Discover new funding sources that can help grow, revitalize, and sustain your parks and recreation initiatives in the City Parks Funding Hub.

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On June 22, 2025, the US Conference of Mayors (USCM), at its 93nd Annual Meeting in Tampa, FL, adopted a new city parks resolution that urges the U.S. Department of the Interior to continue its strong support and to prioritize funding for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP). The resolution passed unanimously. Cleveland, OH Mayor Justin Bibb, who is the Chair of the Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment, and Sports Committee, sponsored the resolution.

The resolution states ORLP projects are driven by local needs and priorities, ensuring that community members have a voice in shaping projects that meet their unique park and recreation challenges, often as part of broader visions for community development and revitalization. Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership investments create strong economic returns, including job creation, increased property values, expanded local tourism, and greater appeal to families and businesses with local parks generating over $200 billion annually in economic activity and supporting more than 1.1 million jobs nationwide.

The ORLP is managed by the National Park Service and funded entirely through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which uses no taxpayer dollars. The ORLP supports park and recreation projects, from playgrounds and pools to trails and open spaces, all with the goal of reconnecting people with the outdoors. The nationally competitive program provides matching grants to assist cities that have little to no access to outdoor recreation opportunities. The bipartisan EXPLORE Act codified the ORLP in 2024.

“I was thrilled to sponsor this important city parks resolution that was formally adopted by the USCM. The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program is a smart investment in locally-led park and recreation projects in communities across the U.S. The ORLP encourages partnerships between public, private, and philanthropic entities, maximizing federal investments. This newly adopted USCM resolution shows the broad support from mayors across the country for the ORLP program,” said Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.

“The U.S. Conference of Mayors is appreciative of the advocacy work of the City Parks Alliance and its bipartisan Mayors for Parks Coalition, which has increased federal investment in our nation’s city parks. The Land and Water Conservation Fund Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant program provides a high return on federal investments, creating jobs, attracting businesses, and spurring economic growth. Mayors are committed to ensuring that everyone has equal access to parks, green spaces and recreational opportunities and this program is a critical asset to help achieve that goal,” said USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran.

“Parks make our cities work. They are civic infrastructure as important as bridges and roads and water systems, with a high return on public investment because they do so much to help cities meet our greatest challenges, from environmental resiliency to community health to economic vibrancy. We cannot have thriving, sustainable cities without high-quality parks. Federal funding leveraged with local support is essential to deliver the multiple benefits that urban parks provide, especially for communities in greatest need,” said City Parks Alliance Executive Director Catherine Nagel.

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At City Parks Alliance’s May Board of Directors meeting, the board elected four new members. The board also elected a new co-chair and other officers, while recognizing the service of several board members who are term-limited.

Four New Members Elected to Board of Directors

Stephen Bentley (Raleigh, NC) is the Director of the City of Raleigh (NC) Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department, an award-winning Parks Department in one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. With a career spanning more than 20 years, he has worked for public park agencies at the federal, state, and city levels of government. As Director, he is responsible for overseeing the vision, mission, and values of its system. Over the last decade, Stephen has worked with elected officials and community and business leaders on significant investments in public space improvements across the city. Most recently, he led the city’s efforts in the approval of a $275M voter-approved referendum for parks and recreation improvement.

Stephen Bentley has a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Leisure Services Management from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Administration from Michigan State University. He holds certificates from NRPA’s Directors School, North Carolina State University Natural Resources Leadership Institute, and the University of North Carolina Municipal Administrators Program.

Carol Coletta (Memphis, TN) is a Public Innovation Fellow at the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, and former CEO of Memphis River Parks Partnership. Most recently, she led the relaunch of Memphis River Parks Partnership, a nonprofit developing, managing, and programming six miles of riverfront and five park districts. She was initially on loan from The Kresge Foundation, where she was a Senior Fellow in the foundation’s American Cities Practice. There, she led a $50+ million collaboration of national and local foundations, local nonprofits, and governments to Reimagine the Civic Commons in five cities. Prior to joining The Kresge Foundation, Carol was Vice President of Community and National Initiatives for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. She also served as Executive Director of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design and CEO of CEOs for Cities.

Carol Coletta holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Issues Management from the University of Memphis.

Sherazad Mehta (New York, NY) is the Associate Principal of Infrastructure at Arup, a global consultancy firm. With 30 years of experience, he has worked on a variety of land/site development and large infrastructure projects. While serving as project manager and lead design engineer on several high-profile multidisciplinary projects worldwide, Sherazad offers his clients a comprehensive understanding of delivering sustainable and resilient infrastructure. His diverse experience and passion is to apply his civil engineering and sustainable design experience to create parks and open spaces that can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life.

