Parks & Greenspace Conference

Monday, March 25, 2024 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.


Each year, Park Pride hosts the annual Parks & Greenspace Conference, the largest parks conference in the southeast, showcasing thought leaders from Atlanta and across the nation. Through education and inspiration, the conference focuses on best practices for companies and individuals who are united by a common desire to improve parks and strengthen communities.

Registration closes on Wednesday. Be sure to get your ticket today!

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Conference Theme
Conference Program
Keynotes
Who Should Attend

2024 Conference Theme
Parks for All: Intention to Action

We know parks were an important refuge during the pandemic. For many, they were a lifeline. They served as safe havens for our health and connected us to nature. Unfortunately, park access and park quality are not equitably distributed. These inequities exposed real disparities that continue to demand our attention. Governments, nonprofits and individuals began advancing increased awareness of and creative solutions to park equity issues. Coming out of the pandemic, how have our best intentions manifested into actions, and what are the results of those actions? What lessons can we apply to build further momentum for improved park equity? How might we inspire action to build a parks system that meets everyone’s needs?

The conference program—consisting of keynotes, panels, workshops/demonstrations, and outdoor presentations—is led by both local and national experts.

With over 400 attendees, the Parks & Greenspace Conference is a wonderful environment for networking with elected officials, community leaders, and park advocates who are driven to improve parks and strengthen communities.

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Conference program

Speakers will focus on actionable solutions to park equity issues and explore how governments, nonprofits, and community members can work together to implement creative solutions. Our focus areas are Action for Climate, Action for Equity & Inclusivity in Parks, and Setting Future Intentions.

Explore the program

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Keynote speakers

David A. Rubin, PLA, FASLA, FAAR.

David is the Founding Principal of DAVID RUBIN Land Collective, a landscape architecture, urban design and planning studio with an emphasis on socially purposeful design strategies. David’s visionary contribution to the field in “empathy-driven design” is a hallmark of the studio, earning increasing renown for fusing issues of social justice in cities with excellence in the design of public spaces.

Corey Wilson, J.D. 

Corey is the Superintendent of the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC), the sixth in the agency’s 75-year history. Prior to that, Corey served as the in-house attorney and administrative executive for BREC. He also currently serves as an instructor at the National Recreation and Park Association Directors School, training future agency leaders from around the country.

Priya Nanjappa

Priya is the Vice President of Conservation Programs at the National Parks Conservation Association. Priya was the 2019 recipient of the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Visionary Leader Award — the first woman and second person of color to receive this award. She has twice been a mentor for the David H. Smith Postdoctoral Conservation Fellowship Program.

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Who Should Attend

  • Parks & recreation professionals
  • Government policy makers
  • Architects & landscape architects
  • Urban planners
  • Citizens who want to build or improve a neighborhood park
  • Environmental & civil engineers
  • Real estate developers
  • Environmental lawyers
  • Anyone who loves parks!

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Conference Sponsors

Presenting

Venue

Community Building

Park Champion

Hero

Smith Dalia Architect
Georgia-Pacific

Advocate

Sylvatica Studio
Roundstone Native Seed
Playworld Preferred
ADS Playground
Steely Works
Alston & Bird

Friend

Central Atlanta Progress
Dancing Goats Coffee
Georgia Forestry Commission
KAIZEN Collaborative
Lord Aeck Sargent
NewFields
Perez Planning & Design
Pond & Company
SCAPE
Georgia Planning Association
REI Co-Op
The Coca-Cola Company
Jones Day