On March 5, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy announced it has been recognized for the exceptional quality of its data-driven equitable investment plan in a new report from City Parks Alliance, Investing in Equitable Urban Park Systems: Case Studies & Recommendations.

In 2018, the Parks Conservancy and City of Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto committed to a long-term goal of bringing all parks in all city neighborhoods up to a high level of excellence by developing a comprehensive investment strategy based on scientifically derived data.

Using third-party research and input collected through surveys of more than 3,500 city residents, the Conservancy created a rigorous and highly methodized scoring system to write Pittsburgh’s ‘Parks Plan,’ an equitable investment plan focused on improving parks through four core areas of concentration—Maintenance, Rehabilitation Projects, Capital Projects, and Programming.

In November 2019, based on information conveyed to the public through the Parks Plan, Pittsburgh voters approved a ballot initiative to create a Parks Trust Fund that is expected to generate $10 million annually to ‘improve, maintain, create, and operate’ the city’s 165 public parks.

The Conservancy will work to match these funds, potentially doubling the dedicated annual budget for parks maintenance and upgrades to $20 million.

“Strong park systems promote health and well-being, strengthen communities, and make neighborhoods better places to live, work, and play,” says Jayne Miller, president and chief executive officer, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. “Our city cares deeply about its parks and has made the commitment to invest in our park system for future generations. We are looking forward to turning our equitable investment strategy into reality by restoring Pittsburgh’s parks.”

Operating with the City of Pittsburgh in a unique public interest partnership since 1996, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy has raised more than $130 million to fund maintenance and improvements to city parks since its inception.

The Pittsburgh park system encompasses 165 parks, parklets, and open spaces covering nearly 4,000 acres of land. The Conservancy estimates a $400 million backlog in capital projects and $13 million annual maintenance funding shortfall for Pittsburgh’s city parks.

Historic disinvestment has left many low-income urban communities without access to quality parks and recreation opportunities and with local (or neighborhood) parks in need of significant upgrades.

As cities look to address these challenges with limited resources, some are establishing data-driven equity criteria to guide park investment.

The new report from City Parks Alliance highlights recommendations and case studies from Detroit, Minneapolis, New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles County.

This work is made possible with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Click Here for more on the Pittsburgh Parks Plan.

To learn more about the role the Conservancy plays in the health of Pittsburgh’s park system, visit the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.

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[Posted: March 5, 2020]

3/9/2020