Parks & Greenspace Conference

According to the great urban activist and influencer Jane Jacobs, for a park to be successful, it must “be where life swirls”–it must be the conduit for cultural and artistic expression for individuals and communities, a catalyst for healthy living, and accessible to and designed for all. Vibrant parks are the foundation upon which communities grow and thrive; they are the hearts of communities.

Join us as we explore the power of parks to reflect culture, artistic expression, and the unique personality of a community while equitably providing places to pursue healthy lives.

Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP

Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation

Mitchell Silver, an award-winning planner with over 30 years of experience, became Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation in May 2014. Commissioner Silver is also the immediate past president of the American Planning Association (APA). He is internationally recognized for his leadership in the planning profession and his contributions to contemporary planning issues. As Parks Commissioner, Mitchell oversees management, planning and operations of nearly 30,000 acres of parkland, which includes parks, playgrounds, beaches, marinas, recreation centers, wilderness areas and other assets.

Prior to returning to his native New York City, he served as the Chief Planning & Development Officer and Planning Director for Raleigh, NC. In Raleigh, he led the comprehensive plan update process and a rewriting of the development code to create a vibrant 21st century city. He was the Dunlop Lecturer in Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University, and in 2014 he was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Planning Association.

Mitchell received a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Hunter College in NYC.

Nooshin Razani, MD, MPH

Director of the Center for Nature & Health,
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland

Nooshin Razani, MD serves as director of the Center for Nature and Health at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. She is leading a team of clinicians conducting a randomized clinical trial to examine how to operationalize a park prescription program in a low-income setting.

Since 2014, Dr. Razani has prescribed time outdoors to her pediatric patients and their families as preventive medicine. The results of the first study, which was published in the peer-reviewed PLOS ONE in February 2018, showed reduced stress in the parents of pediatric patients at a clinic serving low-income families. The randomized clinical trial is the first of its kind. It compared the effect of supported park outings versus independent park prescriptions with the goal of learning how to operationalize a park prescription program in a low-income setting. Dr. Razani hopes these results along with ongoing research will eventually lead to evidence-based nature prescriptions.

Gil Penalosa, MBA, PhDhc

Founder and Chair of 8 80 Cities; Chair of World Urban Parks

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa is passionate about creating cities for all people. He has inspired and advised decision makers in more than 350 different cities around the world on how to create vibrant cities with healthy communities where all people can live happier, regardless of age, gender, ability, or socio-economic or ethnic status. His focus is on the design and use of parks, streets, sidewalks as great public places, as well as sustainable mobility: walking, riding bicycles, taking public transit, and new uses of cars. Gil highlights the benefits to public health, environment, mobility, economic development.