Park Bench Chat - Trust for Public Land

Park Bench Chat

The Park Bench Chat webinar series is a virtual event for Trust for Public Land and our partners to engage and connect with our national community of supporters on a variety of topics ranging from community development, leadership and parks to climate, equity, and health.

Park Bench Chat: 2024 ParkScore® Index Release – How Parks Are Vital to Strengthening Community

Thank you for joining us on May 22 at noon (PDT) / 3:00 p.m. (EDT) for the release of our 2024 ParkScore® index. TPL Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation Linda Hwang, was joined by leading community and park experts to unveil this year’s top rankings and took an in-depth look at why cities with better parks systems are stronger, more connected places to live. We will also shared practical ways you can improve social connections and parks in your own community.

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Park Bench Chat: Land, the Arts, and Black Culture — Intersecting Pathways

Our Black History Month Park Bench Chat explored the power of outdoor spaces and their impact on Black communities, culture, and the arts. Moderated by Dr. Jocelyn Imani, national director for Trust for Public Land’s Black History and Culture program, our Black History Month Park Bench Chat brought together an esteemed panel of speakers, each providing a unique perspective on how these spaces can be transformative for communities.

Joining us was Grammy Award–winning artist esperanza spalding, Co-director of PRISMID, a BIPOC sanctuary and restorative arts lab serving musicians, artists, and cultural workers; Angelou Ezeilo, author of Engage, Connect, Protect: Empowering Diverse Youth as Environmental Leaders and founder of the Greening Youth Foundation, known for connecting HBCU students to careers in public lands and conservation; and Maya Rodgers, associate director of special projects for San Francisco Parks Alliance and advocate from San Francisco’s Bay View–Hunters Point community, who discussed the local impact of projects such as India Basin.

Together they explored the profound impact that outdoor spaces have on cultural identity, community resilience, and artistic expression—and in enriching and empowering Black communities.