News

NYC Council: Increase parks funding to 1% of the city’s budget!!

On behalf of Play Fair, a coalition co-founded by New Yorkers for Parks.

We are a parks and open space coalition of more than 400 advocacy organizations dedicated to building a better-funded, more equitable and resilient parks system in New York City.

Increase parks funding to 1 percent of the city’s budget: Every world-class park system in the US receives at least 1-2 percent of annual city funding. New York has underinvested in parks for over 50 years, allocating only about 0.5 percent for parks, despite parks and natural areas covering 14% of our city and more than 30,000 acres.

Save critical parks maintenance workers: NYC Parks will suffer a net loss of 1800 Cleaning Corps workers, leaving a gap in the workforce which will disproportionately impact communities of color.

Protect the Play Fair positions at NYC Parks

Last year, we fought for Council-funded positions to accommodate increased park usage during the pandemic. With Covid cases and temperatures rising, New Yorkers are again relying on these spaces for mental and physical health. The Play Fair positions are vital for enforcement, maintenance, and operations.
Additionally, ensuring continued funding for the Parks Equity Initiative is critical to supporting community programs. These are critical investments that the City Council needs to remain committed to


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SunFlower Project Sara Roosevelt Park

As part of the University Settlement’s Sara Roosevelt Park ROAR festival this summer, on Saturdays from 12pm-2pm, we are creating a garden to offer a benign presence in the wake of the damage, sorrow, and neglect in and around the world – including our Sara Roosevelt Park. (map at bottom, the site is marked by the Hibiscus flower).
This intends to be a ‘healing garden’. A chance for people to write messages of who/what they care about and their hopes on ribbons as we slowly create a flowering garden.
Join us?

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Sara Roosevelt Park is a Designated ‘Environmental Justice Area’

Parks are for people. Not cars or parking perks.

This troubled narrow park serves 7 blocks of low-income neighborhoods. The Broome Str Communications Building below serves all 5 boroughs. Why is it, and its parking, here?

NYC ‘Environmental Justice Area‘ map. NYC’s environmental justice law defines “Environmental Justice Areas” as low-income or minority communities located in the City of New York, based on US Census data.

Yet three of four of its Parkhouses are burdened with carrying:

All 5 boroughs at Broome Street.

All of Manhattan at Stanton Street.

All of Manhattan at Hester Street 

Only the robust, active, community hub of 30 Delancey Street parkhouse – the BRC Senior Nutrition Center is used by and for the people of these neighborhoods.


See original maps link (https://nycdohmh.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=fc9a0dc8b7564148b4079d294498a3cf )

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