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Concurrent Education Session

TUE-B07: Public Parks, Private Operations: How Funding and Governance Planning Realize Great Design

Tuesday, October 8, 2024
2:00pm – 3:15pm ET
Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 146B
1.25 PDH, LA CES/non-HSW, AICP, NY/non-HSW, FL

Public parks bring joy, beauty, and quality of life to communities; they are our most democratic spaces. Yet many aspects of public realm projects are challenging, and none more than scarce funding. Involvement of independent, nonprofit conservancies offers a path to realizing great design with budgets that support park longevity.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the respective challenges and opportunities for design under public and private (non-profit) operational models including design for different revenue opportunities and the implications for the operator.
  • Learn about special design considerations necessary for parks operated by special-purpose, nonprofit entities, including design to reduce maintenance and security issues for operators.
  • Develop an understanding of economics and governance issues related to nonprofit (conservancy, etc.) park operations.
  • Discuss strategies to fund and manage public open spaces in both public and nonprofit operating structures.