North Deering Park

Parks are essential to community health and close-to-home access to these dynamic spaces provides opportunities for us all to be healthy, happy, and resilient. But park access isn’t created equally. While 94% of Portland, ME residents live within a 10-minute walk to a park, the North Deering neighborhood didn’t have a single public park recognized as part of the city’s park system. That’s why Trust for Public Land partnered with the City of Portland to create a beautiful new park for residents in the North Deering neighborhood.

To do so, we helped protect 24 acres of beautiful woods, trails, and open fields of what is now North Deering Park. While the area previously hosted baseball and soccer games, a pond, and well-loved trails, the land itself wasn’t public and was at risk of being sold to development companies. Together with our partners, we acted quickly to ensure this cherished space was safeguarded for the people that love it most, closing the park equity gap for the North Deering community and providing residents access to the benefits of a close-to-home green space. Even students from two nearby schools will benefit from this outdoor classroom, studying wildlife, native vegetation, and the effects of climate change. Now that these acres are permanently protected, the community will always have space to play, grow, learn, and connect right in their own backyard.