What a day! On Monday, March 25, over 500 park experts, elected officials, greenspace advocates and community leaders joined us for our Annual Parks & Greenspace Conference. It was an incredible day of insightful presentations, thoughtful discussions and making connections to further our shared goal of activating and improving our local parks. Check back in the fall for more information about the 2025 Conference. We hope to see you there!
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Conference Theme
Conference Program
Keynotes
Who Should Attend
2024 Conference Theme
Parks for All: Intention to Action
We know parks were an important refuge during the pandemic. For many, they were a lifeline. They served as safe havens for our health and connected us to nature. Unfortunately, park access and park quality are not equitably distributed. These inequities exposed real disparities that continue to demand our attention. Governments, nonprofits and individuals began advancing increased awareness of and creative solutions to park equity issues. Coming out of the pandemic, how have our best intentions manifested into actions, and what are the results of those actions? What lessons can we apply to build further momentum for improved park equity? How might we inspire action to build a parks system that meets everyone’s needs?
The conference program—consisting of keynotes, panels, workshops/demonstrations, and outdoor presentations—is led by both local and national experts.
With over 400 attendees, the Parks & Greenspace Conference is a wonderful environment for networking with elected officials, community leaders, and park advocates who are driven to improve parks and strengthen communities.
Conference program
Speakers will focus on actionable solutions to park equity issues and explore how governments, nonprofits, and community members can work together to implement creative solutions. Our focus areas are Action for Climate, Action for Equity & Inclusivity in Parks, and Setting Future Intentions.
Explore the program
Keynote speakers
David A. Rubin, PLA, FASLA, FAAR.
David is the Founding Principal of DAVID RUBIN Land Collective, a landscape architecture, urban design and planning studio with an emphasis on socially purposeful design strategies. David’s visionary contribution to the field in “empathy-driven design” is a hallmark of the studio, earning increasing renown for fusing issues of social justice in cities with excellence in the design of public spaces.
Corey Wilson, J.D.
Corey is the Superintendent of the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC), the sixth in the agency’s 75-year history. Prior to that, Corey served as the in-house attorney and administrative executive for BREC. He also currently serves as an instructor at the National Recreation and Park Association Directors School, training future agency leaders from around the country.
Priya Nanjappa
Priya is the Vice President of Conservation Programs at the National Parks Conservation Association. Priya was the 2019 recipient of the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Visionary Leader Award — the first woman and second person of color to receive this award. She has twice been a mentor for the David H. Smith Postdoctoral Conservation Fellowship Program.
Who Should Attend
- Parks & recreation professionals
- Government policy makers
- Architects & landscape architects
- Urban planners
- Citizens who want to build or improve a neighborhood park
- Environmental & civil engineers
- Real estate developers
- Environmental lawyers
- Anyone who loves parks!