Sherazad Mehta holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Polytechnic University and a PE in the State of New York and the State of Connecticut.

David Smith (Frisco, TX) is the Senior Vice President of Sales at Landscape Structures (LSI), a design firm and manufacturer of signature commercial playgrounds. For more than 33 years, David has been leading successful projects, teams, and channels in several parks and recreation-focused companies. Driven by a passion for all things play-related, his primary skills and experience have been in areas related to the design, production, and international sales and distribution of innovative commercial playground equipment.

David Smith holds a Bachelor’s in Communications and an Executive MBA from the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management.

New Co-Chair, Officers Elected

The Board of Directors also elected Al Bangoura, Superintendent of Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, as the new board Co-Chair, replacing Mitchell Silver, who has completed his three-year term in the role. Al Bangoura will serve alongside Happy Haynes, who is currently Co-Chair.

Additionally, Bobbi Nance was elected Co-Chair of the Development and Membership Committee, Brad Dick was elected the new Chair of the Audit Committee, and David Saltonstall was elected an At-Large member of the Advocacy Committee.

Board Gives Thanks to Long-Serving Members

The City Parks Alliance also bid a fond farewell to two long-serving members who are term-limited off the board.

Mitchell Silver served on the board for nine years. He has supported City Parks Alliance in many leadership roles, including board co-chair. His background as Raleigh’s Planning Director and New York City Parks Commissioner and perspectives from his private sector work at McAdams, an urban planning and design firm, helped shape the strategic focus of the Alliance. He was an inspiring facilitator and speaker at numerous Greater & Greener conferences and events.

Craig Obey served on the board for nine years. During this time, he played a pivotal role as a key member of the Advocacy Committee, guiding the committee’s approach to policy engagement and federal advocacy efforts. Craig also served as Finance Committee Chair and Treasurer and was a member of the Executive Committee.

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Share your park story at Greater & Greener 2026!

We are looking for dynamic speakers to lead conversations in Austin, TX about how parks are helping cities address complex challenges.

Submit ASAP. We will close the portal once we receive 300 proposals or on August 1 at 8 pm ET, whichever comes first.

Submit a proposal at: cvent.com/c/abstracts/1397ff96-7bdc-4609-871a-11238ec877e2.

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Tower Grove Park in St. Louis, MO, has long been an urban park where history, nature, culture, and community converge. And now, with an innovative stream restoration project, it is a model of how green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) can make public spaces more vibrant, sustainable, and equitable. More than just a physical upgrade, the East Stream Renovation project is a prime example of the power of partnerships to integrate green stormwater infrastructure and also honor culture and community.

Unearthing History, New Possibilities

Tower Grove Park’s East Stream Renovation project began back in 2019, as part of its 2017 Master Plan, as a conversation among community members prompted by park leadership about the park’s statue of Christopher Columbus. Originally installed in 1890 as a gesture of goodwill toward Italian immigrants, the statue had taken on a far more complex meaning in the 21st century, symbolizing, for many, the painful legacy of colonialism and its destructive impact on the Indigenous peoples who were cast out of the city and their original land.

To navigate this contentious issue, Tower Grove Park convened a multicultural commission of local civic leaders, including members of the Osage and Cherokee Nations, the Italian-American community, the National Park Service, Black Lives Matter, and the local art museum. The park engaged a facilitator, invited outside speakers, including a landscape architect and an Early-American historian who specialized in Christopher Columbus, and held an open discussion in which all viewpoints were heard and weighed equally. Tower Grove Park’s Executive Director Bill Reininger knew that “creating a space where all voices could be heard was key.”

After careful consideration, the commission recommended that the statue be kept on park property while also unveiling the East Stream as a symbolic counterbalance meant to honor Indigenous heritage. However, after nationwide protests in the summer of 2020 reignited conversations about racial justice, Tower Grove Park leaders ultimately removed the statue and reinforced the park as a welcoming place in the neighborhood while moving forward with the restoration of the stream.

While the other two historic streams in the park were kept in place throughout the years, the East Stream was buried before 1913, likely to solve sanitation issues. This “daylighting” project restored the waterway to its original above-ground alignment, combining ecological restoration with modern green stormwater infrastructure and cultural remembrance.

A series of bioretention areas and rain gardens hold up to 1.14 inches of rainwater at a time and 3.8 million gallons of water annually, helping to replenish the water table rather than clogging up storm sewers. The naturalized system not only reduces flood risks but also helps to purify the water, create vital wildlife habitats, and enhance the park’s beauty. Designed to integrate into the park’s existing bridges, pathways, and mature trees, the stream seamlessly becomes a part of the landscape while presenting new opportunities for exploration and learning.

