The city of Albany, Ga.’s, Recreation and Parks Department’s Recreation Director Steven Belk, founder of the Bridge Builder Program, credits the community for the success of the program, which recently completed its second summer. “The star is this community of … Continue reading →
The city of Sarasota, Fla., has developed a program for local homeowners to participate in to plant and maintain various species of canopy trees to create further opportunities for more biodiversity, better city walkability and to reduce overall pollutants in … Continue reading →
Living near a park improves the likelihood that a person will engage in regular physical activity. Neighborhood parks also increase the value of nearby properties and encourage relationships among members of the community. Places like movie theaters, music venues and … Continue reading →
In 2015, Richard J. Berry, who was then mayor of Albuquerque, N.M., decided to help the people who stand by the roadway with “willing to work” signs. His idea was to offer them paid work that would start them on … Continue reading →
State and local governments manage around 199 million acres — or 8.7% — of the land in the United States. Those spaces include roadsides, city and county parks, sports and recreation fields, golf courses, and state parks, forests and wildlife … Continue reading →
When the city of Mentor, Ohio, acquired the nearly 60-acre property at 6776 Haisley Road from the Schultz family in 2014, the plan was to transform what was once a commercial plant nursery into a favorite spot for wildlife and … Continue reading →
With over 800 acres of park space in New Bedford, Mass., the parks, recreation and beaches department plans an extraordinary amount of programming and improvements each year. The park space is widely spread throughout the city, so 90% of the … Continue reading →
After what they called a “violent” spring in 2022, city officials in Columbus, Ohio, took steps toward ensuring a safe, more peaceful summer. First, they beefed up the number of officers patrolling the parks. They followed that with a $500,000 … Continue reading →
LaVetta Sparks-Wade is not just excited about her new job, but about the place where she gets to do it. Sparks-Wade is the newly minted director of parks for the city of Gary, Ind., her “home sweet home,” to quote … Continue reading →
In 2017, the Bentonville, Ark., Parks and Recreation Department developed a visionary plan to connect six different public parks and spaces into one cohesive downtown area. Those spaces, known individually as Lawrence Plaza, Bentonville Square, Dave Peel Park, Town Branch … Continue reading →
In September 2023, New Brunswick, N.J., welcomed long-planned park improvements to its beloved Feaster Park after a long year of park closure. Residents attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the park officially to the public. Various spaces have been developed … Continue reading →
