The Latest Stories, News, and Updates
Check out the latest updates, stories and announcements from Park Pride.
Mattie Freeland Park: Envisioned, Championed, and Built by Community
“This is a community space: envisioned by community, championed by community, and then built by the community.” Dr. Mironda Williams, granddaughter of Ms. Mattie Freeland. This simple yet powerful statement cuts to the heart of what makes Mattie Freeland Park so special and why Park Pride is committed to making great parks accessible to all. Read more in this month's contribution to Saporta Report by Park Pride's Director of Communications & Policy, Rachel Maher.
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Ribbon Cutting Celebrates New Park in the English Avenue Neighborhood
Download PDF Press Release On Thursday, October 27, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, City Councilmember Byron Amos, the Department of Parks and Recreation, Park Pride, The Conservation Fund, and the Friends […]
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After over a decade of grassroots efforts, Atlanta’s Mattie Freeland Park opens
A once-vacant lot nestled in the English Avenue neighborhood now has a new life as a City of Atlanta park. On Thursday, Oct. 27, city officials, community leaders and park advocates gathered to celebrate the opening of Mattie Freeland Park on the city’s Westside.
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Sara González Park: Of the community, for the community
The Sara J. González Memorial Park is a small, triangular greenspace nestled in Atlanta’s Westside that’s become a center for community and inclusivity. Unveiled in 2018, the park was named in memory of González, a changemaker in the local Hispanic community.
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A Ribbon Tying to Celebrate a New Youth Soccer Field at Sara J. González Park
On September 23, neighbors in northwest Atlanta gathered at the Sara J. González Park. On this day (the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month!), they were not gathering for a lesson in the learning nook, an interfaith prayer vigil, nor a cultural festival. Instead, they were there to celebrate a new youth soccer field, funded by a $50,000 grant from Park Pride!
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A Vision for Stronger, Greener Communities
If you’ve ever watched a bunch of ants working out how to reach the sugar water dripping from a hummingbird feeder suspended high above their heads, you were probably amazed by their ingenuity and tireless pursuit of their goal. How will they ever attain something so far out of their individual reach? They do it (faster than you’d imagine) with a network of fellow ants—with their community. In this Saporta Report article, Park Pride’s Teri Nye discusses how communities are coming together to demand multifunctional parks, and why two parks in particular were selected to receive park design assistance through the Park Visioning Program.
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Pittsburgh Neighborhood Celebrates Refreshed Basketball Court at Pittman Park
On July 13, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, District 12 Council Member Antonio Lewis, Parks & Recreation leadership, Friends of Pittman Park, Park Pride, and Pittsburg neighborhood residents celebrated refreshed and refurbished amenities in Pittman Park. Park Pride proudly supported these improvements through our Grantmaking Program, with over $150,000 in awards (over two grant cycles) which funded a joint basketball/volleyball court, picnic tables, playground equipment, and a memorial bench.
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A Democratic Approach to Park Planning
As public spaces, parks are inherently political, each with its own hidden minefield of competing interests that come to light when working with communities to build consensus around a shared vision for their neighborhood park. However, this park planning process doesn’t have to be divisive, as much of politics are. On the contrary, when park planning fully engages the community (as we have experienced through Park Pride’s longstanding Park Visioning Program), it is not only democratic and fair, but it can actually strengthen communities. Read more in this month's contribution to Saporta Report.
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Connection to the Chattahoochee
Despite overlapping layers of natural, cultural, and historical meaning, City of Atlanta residents have had no direct access to the Chattahoochee River via public parks or trails, nor to the health and wellness benefits that such amenities provide. Only recently is that beginning to change thanks to a collaborative effort between Park Pride, the community, partner nonprofits, and local government.
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Park Pride’s 2022 Grant Cycle Makes History
This spring, Park Pride announced its largest grant cycle in history: $2.3 million for capital improvements to local parks! Established in 2004, Park Pride’s Grantmaking Program awards funding to community […]
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Moving Atlanta’s Parks Forward: A discussion with local environmental advocates about our city’s needs
The case for parks is an easy one to make — increased physical activity within the community, lower levels of stress and a healthier urban environment. But in a city with one of the starkest income disparities in the nation, city and nonprofit leaders are working to be intentional about providing quality access to the outdoors for all Atlantans. On June 16, local park leaders gathered for a roundtable discussion hosted by nonprofit Park Pride about the future of parks in Atlanta and how to make them more accessible, equitable and plentiful.
Read more O4W Celebrates Refresh at Freedom Barkway
A quiet walk in the park was not in the cards for Park Pride Program Manager, Kayla Altland, and her one- year old … nor was it meant to be! […]
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