The Role of Urban Forestry in Parks, Green Infrastructure, and Equity

The Great Urban Parks Campaign

Green Infrastructure in parks to benefit underserved neighborhoods

What We Will Cover• Introduction (Kevin O’Hara)

• Great Urban Parks Campaign

• Research on green infrastructure and equity (Jennifer Henaghan)

• Green infrastructure definitions• Parks, green infrastructure, and equity: background

research

• Parks, green infrastructure, and equity: leading the way (Lori Robertson)

• Pilot projects

Great Urban Parks Campaign

• Partnership

• Current initiative

• Grant awards

City and Regional Open SpaceAn interconnected network of natural areas and other open spaces that conserves natural ecosystem values and functions, sustains clean area and water, and provides a wide array of benefits to people and wildlife.

Green Stormwater InfrastructureSystems and practices that use or mimic natural processes to infiltrate, evapotranspirate, or reuse stormwater on the site where it is generated.

Green Infrastructure Definitions

Green Infrastructure at Scale

Regional

City

Neighborhood

Site

The Triple Bottom Line

• Environmental• Economic• Social Equity

Green Infrastructure Co-Benefits

Parks, Green Infrastructure and Equity: Background Research

• Parks are a primary component of green infrastructure networks

• Green infrastructure co-benefits• Green infrastructure can provide “exceptional

benefits for the urban poor” beyond stormwater management

• Poor and underserved neighborhoods have less access to green infrastructure (e.g., parks, tree canopy) than more affluent communities

Case Studies

Background Research: Initial Findings

• Extensive community engagement processes • Nonprofit organizations typically were the bridges between the

community and the public agencies responsible for designing, constructing, and maintaining the projects.

• Education features prominently in many of the case studies at a range of scales, from dedicated outdoor classrooms to informational signage explaining the purpose and benefits of green infrastructure components.

• Funding typically combines a variety of sources: local tax dollars, grants from federal, state, and nonprofit agencies, and donations from private businesses, community organizations, and residents.

Questions for Further Research and Development• How can a formal emphasis on green infrastructure and equity be

incorporated in the park planning and community planning process?

• What public-private partnership financing models lend themselves to these types of projects?

• Are there examples of policies to ensure equity in the siting of green infrastructure in parks?

• How can the private sector be brought into these projects?

• What barriers (regulations, technical knowledge, maintenance considerations, etc.) can impede green infrastructure implementation?

• How can potential gentrification from investment in parks be addressed?

Jennifer Henaghan, AICPjhenaghan@planning.org

Link to Background Research:https://www.planning.org/nationalcenters/green/urbanparkshttps://www.planning.org/nationalcenters/green/urbanparks

Current Projects

www.nrpa.org

• Parks and People Foundation – Baltimore, MD

• Pittsburgh Park Conservancy – Pittsburgh, PA

• Environmental Learning for Kids –

Denver, CO

• Park Pride – Atlanta, GA

www.nrpa.org

Urban Forestry and Green Infrastructure

Community Engagement