By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager

Picture this: Over 500 park experts, leaders, and advocates coming together for a day of learning, sharing best practices, and making connections to strengthen our parks and the neighborhoods they serve — all with the backdrop of a sea of vibrant tulips in full bloom. Welcome to Park Pride’s annual Parks & Greenspace Conference, the largest parks conference in the southeast!  

Now in its 25th year, the Conference will be held on Monday, March 23, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. 

As the greenspace sector faces climate challenges, economic pressures, and shifting social needs, this year’s theme — Resilient Parks, Resilient Communities — will explore how innovation, leadership, and community resilience are shaping the future of parks and greenspaces.   

The Conference program is crafted with care by Park Pride’s Curriculum Crew: Director of Education Eli Dickerson, Director of Park Visioning Teri Nye, and Friends of the Park Senior Manager Vanessa Miot. At Park Pride, we measure time in Conferences, and our curriculum trio has fifteen Conferences under their belt collectively.

The concept of resilience has taken on new significance in recent years. This year’s theme — Resilient Parks, Resilient Communities — addresses the role that parks play in building strong communities and the role that communities play in making great parks.

Today, communities of all sizes are contending with environmental, social, and other stressors. In cities, parks play a role as green infrastructure, reducing the impact of severe storms and flooding on nearby communities. Parks give Atlanta space to expand our famous tree canopy, which provides cooling shade as we face longer and hotter summers and recharges our groundwater reserves in times of drought. All these measures can take place in parks, and each step builds more resilient communities. (Read more about this idea in our conversation with keynote speaker Gena Wirth, who says designing for resilience is no longer optional.) 

“Conference is a time for us to go beyond just parks and greenspaces,” Eli said. “We take into consideration climate, equity concerns, cost of living, public health, and more.” 

During the full-day program, you’ll hear from our keynote speakers Melvin Carter (former Mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota), Anika Goss (CEO of Detroit Future City), and Gena Wirth (Design Principal and Partner at SCAPE Studio), along with breakout sessions from greenspace experts, community advocates, elected officials, and more. 

The program features three special focus areas, including Governing an Urban Ecosystem, Community Resilience, and What Would Nature Do? 

For Teri, Governing an Urban Ecosystem highlights a crucial piece of the larger conversation around resiliency. 

“Local, State, and Federal officials make decisions that impact actions we can take locally to create more resilient and prepared communities,” Teri said. “There needs to be an open, two-way conversation between communities and elected and appointed officials, as well as people who work for our governments, to make sure they have the resources they need to help communities bounce back from climate, health, and other stressors.” 

With communities at the forefront of Vanessa’s role as Senior Manager of the Friends of the Park Program, she is most excited about the Community Resilience sessions. 

“When we think of resiliency, we often think about environmental stressors,” Vanessa said. “But for me, what stands out most is how communities are being resilient, innovative, and collaborative, and leaning on that hope of a better future through parks and greenspaces.” 

She continued: “When we learn from each other, we can do better. There’s an African proverb, Sankofa, that says you have to look back and learn from the past so we can build a better future. It’s about taking time to reflect on both the struggles and the wins across the nation, carrying those lessons with us, and bringing them home, so we can create solutions that actually make sense for what’s happening in our own neighborhoods.” 

Eli sees parks through a naturalist lens, and the focus area What Would Nature Do? leads him to consider how “we are inseparable from nature. Our resilience is tied to nature’s resilience, and vice versa. We can look to the natural world to consider other resilient strategies that we can use in the parks and greenspace world.” 

Whether you’re a parks and recreation professional, an architect, a passionate community lover, or simply a park enthusiast, there is something for everyone! Click here to explore the program. 

Really, at the heart of the Parks & Greenspace Conference are the connections made, the chance to learn from thought leaders around Atlanta and the nation, and the stronger foundation that’s formed to help our parks and communities thrive.  

“Even after eight-plus hours together attending many sessions, by 5 pm, folks are still electric and inspired. You can hear all the great conversations and the ideas that have been spurred,” Eli said. “Conference is the catalyst!” 

We hope you’ll join us for this day of networking, education, and inspiration! We sold out last year, so you don’t want to wait — get your ticket today! 

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