Michael Halicki, Executive Director of Park Pride, discusses the evolutions COVID-19 has had on Atlanta-based non-profits to engage local communities in activating the power of parks on a metropolitan scale.
SOURCE: COVID Conversations
Newsroom
Park Pride’s 2020 Inspiration Award Honorees
Download PDF Press Release Park Pride’s Annual Inspiration Awards honor leaders who inspire others to expand and improve public parks and greenspaces, work to raise awareness about critical, system-wide park issues, and demonstrate a profound commitment to strengthening the connection between parks and their surrounding community. 2020 Inspiration Award Honorees Sofia Bork Friends of Sara … Continue Reading →
Marketing and Communications Intern: Jacquelyn Terry
Jackie is the summer 2020 Marketing and Communications intern at Park Pride! She comes to us from Georgia College and State University, where she is majoring in Mass Communication with a concentration in Digital Media and is graduating this upcoming December. In her free time, Jackie likes to play board games and go hiking in … Continue Reading →
4 more schoolyards picked for public use
Four more Atlanta school playgrounds will be redesigned to go from recess to neighborhood recreation. The Atlanta Community Schoolyards project is an effort to transform school playgrounds into public parks that serve students during the school day and are open to residents after the final bell rings and on weekends. Students get to help redesign the spaces, and donations will pay for about $110,000 in construction upgrades at each site. The goal is to create more accessible green space across the city — parks that residents can enjoy within a short walk of their homes.
SOURCE: Atlanta Journal Constitution
Local Parks: A Critical Part of a More Just and Equitable Society
In this column for Saporta Report’s “People, Places, and Parks,” Executive Director, Michael Halicki highlights changes coming to Park Pride’s grant programs to make them more equitable.
SOURCE: Saporta Report
Welcome Torey Garrett, Park Pride’s Park Visioning Intern!
Torey comes to us from Decatur, where his interest in design and environmental planning began in high school. He went on to graduate with a Bachelor’s in Environmental Design from Auburn University and is now earning his Master’s degree in Environmental Planning and Design from the University of Georgia. We asked some questions to get … Continue Reading →
Meet Marylyn Chen: Park Pride’s Community Building Intern!
Say hello to Marylyn Chen, Park Pride’s Community Building intern! Marylyn is an undergraduate student at Georgia Tech, where she’s earning her degree in Industrial Engineering with a minor in Computing and Intelligence. In her free time, she likes to dance, travel and spend time out in nature. We took some time to talk to … Continue Reading →
ActivateATL: Recreation and Parks for All!
The City of Atlanta’s Department of Parks and Recreation has launched a comprehensive master planning effort, ActivateATL: Recreation and Parks for All! During this challenging time and beyond, the Department of Parks and Recreation is committed to building a better parks and recreation system that meets the needs of all Atlantans. Now is your … Continue Reading →
Parks: Not Just Fun and Games
“While many of us have perhaps never thought of parks and recreation centers as critical infrastructure, that is, in fact, the exact the purpose for which they were originally created. While the modern idea of parks has become associated with playgrounds, baseball fields, and park benches, parks in America actually began as an initiative to improve public health during past pandemics and increase urban resiliency.” In this month’s contribution to the Saporta Report’s “People, Places, and Parks,” Executive Director, Michael Halicki shares the major lesson from the COVID-19 health crisis and that parks are not all just fun and games.
SOURCE: Saporta Report
Atlanta’s 2020 ParkScore climbs two spots – from 42 to 40
Atlanta continues to make steady progress in its “ParkScore,” according to the Trust for Public Land’s annual index among the nation’s top 100 cities. The 2020 ParkScore index showed Atlanta placing 40th nationally – up two spots from last year’s score of 42. Its rank is a marked improvement from 2013, when it placed 65th; or from 2015, when its score was 70th.
SOURCE: Saporta Report