CITY PARKS ALLIANCE is a national organization comprised of city parks leaders from across the country who work together to strengthen America's city parks. The organization has been in formation over the past several years in response to a broad-based movement of city park advocates who recognize the critical role parks play in the revitalization of our cities. The mission of City Parks Alliance is to create vibrant and healthy parks and green spaces that contribute to sustainable cities by organizing, facilitating and nurturing a broad-based movement.

A group of parks administrators and advocates began meeting in August 1999 to establish greater collaboration and discuss the formation of a new national entity. A little over a year later while meeting in Philadelphia, this group endorsed the creation of the City Parks Alliance on October 23, 2000.

The group's creation is an outgrowth of the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds' Urban Parks Initiative, which helped establish a network of top non-profit and public-sector urban parks organizations, and city parks and recreation agencies. City Parks Alliance was established in June of 2002 as a 501 (c) (3) organization.