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!
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.
SOURCE: Saporta Report
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.
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
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.
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 groups seeking to revitalize their neighborhood greenspaces. It is designed to support Friends of the Park groups taking on larger projects as they grow and … Continue Reading →
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
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! Approaching Freedom Barkway on a clear Saturday morning in May, Kayla’s son was delighted by the cacophony of howls, barks, and yips that surrounded him. … Continue Reading →
On May 14, the Friends of Waterworks Park and the Upper Westside CID hosted a community gathering—complete with live music, free Greek food, and the best pistachio ice cream ever!—to celebrate the opening of new unique playscape. Meant to represent the water treatment cycle as it goes from the Chattahoochee River to your faucet, … Continue Reading →
On a Friday in late April, kids raced around a new sidewalk at Sidney Marcus Park, residents enjoyed live music, and families gathered in seemingly every square foot of the playground area. The “power of parks” to bring communities together was demonstrated in full force as the surrounding neighborhood gathered to celebrate and cut the … Continue Reading →
