Leaders and experts discuss the healing power of parks at Park Pride’s 22nd annual conference

Park Pride hosted its 22nd annual Parks and Greenspace Conference this week, with about 450 government officials, local leaders and park enthusiasts filling the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The theme was “The Healing Power of Parks,” with speakers exploring the importance of park access and use from the perspective of health, community, policy and more.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

Park Pride’s $12.8 million ‘Parks for All’ campaign sets new bar for Atlanta

On the eve of its annual conference, Park Pride announced a $12.8 million capital campaign – its first-ever multi-year comprehensive effort. “Coming out of the pandemic, we are doing some of our best work,” said Michael Halicki, Park Pride’s executive director for nearly a decade. “We are meeting the moment where people have come to appreciate the importance of parks where they live. Our mission is to engage communities to activate the power of parks.”

SOURCE: Saporta Report

Atlantans Are Speaking Up for Improved Park Maintenance

The benefits of a great park system are what has motivated Atlantans from across the city to join Park Pride in demanding an increase in the FY2024 budget to maintain these amenities which have been undervalued for far too long. Throughout February, Park Pride attended Atlanta City Council’s Community Development/Human Services (CDHS) committee meetings to advocate for a larger budget for park maintenance within the Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR). Community members have shared their personal experiences and stories of how the underfunding of parks has negatively impacted their quality of life. In this Saporta Report article, Michael Halicki, Executive Director, and Rachel Maher, Director of Communications + Policy, share these perspectives.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

Aspiring to a Higher Standard for Our Parks

In December 2021, Atlanta City Council adopted Activate ATL, a 10-year comprehensive plan for parks and recreation that presents an extraordinary vision for an equitable, connected, and activated park system—a robust and well-maintained system that provides health benefits to all residents. But momentum in pursuit of that vision has been frustrated by inertia and barriers. In this contribution to Saporta Report’s “People, Places, and Parks,” Park Pride’s Michael Halicki and Rachel Maher discuss the need for an increased budget for park to aspire to the park system that Atlantans deserve.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

Park Pride encourages residents to get involved with neighborhood greenspaces through Friends of the Park program

With the start of the new year, Park Pride — a nonprofit working with communities to improve parks around the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County — opened registration for its Friends of the Park (FoP) program. Through this initiative, Park Pride empowers residents to invest in and activate their neighborhood parks, using an inclusive, collaborative and personalized approach.

SOURCE: Saporta Report