Happy Independence Day! At the National League of Cities (NLC), we’re proud to represent all 16,000 of America’s cities, towns, villages, hamlets and communities. It’s our belief that every city matters and deserves to have a voice — regardless of size, location, or history. That’s why throughout June we’ve celebrated Small Cities Month, highlighting our
Groundbreaking research shows how the design and maintenance of public spaces can directly impact our civic health. This is a guest post by Suzanne Nienaber. Last week, the Center for Active Design (CfAD) published original research from the Assembly Civic Engagement Survey (ACES), a groundbreaking study to examine specific community design features that influence civic
Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Director of Parks and Recreation Sara Hensley won the unanimous support of the city council when they recently created the document as part of a larger strategy to connect children to nature. This is a guest post by Steven Adler and Sara Hensley. This post is part of a series
In many cities, one of the most popular services utilized by the community is open space, including parks and playgrounds. Unfortunately, park use is also one of the hardest things for cities to measure. This is a guest post by Bobbi Nance and Edward Krafcik. This post is the first in a series celebrating National
“Imagine a city known for excellent environmental education because its parks are natural classroom. As a city, we are creating greater access to nature for all of our younger residents.” -Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mayor Rosalynn Bliss In November, seven Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) sites began implementing strategies for connecting children to nature more
The benefits of public green spaces within, or accessible to, urban areas are much greater than are often immediately understood. Here’s how cities stand to gain from increasing access to parks. This is a guest post by Jaime B. Matyas. As the nation seeks to unite after a contentious presidential election, areas of shared commitment
This year saw a number of posts that reached thousands of readers and were shared widely on social media. Here are the top five, in no particular order. 7 Ways City Leaders Can Address Racial Inequities City leaders must step up to take the lead with their police departments and community members to address racial inequities
The city of McAllen’s awareness campaign is a story of local partnerships in action. This is a guest post by Veronica Whitacre. After four tragic deaths across South Texas, leaders from the city of McAllen, Texas, partnered with community activists and concerned citizens to address safety on city streets and highways. Created in 2014, our
This is a guest post by Jonathan B. Jarvis, Director of the U.S. National Park Service. The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Mo., exemplifies the innovative ways city leaders, businesses and NGOs are investing in new parks, new park designs, and new ways to engage communities in creating healthy and livable cities. (National
This post was co-written by Kellie May. A version of this post appears on the National Recreation and Park Association’s blog, Open Space. (Getty Images) In cities across the country, parks and recreation departments are often the go-to resource for quality programs and activities that help residents get active and enjoy an improved quality of
