Partnerships for Parks - $425.5 Million for Local Parks, Grants, and More

 

Horseshoe Playground in the Bronx, one of 100 parks to be transformed over the next 10 years. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks.

NEW INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY PARKS INITIATIVE On October 26th, Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Parks Commissioner Gabrielle Fialkoff announced $425.5 million in new funding to transform 100 parks in high-needs areas through the expansion of the Community Parks Initiative (CPI). Launched in 2014, CPI strives to create a more equitable parks system by investing in smaller parks in neighborhoods with high poverty levels that haven't seen a significant investment in twenty years.  Since CPI’s inception, Partnerships for Parks has  worked closely with NYC Parks to engage nearly 54,000 volunteers in over 2,000 stewardship projects in CPI areas. Over the next ten years, we will continue to engage New Yorkers in re-creating the 100 selected parks through community input sessions. At these open, public events, community members will meet with Parks designers to share their ideas for how their parks should be transformed. The first 10 community parks to be rebuilt and revitalized are in neighborhoods that have been prioritized by the NYC Task Force for Racial Inclusion and Equity. In Manhattan, these parks are Anibal Aviles Playground, Detective Omar Edwards Park, and William McCray Playground; in Brooklyn, Jerome Playground and Marc and Jason’s Playground; In the Bronx, Chief Dennis L. Devlin Park, Pontiac Playground, and Horseshoe Playground; in Queens, Hoffman Park; and on Staten Island, Lt. Lia Playground.

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Bball Fitness - Denise All Stars plant daffodil bulbs at Wright Brother’s Playground in Manhattan on Fall IMP-act Day

FALL IMP-ACT DAY A GREAT SUCCESS On October 16th, Fall IMP-act Day—our annual citywide park beautification day, more than 1,100 volunteers came out to participate in nearly 50 community-led projects in local green spaces across all five boroughs. Neighbors came together to plant just under 37,000 daffodil and crocus bulbs over the course of the weekend, honoring the lives lost to both the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic. New Yorkers also mulched dog runs, street trees, and garden spaces; cleaned up litter and natural debris; hosted activities for children; and more. Thank you to the community group leaders who hosted projects and to all the volunteers who came out. Get involved year-round at a park near you with It's My Park, our signature volunteer program.

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Art in the Park event at Kornegay Triangle in Brooklyn.

SPOTLIGHT ON: ART IN THE PARK Community groups have been creatively using our Capacity Fund grants during the pandemic to host arts and fitness programming that bring life to local parks. With help from our Capacity Fund Grant program, community-based organization Art in the Park—whose mission is to expose underserved urban youth to all forms of art across all genres, with a focus on differently-abled children—hosted a family day at Alice Kornegay Triangle in Crown Heights, bringing out a multigenerational crowd for youth and adult yoga and arts activities. Our grant funded outreach and promotional materials, PPE, art supplies, the yoga instructor fee, yoga mats, and refreshments for the families who came out to enjoy the day. Have a creative idea for your local park? Bring it to life with our Capacity Fund Grant! Our next deadline is in January, with info sessions beginning next month.

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Partnerships for Parks is a joint program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks that supports and champions a growing network of leaders caring and advocating for neighborhood parks and green spaces. We equip people and organizations with the skills and tools needed to transform these spaces into dynamic community assets.