Gotham Park’s Post

Salem Mayor Chris Hoy renewed the City of Salem's pledge to a 10-minute-walk-to-park goal at Monday night's Salem City Council meeting. Today, the Mayor, Council President Virginia Stapleton, Councilors Micki Varney and Trevor Phillips, and Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Chair Dylan McDowell walked with fifth-grade students from Liberty Elementary to Wendy Kroger Park. Parks and green spaces give us places to gather, they boost our health and give us protected places with trees that help buffer the impacts of climate change. Salem joins the Trust for Public Lands and its 10-Minute Walk initiative to build quality parks close to home and eliminate the park equity gap. We know that despite the wide-ranging benefits of community green spaces, more than 100 million Americans, including 28 million children, still lack access to a park within 10 minutes from their homes. While we’re doing better in Salem, we know that 51% of Salem residents don’t have easy park access As a City, we’re making more City investments to undo what has been inequity of investment in our parks. Through the 2022 Salem bond, you’ll see the sidewalks and bike paths connecting people to our parks. #WalkToAParkDay

We always stand with parks. #NoCutsToParks City parks are the shared backyards of all New Yorkers, and the New York City Budget helps keep a thriving park system alive across all five boroughs. While the High Line and other NYC parks with conservancies are able to fundraise the bulk of their annual budgets, there are more than 1,000 neighborhood parks and playgrounds that rely entirely on the City’s budget for their operations. Mayor Adams’ previous 5% cut to the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation budget has already resulted in a hiring freeze, layoffs, and the delay of critical parks programs. Now, he has proposed an additional 5 – 10% cut to the Parks Department, while many other agencies are exempt, and the plan for these cuts is being drawn up as we speak. Today—Monday, December 11—the City Council is hosting a hearing on the city's proposed budget cuts. Want to support New York City's public parks right now? Send a letter to the mayor saying No More Cuts to Parks: https://lnkd.in/eCSHTmwq

☀️ Happy May long weekend! It's been a great past few days meeting so many of you. It's made me even more determined to earn your trust and support for this upcoming election. This city needs more than just ideas—we need actionable solutions for smart growth from trusted leaders. That’s why I’ve summarized my values for Chestermere’s future into three core points: action, trust & smart growth. Action means taking reasonable, achievable steps towards the massive goals we want to see in Chestermere. Personally, I’m done waiting patiently for new schools, better recreation facilities and affordable housing. Trust means that when the City says something is true, it is. My word is my commitment, character and reputation, and I don’t take that lightly. Smart growth means giving our infrastructure a chance to catch up to our population. For decades, Chestermere has grappled with the pains of rapid growth because this is a wonderful place that people want to live—and I’m committed to this vision. If action, trust and smart growth sound like the Chestermere you want to see, I invite you to learn more and get in touch through my website http://janellesandboe.com #votejanellesandboe #yourvoicematters #chestermereelection2024

Here at NYC Parks, we know that high-quality parks have the power to uplift neighborhoods. Last week, we were proud to share that a new study agrees! NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue and The City University of New York Distinguished Professor of Public Health Terry Huang announced the initial findings from a large-scale study of the public health impacts of the Community Parks Initiative, our equity-based investment program to enhance greenspaces in underserved neighborhoods. The study found that renovations made through CPI made New Yorkers more likely to spend time in their local parks, and that this may even create a ripple effect, benefitting those New Yorkers who are not regular park-goers thanks to quality-of-life improvements that uplift the entire neighborhood. Alongside these new findings, we were thrilled to announce the next twenty sites that will receive CPI funding in 2024 and 2025, with sites in all five boroughs. Learn more: https://on.nyc.gov/3Oq4lf0

Check out the new Park Equity Policy Framework my research team and I developed with the Trust for Public Land! The goal is to categorize the various policy strategies that cities are using to increase access to parks and greenspace. Our report on collecting data for these 25 U.S. cities will be out later this Fall, with the most common policies and many examples for other cities to consider implementing! https://lnkd.in/eS9Wfhf7 #activeliving #parks #publichealth #communities #policy

