On February 16, President Obama launched the America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) Initiative to develop a 21st Century conservation and recreation agenda.
One of the key recommendations in the AGO report is to “Establish Great Urban Parks and Community Spaces” with a goal of creating and enhancing a new generation of safe, clean, accessible great urban parks and community green spaces. Additional recommendations under this heading include:
- Establish the America’s Great Outdoors Great Urban Parks and Community Green Spaces initiative by targeting increased funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund stateside grant program to leverage investment in new and enhanced urban parks and community green spaces.
- Support and align federal agency programs and initiatives to promote the creation, expansion and enhancement of urban parks and community green spaces.
- Target technical assistance support to communities to create and enhance urban parks and community green spaces.
- Connect people with urban parks and community green spaces.
City Parks Alliance has been actively supporting this effort. We thank our members for attending the listening sessions held last summer in cities across America, for enlisting the support of mayors and for posting your comments on line. Your voices were heard!
In the months ahead, City Parks Alliance will provide regular updates to our members about legislation supporting implementation of the report’s recommendations to close the urban outdoor gap. We’ll ask you to reach out to your elected officials in your home districts to encourage their support. And the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative will be a focus of our advocacy efforts on April 14 when we host our Day on the Hill in Washington, D.C.
We look forward to working with you to ensure that the needs of our nation’s urban communities are addressed through greater federal investment in urban parks and green space.
To learn more about the report, click here: americasgreatoutdoors.gov
