Park Pride’s 2022 Inspiration Awards

Park Pride’s Annual Inspiration Awards honor leaders who demonstrate a profound commitment to strengthening the connection between parks and their surrounding community.  At this year’s Parks & Greenspace Conference, we proudly recognized and celebrated six individuals who nurture the bond between their community and local park.

New Atlanta park will have access to the Chattahoochee River

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

Lessons from a Grant Cycle

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

Park Pride Announces New Board Chair, Welcomes New Board Member

Download PDF Press Release Atlanta, GA., March 2, 2022 – Park Pride’s Board of Directors elected Kristy Rachal, Community and Economic Development Director at Georgia Power Company, as the organization’s next Board Chair. Additionally, the Board elected and welcomed new member Jennifer Ide, Chief Administrative Officer at Rimidi and former City of Atlanta Council Member … Continue Reading →

Park Pride Announces $2.3 Million of Capital Improvements in Store for Local Parks

Atlanta, GA – February 16, 2022 – Twenty-three communities across the City of Atlanta and unincorporated DeKalb County look forward to $2.3 million in capital improvements to neighborhood parks thanks to grant awards from Park Pride, the local nonprofit that engages communities to activate the power of parks. This is Park Pride’s largest grant cycle … Continue Reading →

Park Pride’s 2021 Impact Report

What a year! Though 2021 certainly had its challenges, it was also a year of promise and success—and that is especially true for Park Pride. We are pleased to present you with this Impact Report to share the stories and triumphs that you helped make possible. Together, we’ve laid the foundation for a 2022 that is shaping up to be like none other in the organization’s history. What can you expect? A stronger Park Pride. Expanded access to greenspace in neighborhoods across the city. Healthier parks (with less privet!). More united and resilient neighborhoods. It is no exaggeration that we could not do our work without you: our donors, funders, partners, volunteers, and Friends of the Park group members. Thank you for your support.

SOURCE: Park Pride

The Parks We Need Now!

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

Visioning a New Park on Lower Paul Ave

  What is Park Visioning? Parks are good for people, good for the environment, and good for communities! Parks are treasured neighborhood amenities where children can play safely, friendships start, and memories are formed. Parks are all about community, and that’s why community leadership and involvement is so important when designing new parks. Park Visioning … Continue Reading →

Atlanta Park Commissioners Minute Books: An Important Collection for Contemporary Research

At first glance, the Board of Park Commissioners Minute Books for Atlanta may seem ordinary, even inconsequential. Yet, these resources hold significant information, reflecting the intersectionality of race, gender, and class in urban spaces during the early 20th century. Minute books are the written record of what is said and done in meetings. Their contents reveal the discussions and decisions of the park commissioners, an all-white, male governmental body, during part of the Jim Crow era. These minute books are part of the records donated by Park Pride (MSS 1158) to the Cherokee Garden Library collection of Kenan Research Center.

SOURCE: Atlanta History Center