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.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

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.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

Parks are good for people and the communities of which they’re a part. They’re foundational for the health of local wildlife and habitats, and function as critical urban infrastructure by absorbing stormwater runoff, cooling ambient temperatures, providing the open space necessary for public health, and so on. Park Pride believes that parks have the potential to make cities great—but only if they receive the investment required to activate their multitude of benefits.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

It’s a puzzle that despite overlapping layers of natural, cultural, and historical meaning associated with the Chattahoochee, the City of Atlanta and its residents have always been disconnected from the river. Only now are efforts to change that coming to fruition through a collaboration of community, nonprofits, local government, and neighboring municipalities. In this month’s contribution to the Saporta Report, Park Pride’s Andrew White takes a closer look at these collective efforts to restore the Chattahoochee as an iconic and accessible public corridor—one which offers places of memory, restoration, and recreation—can serve as both a local and national model for advancing projects with lasting positive impacts on local ecology and culture.

SOURCE: Saporta Report