Congress has avoided a government shutdown, keeping our national parks open. From our President and CEO, Theresa Pierno: “National park staff and communities across the country can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that our parks will remain open and can continue to welcome visitors for now. The impact of another government shutdown on our national parks would have been incredibly damaging, disrupting so many lives unnecessarily. Unfortunately, ongoing funding disagreements threaten cuts to the National Park Service’s budget. And in a matter of weeks, our parks could again find themselves in the same situation they just narrowly avoided. Congress must hit reset and come to an agreement on a funding bill that invests more in our national parks, not less. The drastic cuts to the Park Service’s budget proposed by House of Representatives should be a nonstarter for anyone who cares about our national parks and public lands.” #ProtectOurParks #NationalParks #GovernmentShutdown

Local policy is one way we’re working with cities and communities to create sustainable change that bring park access to more residents and address this divide. Our 10-Minute Walk program is thrilled to share a NEW report - Key Park Equity Policies: Toward a 10-Minute Walk Park Equity Policy Framework, produced in partnership with the College of Charleston and the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable Communities. The report is part of our work to support city leaders in closing the park equity divide through policy change. The report includes eight key policy categories, along with city examples of implementation. Read more and download the report here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eS9Wfhf7

Trust for Public Land has released its 2024 ParkScore® report—and one finding is clear: parks have the power to strengthen our communities. This year's report finds that residents of cities with the highest rankings are more socially connected and engaged with their neighbors. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gAKk8pRF. Despite 99% of New York City residents having access to a park, NYC recently dropped from 10th to 12th place in a ranking of the 100 most populous cities in the USA. The reason? Other leading cities are outpacing us in per capita park investments. While New York City invested $202 per person, Washington DC dedicated $345 per capita to their parks. It's evident that investing in green spaces significantly impacts a city's livability and overall well-being. Find the report here: https://lnkd.in/gnjD7Z-p Let's continue supporting and advocating for parks and green spaces in NYC.

Some of you may know about my current involvement in Westbrook government. However, this November 7th, I plan on taking the next step. With this post, I'm pleased to announce my candidacy for the Westbrook Zoning Commission. As a young person, I believe I have a unique point of view. When perfected, Zoning Commissions are a force for good---promoting economic development, encouraging environmental sustainability, and driving businesses into town. As a voting member of the Westbrook Zoning Commission, I will promote the following: ♻ Sustainable Infrastructure: As a waterfront town, global climate change poses an enormous threat. Promoting carbon-neutral and storm-resistant infrastructure can ensure Westbrook will continue to grow for generations to come. 📈 Economic Development: Westbrook's waterfront location and access to Route 1 and I-95 allows for high economic prospect. Zoning should be used to promote new business in town, not push them away with overly-complex regulations. 🏘 Affordable Housing: As of now, there aren't many affordable housing developments in town, discouraging young or lower-income people from living here. As a young person myself, having options for future housing is important. 🏢 Town Center Revitalization: For too long, the Westbrook Town Center has been in need of a rejuvenation. Developing the Town Center into a walkable, shoppable, and social area will promote a larger sense of community and bring new faces into town. 🏰 Historic Preservation: Westbrook has an extremely rich history, one that not many people know of. Preserving and upkeeping historic architecture is important to ensure our history can be visualized for generations to come. You can find me on the ballet in Row A this November 7th, from 6am - 8pm, at the Theresa Mulvey Center, 866 Boston Post Road, Westbrook, CT 06498. #electionday #westbrook #localgovernment #vote

Did you hear about how #YIMBYTown 2024 brought together an unprecedented politically diverse group of advocates for housing reform? Cascadia Partners was there! Senior Associate Lydia Ness led a panel presentation on middle housing zoning reform 'Finding Middle Housing: Middle Housing Reform Success Stories and Considerations for Austin'. The session highlighted middle housing reform successes and challenges in states and cities across the country, particularly highlighting the City of Portland's Residential Infill Project's https://lnkd.in/gCU-g-s3 first year of implementation, as well as efforts in Austin and San Antonio. While there continue to be barriers to middle housing reform, stories like these highlight the potential for strategic solutions to address local communities’ housing needs. #YIMBYTown 2024 #CascadiaPartners #MiddleHousing #UrbanPlanning https://lnkd.in/db654uBS