The park’s new stream features five rain gardens that catch, filter, and absorb rainwater, reducing the risk of flooding and water pollution in the surrounding area. Native plants were carefully chosen based on their ecological benefits and cultural importance, integrating species that were traditionally used by the Osage people. In addition to mitigating stormwater, these gardens provide habitats for local wildlife, enhance biodiversity, and create a visually stunning landscape that reflects both nature and heritage. Thoughtfully designed play areas, outdoor “rooms” for structured learning, and hands-on nature experiences will connect children and visitors with the environment in meaningful ways. Rooted in both innovation and local history, the East Stream Renovation in Tower Grove Park is a framework for sustainable, ecological, resilient, and community-centric urban park design.

Partnerships in Restoration and Renewal

The project’s environmental impact is magnified by the partnership with the Metropolitan Sewer District, which provided a $1.4 million grant. They provided an approved list of plants for the rain gardens and allowed the park to enhance it with additional species specific to the Osage. The Missouri Botanical Garden, which shares a historical connection with Tower Grove Park through the same founder Henry Shaw, was also an important partnership. Tower Grove Park leaders were invited to the Shaw Nature Reserve, a 2,400-acre private non-profit nature reserve operated as an extension of the Missouri Botanical Garden, to personally collect and harvest seeds from a wide selection of native plants that were later grown and planted around the stream.

The Osage Nation’s partnership and input were essential to guarantee the cultural legacy of the design. Collaboration with tribal members ensured that features like water elements symbolizing migration routes, trees tied to the Osage origin story, depictions of animals native to Missouri, rings of stones representing traditional Osage lodges and villages, and plants with historical uses for medicine and weapon-making were integrated into the design and detailed with signage. Throughout the course of the project, park leadership learned that each design element carried a deeper significance, though some of the meanings have been kept within just the Osage tribe.

The project was further enriched by a partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation, with offices in the park itself, whose early involvement helped identify opportunities for educational programming and tours, creating a space for visitors to learn about both the ecological and cultural stories woven into the park.

What started as a stormwater management initiative became a multi-dimensional project that merged environmental, cultural, and educational goals, setting a new standard for how green stormwater infrastructure can enhance urban parks and communities. Reininger “refer[s] to the project as an onion—lovingly—because it does stormwater mitigation, tells a hydrology story, restores native plants, and incorporates cultural symbolism. Each layer adds depth to its impact.”

Navigating Challenges and Best Practices

The East Stream Renovation wasn’t just a feat of design and engineering—it was a masterclass in strong partnerships, adaptability, and early engagement with local stakeholders. Tower Grove Park’s Executive Director, Bill Reininger, credits much of the project’s success to having conversations early and providing partners with ample information from the outset. Additionally, the project began in 2020, which meant that it was almost entirely virtual, posing an additional layer of challenges. But to Bill, “having strong communication early on made all the difference.”

Reiniger also laid the groundwork with potential partners before formal plans were submitted, which he credits to making the approval process significantly smoother. “The key to [his] success was what [he’d] call ‘oversharing’—giving tons of information super early in the process so that when it came time for approvals, nothing was a surprise.” By the time key stakeholders were reviewing final designs, they had already engaged multiple times, making approvals and grant reimbursements far more efficient. The park also benefited from having experienced facilitators who understood the Osage Nation’s culture, ensuring that discussions were productive, respectful, and informed. When the project kicked off, park leaders “ knew [they’d] make mistakes in language or approach, but having an experienced facilitator helped [them] navigate those conversations with humility and respect.”

Reininger also emphasizes the long-term benefits of relationship-building. Tower Grove Park’s ongoing partnership with the Osage Nation is still in place today and includes educational exchanges and site visits. The park has also since secured additional grants from the Metropolitan Sewer District, thanks to the collaboration and trust built through this project. Developing partnerships in the early hours and days meant that all parties felt a sense of ownership of the outcome. Reiniger reflected that “every partner brought something unique—whether it was knowledge, funding, or cultural insight. The end result is a project that feels truly shared.”

Perhaps the greatest lesson from the East Stream Renovation is the power of open, honest dialogue: listening to all perspectives, acknowledging the emotions involved, and finding ways to honor diverse voices while working within the constraints of a National Historic Landmark. By embracing this approach, Tower Grove Park not only navigated a complex restoration but also set the stage for future projects that balance history, ecology, and community needs.

