NEWS RELEASES
NRPA Innovation Lab Explores Funding For Parks & Recreation
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through NRPA's website.
ASHBURN, Va. - The National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA) has teamed up with the Seattle Parks & Recreation department to host a three-day event that dealt with improving the nation's public parks. Park leaders from across the country gathered in Seattle, Washington, Aug. 8–10, 2018, to discuss how different communities have succeeded or failed in going to voters for dedicated park and recreation funding. NRPA's August Innovation Lab, will explore the politics of voter-approved park and recreation funding mechanisms using Seattle’s passage of a special park district in 2014 as a model.
The three-day NRPA Innovation Lab, titled #Winning: The Art of Getting Voters to Open Their Wallets for Parks, explored the politics of voter-approved park and recreation funding mechanisms using Seattle’s passage of a special park district in 2014 as a model. “Despite the fact that parks build healthy, vibrant communities and public support for these spaces is widespread, adequate funding for parks at the local level is an issue,” said Barbara Tulipane, CAE, NRPA president and CEO. “As cities like Seattle have shown us, there is a viable path for dedicated park and recreation funding, and this event will explore how to gain voters’ support for park and recreation priorities.” Through case studies, panel discussions and an interactive workshop, attendees were able to gain knowledge of key tools and strategies to implement a successful ballot measure in their community. Christopher Williams, interim superintendent for Seattle Parks and Recreation, said on the event: “Seattle Parks and Recreation is thrilled to co-host the NRPA Innovation Lab and to share our experiences around the 2014 voter-approved Seattle Park District, which provides more than $47 million a year in long-term funding for City parks and recreation.”
To learn more about each organization visit the full press release here.
Events, Funding, Industry Updates, News, Parks & Recreation, Washington