civic Space (chan 1260274)

Earlier this month, EPA announced the winners of the 2011 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement.  We are excited to report that Normal, Illinois is the recipient of the award in the Civic Places category for their traffic roundabout. We’ve written before about how the town’s new traffic circle has successfully managed traffic flow at [...]


coleengentles

01/06/12--20:55: From Bluebelts to Greenbelts: Converting Wetlands and Stormwater Storage Ponds to Parkland (chan 1260274)

An eleventh excerpt from the recently released book published by Island Press called Urban Green: Innovative Parks for Resurgent Cities. In this post, we look at some cities who have created parkland from wetlands and stormwater storage ponds. For environmental, financial, and legal reasons, urban stormwater management is getting much more attention – and the result is helping to [...]


peterharnik

NYC Blue Belt

High Point Pond