Flowing Toward a Greener Future

The East Stream Renovation project exemplifies how urban parks can successfully integrate green stormwater infrastructure by fostering strong partnerships, honoring cultural heritage, and engaging the community. For urban park professionals hoping to launch similar projects, City Parks Alliance’s new Parks and Green Stormwater Infrastructure resources provide essential tools to navigate planning, funding, and implementation. With case studies, policy recommendations, and advocacy strategies, these resources equip park agencies and community groups with the knowledge to leverage GSI for climate resilience, community connection, biodiversity, and equitable access to nature.

Explore how your city can implement GSI solutions in parks and public spaces in a way that enhances the environment, communities, and local culture at cityparksalliance.org/parks-and-green-stormwater-infrastructure.

Support for this blog is provided by the Crawford Taylor Foundation.

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First – and only – permanent and dedicated urban parks bill ensures more Americans will have access to safe, quality parks.

On December 19, 2024, Congress passed the EXPLORE Act which contains the first – and only – dedicated and permanent city park legislation. The EXPLORE Act includes the Outdoors for All Act which codifies the National Park Service Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) grant program. The ORLP provides grants to cities for park projects in disadvantaged communities.

“One of the biggest inequities facing urban America today is the lack of quality parks in underserved communities. We are thrilled to see Congress pass the EXPLORE Act which includes the first dedicated city parks program. The EXPLORE Act will help expand outdoor recreation access, provide job opportunities, and engage and empower youth in the communities that are most in need. Expanding access to city parks builds more resilient and equitable communities,” stated City Parks Alliance Executive Director Catherine Nagel.

Established in 2014, the ORLP is a nationally competitive grant program funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The ORLP provides outdoor recreation funds for disadvantaged communities. The National Park Service awards fund land acquisition, new park development, or the renovation of existing parks, all with the goal of reconnecting people with the outdoors. The National Park Service has awarded more than 160 projects nationwide since the program began.

“As chair of City Parks Alliance’s Mayors for Parks Coalition and Mayor of the fastest growing large city in the country, I applaud Congress for passing the EXPLORE Act. This is an exciting moment in park history. Parks and green spaces provide health, economic, and environmental benefits, and every family in every community deserves access to quality parks and open space. Over many years, City Parks Alliance and the Mayors for Parks Coalition have been advocating for dedicated federal investment in city parks, and we thank Congress for addressing this need,” stated Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker.

“City Parks Alliance and the Mayors for Parks Coalition applaud Senators Alex Padilla and Susan Collins, and Representatives Nanette Barragán and Mike Turner for introducing the Outdoors for All Act and thank them for their continued work throughout the years advocating for this important piece of legislation,” stated Catherine Nagel.

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12/16/2024

The Department of Interior has opened the eighth application round for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) grant program, and applications are now being accepted at Grants.gov. Transform your city’s communities and close the park equity gap with funding from the ORLP, which offers 50/50 matching grants to create new parks or revitalize existing parks in underserved urban neighborhoods.

How to Apply
All applications must run through your state, so start the application process with your State Lead agency. They will answer questions about your specific project and explain their process for selecting and submitting applications to NPS. They can also talk to you about the LWCF formula grant program and other possible state funding. Find your LWCF state official here and direct all your other general questions here.

8th Round Technical Assistance
Learn how to maximize your chances of success in the 8th application round. In our webinar recording, NPS staff walk you through applicant and project eligibility, explain the application and selection process, and share expert tips on writing a strong proposal.

Project Eligibility
ORLP projects must meet two eligibility criteria: your city/town must have a population of at least 25,000 based on the 2020 Census, and the project must be located within an underserved community. To see if your project meets the basic eligibility requirements:

• Search the Census Bureau’s Quick Facts website. Type the name of the city into the search bar and scroll down to see the line for “Population Census, April 1, 2020.” Federally recognized Tribes, Alaskan Native Communities, and Native Hawaiian organizations are eligible to apply for projects on their lands regardless of census numbers.
• At least one of the following information sets can indicate the proposing community’s underserved status:
  • Communities identified by the Council on Environmental Quality’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, or;
  • Communities identified by the Environmental Protection Agency’s EJScreen tool, or;
  • Communities can demonstrate need by submitting relevant documentation for evaluation where these other tools do not work (e.g., US Territories).

Apply Now

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Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) manages runoff naturally, reducing flooding and pollution while enhancing urban resilience, creating green spaces, spurring jobs, and improving public health.

Over the past year, City Parks Alliance has worked with a cohort of parks and stormwater agency leaders from eight cities across the country to inform how to increase collaboration between the parks and stormwater management sectors and address historic inequities, developing a report that identifies and addresses the systemic barriers to better collaboration between parks and stormwater management agencies and their partners, shares recommendations and calls to action for public leaders and policy advocates to help overcome them, and shares examples and resources to help cities tap into the public benefits and opportunities that GSI in parks can provide.

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