“This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive.”
― Alice Waters (Chef, Author, Founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project)
Gathering spaces in parks play a vital role in building community and connections. They give people a place to relax, catch up with friends, enjoy events, or simply feel allied with others around them.
Coming in a variety of forms from a few benches in a shaded area, a picnic pavilion, and even a sweeping hillside amphitheater. When designed well, they become welcoming places where everyone feels like they belong—regardless of age, background, or ability.
Park Pride’s 2025 park design consultation & workshop will create memorable, safe, accessible, and welcoming gathering spaces in our neighborhood parks.
If the gathering spaces in your park could use some focused attention and design advice, please read on and consider applying for this opportunity.
How it works:
Park Pride is seeking applications from registered Friends of Park groups in City of Atlanta, unincorporated DeKalb County, and City of Brookhaven who would like professional guidance on a new or improved gathering space in your park. A select number of groups will be paired with a local volunteer landscape architect to create a conceptual plan for the project. The number of groups selected will be determined by how many volunteer landscape architects sign up.
Selected groups will have six weeks with your volunteer landscape architect to:
- Meet onsite at your park.
- Develop conceptual graphics, recommendations, and strategies to improve or create a gathering space(s) in the park.
- Build a presentation and share your concept plan at the Park Design Workshop the evening of August 27th.
Step One: Identify a project
Think about the composition of your neighborhood park. Do you have welcoming spaces where the community meets up? Are there areas where small and large groups can connect and enjoy nature? Does your park provide an opportunity to briefly escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life?
Step Two: Fill out the application by Sunday, June 22 at 11:59PM to be considered
Step Three: Meet with your volunteer designer
Once projects have been selected, all applicants will be notified. Successful applicants should plan to meet your volunteer designer in the park to discuss your ideas.
Step Four: Develop recommendations
Communicate with your volunteer designer to share information and ideas to develop recommendations for a project. Develop a presentation board to print and share at the Park Design Workshop.
Step Five: Present your ideas IN PERSON at the Park Design Workshop
Successful applicants must attend the in-person Park Design Workshop on Wednesday, August 27, 6-7:30PM. The workshop is free and open to all Friends groups to attend. Even if you’re not selected for a professional consultation, you may wish to put this on your calendar to learn more about gathering spaces and support your peers.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Park Designer Nick Voravong at nick@parkpride.org