The Latest Stories, News, and Updates
Check out the latest updates, stories and announcements from Park Pride.
Doing Things Differently for Parks
The need for greater funding in our city’s park system–especially for park maintenance– is not a new problem, nor is it solely an Atlanta problem. Cities across the country struggle to meet acceptable standards of care for our parks while balancing competing demands for resources. But now, leaders at all levels in Atlanta have displayed the courage to do things differently, to challenge the status quo, and implement changes that will lead us toward a greener, more equitable, and better maintained park system. In this month's contribution to the Saporta Report's "People, Places, and Parks," Park Pride's Executive Director, Michael Halicki, and Director of Communications & Policy, Rachel Maher, say "thank you" to these leaders.
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Vanessa Miot Joins the Park Pride Team!
Park Pride is pleased to welcome Vanessa Miot to the team as our Community Services Associate! In this position, she will support Friends of the Park groups as they work to improve their parks, build their capacity to make positive change, and strengthen community through the stewardship of public greenspaces. Continue reading to get to know Vanessa and join us in welcoming her to the parks community!
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Friends of Springlake Parks Announces Re-opening of McKinley Wilson Triangle Park
Friends of Springlake Parks (FoSP), a nonprofit organization based in the Atlanta neighborhood of Springlake, proudly celebrated the official reopening of its neighborhood “pocket” park, McKinley Wilson Triangle Park, with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, May 19.
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Atlanta ranks No. 28 on annual ParkScore index
It’s that time of year again — the ParkScore index has been released, bringing the opportunity to reflect on Atlanta’s park system. Created by the Trust for Public Land (TPL), the annual ParkScore ranks the 100 most populous cities based on five categories — access, investment, equity, amenities and acreage. This year, the City of Atlanta was placed at No. 28. This is one spot lower than last year, but TPL noted that the city’s new ranking was based on changes within other park systems, not missteps in Atlanta.
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A Golden Age of Parks in Atlanta? Maybe.
There is a lot of momentum within the parks movement in Atlanta right now, so much so that it’s had Park Pride's Executive Director, Michael Halicki, wondering whether we’re on the brink of a “golden age of parks.” Read his thoughts on its feasibility and what it would take to get there in this month's contribution to Saporta Report's "People, Places, and Parks."
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Advancing environmental justice, one community at a time
As Clorox continues to celebrate Earth Month and a $100,000 grant to Park Pride through their Healthy Parks Project, more than 40 volunteers from Clorox, Friends of Reverend James Orange Park, Georgia STAND-Up, and others spent the day cleaning up trash, planting flowers and painting benches to keep the park ready for play.
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Shannon Roudebush Joins the Park Pride Team!
Earlier this year, Park Pride excitedly welcomed Shannon Roudebush to the team as the Sponsorship and Annual Fund Manager. In this position, she works closely with sponsors and donors to […]
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Regional leaders discuss the power, challenges of city-wide park nonprofits
The City of Atlanta is home to 447 parks and, as a result, 77% of residents can walk to a local greenspace within 10 minutes. That number is significantly higher than the national average of 55 percent. While this is a great feat, local leaders must still work to ensure that these spaces are activated and well maintained — a major topic of discussion at Park Pride’s recent 22nd annual Parks and Greenspace Conference.
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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.”
Read moreAtlanta parks get a $2.8M boost in funding for projects
Atlanta city council members on Monday voted to spend $2.8 million on park improvements, much of which will go to East Atlanta.
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$2.5M of Capital Park Improvements Headed for Local Communities
Download PDF Press Release Ribbon-cutting ceremony at Pittman Park in 2022 celebrated refurbished amenities which were funded through Park Pride’s Grantmaking Program. Atlanta, GA – January 5, 2023 – […]
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Eli Dickerson Joins Park Pride as Director of Education
Park Pride is growing! Eli Dickerson has joined the team as the Director of Education, a new position within the organization. In this role, Eli will lead organization-wide curriculum development that increases understanding and awareness of the importance of parks and enhances community capacity to engage in parks and spearhead improvement efforts.
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