New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announcing beaches will be closed for swimming Memorial Day Weekend Image Credit: Mayor’s Office

“No swimming, no parties, no sports, no gatherings.” On May 17, 2020, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the City will not open its beaches for swimming on Memorial Day weekend or in the foreseeable future. The Mayor explained during a press conference that despite this decision, people will be permitted to walk the beach so as long as they do not congregate. This weekend and going forward, beach patrons can expect a NYPD and Parks Department presence to enforce these measures. Closed sections of the beach will also be marked with signs and red flags.

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Open Space Dialogues: Neighborhoods Facing Change

Join New Yorkers for Parks for a conversation among key stakeholders focusing on neighborhoods throughout the City that depend on open space as their critical infrastructure. Celebrating NY4P’s new Open Space Index reports on Long Island City, the Bay Street Corridor, and Bushwick, the evening will begin with a look into recent research and findings on these three neighborhoods. The discussion will shift to consider the future of these communities, with stakeholders and advocates from the three neighborhoods speaking about open space priorities, challenges, and opportunities. (more…)

Live Panel Discussion Image Credit: Center for New York City Law

On September 12, 2019, the Center for New York City Law welcomed New Yorkers for Parks back to New York Law School for another installment of their Open Space Dialogues. The event was kicked off by Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks Lynn B. Kelly, with welcoming remarks by Center for New York City Law’s Associate Director Brian J. Kaszuba, Esq. The topic of yesterday’s Open Space Dialogues was “Reconstructing the Capital Process.”

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Dean Anthony W. Crowell, New York Law School & Lynn B. Kelly, New Yorkers for Parks, Executive Director invite you to join us for:

Open Space Dialogues: Reconstructing the Capital Process

Thursday, September 12, 2019 from 6-8PM

New York Law School

185 West Broadway, New York, New York 10013

REGISTER HERE

Brooklyn Bridge Park, Williamsbridge Oval, Lyons Square Playground, Estella Diggs Park: all were constructed or renovated in major capital projects recently. The ribbon-cutting of a park opening is one of the most joyous sights in New York City, but the process to get to that celebratory moment is sometimes lengthy, expensive, and confusing. When NY4P released a report in 2014 on capital projects management, anecdotal concerns about parks capital projects coalesced into a citywide conversation. Since then, NYC Parks has improved their operations. Alongside, political pressure and the growth of resident-involvement programs, like Participatory Budgeting, have ratcheted up New Yorkers’ expectations of the speed, public involvement, quality, and cost-efficiency of parks capital projects. The time is ripe to consider the successes, as well as the room for improvement, in New York City’s parks capital process.

• What has NYC Parks done to improve the process? What is outside their scope?
• What are public expectations of funding, designing, assigning, and building park projects?
• What can be learned by looking at public-private partnerships?
• How can the capital process be more equitable?

Presenters

Susan M. Donoghue, President & Park Administrator, Prospect Park Alliance

Diane Jackier, Chief of Capital Strategic Initiatives, NYC Parks

Charles McKinney, Practical Visionary

Respondents

Andrew Cohen, Council Member, 11th District (Bronx)

Celeste Frye, Founder & CEO, Public Works Partners

Jennifer Godenzo, Senior Director, Participatory Budgeting Project

Moderator

Eli Dvorkin, Editorial & Policy Director, Center for an Urban Future

There is no charge for this event.

For more information on the individual panels, click here.

This event is graciously hosted by The Center for New York City Law and The Impact Center for Public Interest Law at New York Law School.

On April 9, 2019, the Center for New York City Law welcomed New Yorkers for Parks back to New York Law School for another installment of their Open Space Dialogues. The event was kicked off by Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks Lynn B. Kelly, with welcoming remarks by New York Law School Dean and President Anthony Crowell. The topic of yesterday’s Open Space Dialogues was “Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees.”

Parks provide multiple benefits in dense urban environments, from recreation to mental health to sustainability and resilience. But staying on top of daily wear and tear and addressing the structural deficiencies of aging infrastructure need to be funded. How should we pay to create and maintain our public realm? Park practitioners and advocates from New York City and beyond explored what options exist for ensuring parks in all five boroughs have a sustainable financial future. (more…)