Center for an Urban Future invites you to their event
About this event
*If you have any trouble accessing the event or for questions or requests regarding access and accommodation, please contact Sophia Tumolo at stumolo@nycfuture.org
Confirmed speakers include:
For decades, NYC Parks was known as the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, and recreation once accounted for nearly one-third of the agency’s budget. Today, most New Yorkers think of the agency primarily as steward of the city’s public parks, while recreation represents barely 5 percent of its expense budget—and years of underinvestment have left the system struggling to realize its full potential, with fewer programs than before the pandemic, staffing shortages, and aging rec centers, field houses, pools, and athletic facilities in need of major upgrades and expansion to meet demand. With New Yorkers spending more time indoors and struggling with health challenges—from obesity to social isolation—it may be time to put the Rec back in Parks & Rec.
This in-person policy forum will explore the importance of public recreation in New York City, the challenges of expanding recreation in communities across the five boroughs, and what’s needed to restore recreation as essential civic infrastructure. Our solutions-focused discussion will examine how to bolster aging rec facilities and expand recreational programming, especially in low-income neighborhoods, where access to free, low-cost recreation is limited and demand is high.
This event was made possible thanks to generous support from the The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. We are also grateful for general support from The Clark Foundation and the Altman Foundation, support from Fisher Brothers Foundation for CUF's Middle Class Jobs Project, and ongoing support from a number of other philanthropic funders.
Center for an Urban Future is a catalyst for smart and sustainable policies that reduce inequality, increase economic mobility, and grow the economy in NYC.
