Parks for People
Credit: Darcy Kiefel
For the 80% of Americans who live in or near a city, neighborhood parks provide the closest experience with nature. Yet, 80 percent of US census blocks do not have a park within a half-mile, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report [pdf]. As a result, an entire generation is growing up without a connection to nature, missing out on the daily chance for recreation, exercise, community, and renewal that parks provide.
Parks Matter
We believe that every American—in particular, every child—should live within a ten-minute walk of a park or playground. Parks reduce crime, revitalize local economies, and bring neighborhoods together. They also promote public health, lowering a community’s collective risk of obesity, diabetes, and other illnesses linked to inactivity.
Collaboration and Participation
Employing a unique participatory design process, we plan, fund, and build parks where they're needed most. We invite the community to work with us to design their parks, ensuring the end result is a much-loved and used community space.
Climate Smart Cities
Accross the country, we're working with cities to help address the growing threats of climate change. By keeping residential development away from flood-prone areas, connecting walk-bike corridors at scale, siting parks and shade trees to provide natural cooling, and using green infrastructure to manage storm water naturally, we're making cities more energy efficient and less vulnerable to the effects of climate change. More about Climate Smart Cities.
