MAYOR MAMDANI ANNOUNCES $50 MILLION CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO RECONSTRUCT 10 PARKS IN UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS

 

Park improvements will benefit more than 116,500 New Yorkers in historically neglected communities  

  

CUNY releases new study linking park improvements with reduced stress  

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura announced $50 million in new capital investments in 10 parks through the Community Parks Initiative (CPI) for Fiscal Year 2027. The initiative reconstructs parks in neighborhoods that have historically been neglected.   

  

The investments will improve parks in all five boroughs, expanding access to safe, welcoming public spaces. The announcement coincides with new studies from the City University of New York (CUNY) highlighting the mental health and social benefits of improved park space for New Yorkers.  

  

“For many New Yorkers, the park is their backyard — a place where they can play a game of pick-up basketball, hold a picnic on the grass or kick a ball with their kids. These New Yorkers know the difference between a park in disarray and a park that city government has invested in,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “That is why, today, we are proud to announce $50 million worth of capital investments to ten parks across the city — investments that will allow more than 100,000 New Yorkers in all five boroughs to experience a healthier, cleaner and more accessible city.”   

  

“All New Yorkers deserve access to clean, safe and high-quality parks — and through our Community Parks Initiative (CPI), we're proud to announce the next 10 parks that will receive key investments in underserved neighborhoods. These renovations will benefit more than 100,000 New Yorkers across all five boroughs,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. “Along with this new investment, NYC Parks has reimagined and reconstructed 70 CPI sites. We are grateful to the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy for its partnership in studying the health and quality-of-life benefits of these projects through the SPARCS study.”  

   

“Urban parks are increasingly being recognized around the world as crucial for the wellbeing of citizens. It is exciting to see that CPI has been successful at improving the level of satisfaction and usage of neighborhood parks throughout the city,” said Terry Huang, Distinguished Professor of Public Health, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH). “Importantly, the park renovations created the necessary condition for New Yorkers to benefit from using these parks in terms of their health and wellbeing. We are fortunate in New York to have such strong leadership and efforts to continue improving the park spaces in local communities through the expansion of CPI.”  

   

Through CPI, local parks are reconstructed through a community-driven design process that upgrades sites, adds new play equipment and recreation amenities for all ages and enhances green space.   

  

Over the past decade, NYC Parks has reimagined and reconstructed 70 CPI projects in neighborhood parks citywide and currently has another 47 projects underway, representing more than half a billion dollars in capital investment to rebuild parks and playgrounds that had not seen significant upgrades in decades.  

  

The 10 sites announced today will bring the total number of active CPI projects to 57.  

   

The following parks will be transformed through CPI:  

   

Bronx  

Mott Playground (Concourse)

Fountain of Youth Playground (Mott Haven / Longwood)

Morris Mesa Playground (Mount Hope)  

   

Brooklyn  

Van Dyke Playground (Brownsville)  

Roebling Playground (South Williamsburg)  

Elizabeth Stroud Playground (Bedford–Stuyvesant)  

   

Manhattan    

Vladeck Park (Lower East Side)  

St. Nicholas Park 133rd St. Playground (Harlem)  

   

Queens    

Corona Health Sanctuary (Corona)  

   

Staten Island  

Kaltenmeier Playground (Rosebank / Shore Acres)  

  

Launched in 2014, CPI provides equity-driven investments to parks that have not received significant capital improvements in at least two decades and are located in neighborhoods with the highest need, based on factors such as poverty levels, population density and population growth.   

  

One of the most recent CPI investments renovated Jennie Jerome Playground in the Bronx. Completed in 2025, the reconstruction added inclusive play equipment designed for children of all abilities, a spray shower to help children stay cool in the summer, picnic tables and seating for families and new shade trees and plantings to mitigate heat and reduce noise from the nearby expressway.     

 

CPI investments also have been linked to improved mental health and increased park use, including in recently announced studies by researchers at the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy (CUNY SPH). According to findings from the recent Physical Activity and Redesigned Community Spaces (PARCS) study, residents in neighborhoods that received CPI park renovations reported: 

•    More time spent in parks, particularly on weekdays and among adults with children and members of the Latino community.  

•   Significant increases in satisfaction with park quality, maintenance and amenities.   

•   Reduced stress levels among residents who frequently used renovated parks, suggesting that high-quality parks are a key condition for realizing the mental health benefits of regular park use.