In the spring of 2012, I received notice of a conference in New York City called “Greater & Greener” that was to take place in July. The conference, which is wrapping up this year’s annual event today, covered a wide variety of topics all related to urban parks and trails.
City Parks Alliance (CPA), which was launched in 2000 and is the only independent, nationwide membership organization solely dedicated to urban parks, sponsored the conference.
The conference included tours of New York City parks, workshops, presentations from park professionals from many American cities—keynote addresses were delivered by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar—and plenty of opportunities for social interaction.
I decided to attend in the hopes of learning some of the issues that others were dealing with, including how to bring in more private sector support, how to create effective partnerships with city staff, how to organize neighborhood groups, etc.
What I experienced went well beyond what I had hoped. I toured parks and saw innovations that were imaginative yet practical. I bicycled through a new park along the Hudson River that is a partnership between the city, the federal government and private businesses.
Without going into too much detail, I furiously took notes and photos, and absorbed everything I could through films and lectures. I was in a general state of amazement for the entire four days. The experience opened my eyes to possibilities for San Jose, based on what I saw in New York and learned from representatives of Chicago, Denver, Oklahoma City and Houston.
The conference also introduced me to a vast network of parks advocates and professionals. This network is vital to keeping San Jose Parks Foundation up to date and making us part of the national discussion about urban and suburban parks and trails. What’s also valuable is the leadership role San Jose now has in the City Parks Alliance (CPA).
The mission of CPA is to engage, educate and nurture a broad-based constituency to support the creation, revitalization and sustainability of parks and green spaces that contribute to dynamic cities. CPA was the primary sponsor of the Greater & Greener Conference, and it has an informative website with a small library of reports.
There are thousands of parks and trails in the U.S., and staying up on what is being done elsewhere is absolutely necessary. Digesting information and dispensing it to board and advisory board members, donors, city staff, political leaders, neighborhood groups, local parks and trails advocates, and others is a serious responsibility.
In order to mold San Jose Parks Foundation into an effective force for preserving, protecting and promoting the long-term stewardship of San Jose’s parks and trails, CPA is a crucial tool.
James P. Reber is the executive director of San Jose Parks Foundation, a veteran nonprofit entrepreneur and experienced special event planner and producer. He can be reached at [email protected] or 408.893.PARK.
