• Research
  • Center for City Park Excellence
  • Center for Conservation Finance
  • Center for Land & People
  • Center for Land & Water
  • Benefits of Parks
  • Brownfields to Parks
  • Park Equity & Public Health Toolkit

Center for City Park Excellence Staff

Peter Harnik is director of the Center for City Park Excellence. In 2000, he authored Inside City Parks, a book about the park and recreation systems of the 25 largest cities in the U.S. In 2003 his research resulted in The Excellent City Park System: What Makes it Great and How to Get There. Previous to TPL, Harnik was co-founder and vice president of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and he was also founder of the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail in Washington, D.C. A native of New York City, he is a 1970 graduate of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Ben Welle, assistant director for the Center for City Park Excellence, conducts research on park issues, assists communities with park matters and responds to requests from local governments. Prior to TPL, he worked in the Twin Cities at the Community Reinvestment Fund and at the Minnesota Attorney General's Office. He has a masters degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Minnesota and a B.A. in communications from Hamline University.

Coleen Gentles, manager of park information, manages the center's parks database on the nation's 75 largest cities, undertakes specific research projects and organizes colloquia hosted by the center. Prior to TPL, she interned with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Geological Survey in Maryland and volunteered with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. She has a biology degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

For more information, contact:
Center for City Park Excellence
The Trust for Public Land
660 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Suite 401
Washington, DC 20003
202-543-7552
E-mail

Updated 10/2008