In December 2021, Atlanta City Council adopted Activate ATL, a 10-year comprehensive plan for parks and recreation that presents an extraordinary vision for an equitable, connected, and activated park system—a robust and well-maintained system that provides health benefits to all residents. But momentum in pursuit of that vision has been frustrated by inertia and barriers. In this contribution to Saporta Report’s “People, Places, and Parks,” Park Pride’s Michael Halicki and Rachel Maher discuss the need for an increased budget for park to aspire to the park system that Atlantans deserve.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

Local leaders, park enthusiasts and area residents filled Reynoldstown’s Lang-Carson Park on Saturday, Jan. 28 to celebrate the latest round of major improvements to the park. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted by the Friends of Lang-Carson Park, a group of residents dedicated to improving the local greenspace.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

With the start of the new year, Park Pride — a nonprofit working with communities to improve parks around the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County — opened registration for its Friends of the Park (FoP) program. Through this initiative, Park Pride empowers residents to invest in and activate their neighborhood parks, using an inclusive, collaborative and personalized approach.

SOURCE: Saporta Report

The past few years have affirmed the importance of parks for our physical and mental well-being. The healing power of parks, however, goes beyond personal health. Public greenspaces are also where community bonds are formed, diverse ideas are experienced, and where cultural enrichment flourishes. We also look to parks to heal and strengthen the urban environment—to manage stormwater, reduce flooding, cool and filter the air, and provide natural habitat. At Park Pride’s 2023 Parks & Greenspace Conference (taking place on Monday, March 27 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden), we’ll discuss all this and more while exploring “The Healing Power of Parks.”

SOURCE: Saporta Report

In Park Pride’s final contribution to Saporta Report’s “People, Places, and Parks” for the year, Park Pride’s Michael Halicki reflects on why 2022 is the most memorable during his tenure as Executive Director. Through all the accomplishments of the past year, Park Pride laid a solid foundation upon which we’ll continue to build into 2023 and beyond, advancing our mission to engage communities to activate the power of parks.

SOURCE: Saporta Report