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| Urban Parks Forum | |
|---|---|
| Name | Urban Parks Forum |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Founders | Jane Jacobs, Frederick Law Olmsted (inspirational figures) |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | New York City, United States |
| Area served | Global |
| Focus | Urban parks, public space, green infrastructure |
Urban Parks Forum The Urban Parks Forum is an international coalition of practitioners, policymakers, advocates, and scholars focused on urban parks, public spaces, and urban resilience. The Forum convenes stakeholders from municipal agencies such as the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, international bodies such as the United Nations Environment Programme and UN-Habitat, philanthropic organizations like the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation, and academic institutions including Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and London School of Economics to shape policy, share research, and promote best practices.
The Forum operates at the intersection of urban planning, landscape architecture, and environmental conservation, engaging actors such as the American Planning Association, International Federation of Parks and Recreation Administration, World Bank, European Commission, and civic networks like Trust for Public Land and The Nature Conservancy. It emphasizes collaborations with professional bodies including the American Society of Landscape Architects, Royal Town Planning Institute, and universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University College London, and Harvard University for evidence-based interventions in cities like London, New York City, São Paulo, Tokyo, and Cape Town.
Founded in 1998 amid growing attention to urban greening and post-industrial redevelopment, the Forum drew early inspiration from historic projects such as Central Park, High Line, Millennium Park, and advocacy by figures associated with Jane Jacobs and Frederick Law Olmsted. Early partners included municipal programs like City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, philanthropic initiatives like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and international conferences including Habitat II and World Urban Forum. Over subsequent decades the Forum expanded alliances with research centers at Stanford University, Yale University, University of Toronto, and non-governmental organizations such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund.
The Forum is governed by a board comprising leaders from municipal parks agencies (e.g., San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department), international institutions such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, corporate partners like IBM and Siemens, and non-profits including Bloomberg Philanthropies and Conservation International. Advisory committees include representatives from professional associations—International Society of City and Regional Planners, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group—and academic partners at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Princeton University, and ETH Zurich. Financial oversight engages auditors and funders such as KPMG and Gates Foundation, while legal affairs coordinate with firms experienced in public-private partnerships exemplified by projects in Singapore and Dubai.
Initiatives span urban greening, flood resilience, equitable access, and programming. Signature programs partner with municipal efforts like New York City Parks' GreenThumb, retrofit programs inspired by Sponge City pilots in China, and habitat restoration modeled on Thames Tideway and Cheonggyecheon. Research collaborations with MIT Media Lab, Imperial College London, and University of Melbourne produce toolkits used by agencies such as Los Angeles Recreation and Parks and networks like 100 Resilient Cities. Grant programs funded by foundations including Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Arnold Ventures support community-led projects aligned with standards from bodies like the International Federation of Landscape Architects.
The Forum organizes annual international conferences held in rotating host cities such as Barcelona, Seoul, Toronto, Johannesburg, and Sydney, and convenes thematic workshops with partners like ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, World Economic Forum, and Habitat III delegates. Events feature keynote speakers from institutions such as The Rockefeller University, University of Chicago, Oxford University, and practice leaders from firms like Sasaki Associates and AECOM. The Forum also runs webinars with collaborators including National Park Service, Parks Canada, and the European Environment Agency.
The Forum has influenced policy adoption in cities informed by reports parallel to publications from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, World Health Organization, and research from National Academy of Sciences. Advocates credit the Forum with advancing equitable park access in municipalities like Detroit and Bogotá and promoting green infrastructure in Rotterdam and Singapore. Critics, including scholars at University of California, Los Angeles and community groups in Oakland and Rio de Janeiro, argue the Forum can reinforce technocratic planning tied to corporate partners such as Amazon or Google and may not sufficiently address displacement concerns raised in case studies like Gentrification in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and redevelopment controversies in Pilsen, Chicago.
Membership comprises municipal agencies, academic institutions, professional associations, philanthropic organizations, and private-sector partners. Notable members include New York City Parks Department, Trust for Public Land, Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, universities such as University of Pennsylvania and University of Sydney, and international networks like C40 Cities and ICLEI. Participation formats include institutional membership, individual fellowships modeled after programs at Harvard Kennedy School, collaborative research grants with National Science Foundation, and volunteer engagement coordinated with local groups like Friends of the High Line and park conservancies across cities such as London, Paris, and Berlin.
Category:Urban planning organizations Category:Parks and recreation organizations