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Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has a powerful vision for our city: “one city with one bright future.” And a bright future includes quality greenspace close to home *for all.* In his State of the City Address last week, the Mayor highlighted Park Pride’s most recent slate of grant awards totaling $2.3M to fund capital improvements in parks across the city (60% of the dollars will benefit parks in low-income neighborhoods). These funds, and Park Pride’s continued partnership with the City of Atlanta, will help make quality parks for all a reality.

SOURCE: City of Atlanta Press Release

With how much Atlanta has changed and is changing, does it stand to reason that the “old” way of managing, funding, planning, engaging, and activating parks is still effective? Will “how we’ve always done it” cut it? And do we have the courage to change?

In this month’s contribution to Saporta Report’s “People, Places, and Parks” Park Pride’s Michael Halicki and Rachel Maher reflect on these questions and the lessons learned from the 21st Annual Parks & Greenspace Conference.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

The City of Atlanta is getting a new park with direct access to the Chattahoochee River — a first for the city. Referred to as Lower Paul Park, the newly acquired land was made possible as a result of continued partnerships with The Conservation Fund and Park Pride, two of the organizations who are members of the mayor’s newly announced Greenspace Advisory Council. The purchase of these properties will bring future access to the Chattahoochee River.

SOURCE: The Georgia Sun

Park Pride’s recent slate of grant awards is different than past years’. Beyond the size of the total awards ($2.3M) and the changes to our Grantmaking Program that focus more squarely on equity, we gained important knowledge through this grant cycle about the communities we serve, the changing landscape of Atlanta, and the future of Park Pride.

Read more in our monthly contribution to “People, Places, and Parks” in Saporta Report.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced Wednesday that he will have a Greenspace Advisory Council to help guide city policy when it comes to its parks and natural areas. The Council, which Dickens referred to as his “green cabinet,” includes 13 environmentally-focused nonprofits that serve the city and the Atlanta region.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

As we continue to live amid a global health crisis—and assuredly will continue to do so for the foreseeable future—the role of parks and other outdoor spaces has never been more important. We know that parks are critical urban infrastructure; we’ve experienced the truly essential services they provide that impact our everyday quality of life. And it’s about time that we begin to treat them as such. Which begs the question: can pre-pandemic design, management, and funding strategies keep pace with the increased reliance we have on parks? What comes next? Join us at Park Pride’s 2022 Parks & Greenspace Conference to explore these questions with thought leaders from Atlanta and across the country!

SOURCE: Saporta Report