Equitable Park Investments

3 Cities – 3 Stories

Description

Equity in service delivery is a guiding concern of urban park leaders. This presentation will explore how this interest can be turned to a tangible action that makes public parks better for all city residents. Three legacy urban centers with remarkable diversity in the heartland of America – Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and Louisville – decided to create new comprehensive investment action plans for their park systems focused on driving equitable access to, and investments in, public parks and recreation services and systems for all city residents. These three cities shared a general goal – overcome barriers and historical challenges in the delivery of their park system services that will allow them to prioritize serving the people and neighborhoods that have long been forgotten, underserved, and marginalized. The action plans of all three cities are based on the principal that everyone, every neighborhood, and every city deserves access to a great public park system, and thus look holistically at the needs of every park, the needs of every neighborhood, and the creation of a system where the public can clearly shape improvement plans. This session will provide attendees with an overview of developing equitable and transparent investment action plans while exploring the unique opportunities and challenges discovered in each of these three cities. This workshop will be given in English and will not have an Spanish translation.