We did it! FY25 City Budget includes big wins for parks funding

Taylor WisemanBlog Page, City Budget, People + Parks, Park Advocacy, Advocacy

THANK YOU! Thanks to all of our efforts, Austin City Council voted in favor of a FY25 Budget that includes 16 new full-time positions for park maintenance, 4 new full-time positions for homeless encampment response within park maintenance and the creation of a land acquisition fund! This is a major win in our effort to ensure that we have a …

Support Increased PARD Staffing in our City Budget

Susan SeleskyCity Budget, 
People + Parks
, Park Advocacy, Blog Page, Advocacy

Austin Parks Foundation and other outdoor organizations are sensitive to the nature of this budget year being tight and have respectfully limited our PARD budget ask to the most pressing, equity-centered and community-supported needs. Like in years past, PARD’s most pressing need for the FY25 budget is adequate staffing to maintain parks, recreational and cultural centers, and pools. We ask …

Exploring the Impact of HB 1526 on Parkland Dedication and Austin’s Parks

Susan SeleskyAdvocacy, Blog Page, Park Development, Park Advocacy, APF News

Updated March 21, 2024. Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1526 into law on June 10, 2023. Going into effect on January 1, 2024, this new law dictates how local parkland dedication (PLD) ordinances can be used in Texas cities with populations over 800,000 (Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Dallas). This bill has effectively gutted future Parkland Dedication.  …

Vote FOR Travis County Props A and B, and State of Texas Prop 14

Austin Parks Foundation’s Guide to Voting YES for Texas Parks this Fall

Susan SeleskyAdvocacy, Blog Page, Park Advocacy, Featured - Nav (Our Work), Featured - Nav (Fund Your Park), 
People + Parks
, Support Our Parks, APF News, All Parks

Early voting has begun in Texas and there are three measures on the ballot critical for funding parks in Travis County and across the state of Texas. Austin Parks Foundation is proud to endorse both Travis County bond proposals, as well as the proposed Prop 14 amendment to the state constitution. These measures will provide much needed support for not …

Support Park Access for Workers

AustinParksFoundationAdvocacy, Blog Page, 
People + Parks
, Parks

The City of Austin is drafting a new rule that would help improve parks access at places of work. Do you visit local parks or green spaces before or after work? On your lunch hour? For an afternoon mental break? Let us know what park amenities would help to improve your workday through this survey. Your participation will help the …

Better Together: A New Partnership to Cultivate the Future of Zilker Park

AustinParksFoundationAPF News, Park Advocacy, Featured Top LPs, Park Top LPs Featured, Blog Page, Zilker Train, Advocacy

Austin Parks Foundation and Barton Springs Conservancy received a grant from Austin Together to go through a facilitated process with 17 groups that operate and offer programming in Zilker Metropolitan Park to figure out how we can better work together. These groups collectively offer so many resources and experiences to Zilker Park’s visitors! Some of the partner organizations include the …

ATX Walk Bike Roll: Helping Everyone Access Their Local Parks

AustinParksFoundationFeatured Projects (Home Page), APF News, Park Development, Hiking & Trails, Blog Page, Advocacy

With the goal of creating a more equitable, safe, and connected active transportation network, ATX Walk Bike Roll (WBR) represents the City of Austin’s initiative to update three plans at once: the 2014 Urban Trails Master Plan, the 2016 Sidewalk Master Plan, and the 2014 Bicycle Plan. As part of the project, the City is asking for your input on …

Introducing Joy Casnovsky: APF’s New Chief Mission Officer!

AustinParksFoundationAdvocacy, Blog Page, Featured Top LPs, Park Advocacy, APF News, Featured Projects (Home Page)

Austin Parks Foundation is thrilled to introduce our new Chief Mission Officer, Joy Casnovsky! She is a native Austinite that has always been drawn to the public service and non-profit sectors. Read below to learn more about her work experience and what drew her to APF. In her most recent role, Joy served as Deputy Director of Sustainable Food Center …

Take Action: Comment on the Mopac South Project’s Impacts to Zilker Park

AustinParksFoundationCentral Austin Parks (Featured), Featured Projects (Home Page), APF News, Park Advocacy, Blog Page, Advocacy

The virtual open house for work along Mopac South is happening between now and January 7th. This looks to be the only opportunity for public comment before Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) reveals their preferred alternative sometime in 2022. The project goes through Zilker Park, and there is potential for CTRMA to pay for parking in Zilker Park by …

Protect Parkland – Urge City Council to VOTE NO on Item 20 on 10/21

AustinParksFoundationAPF News, Blog Page, Advocacy

A crucial item is on the October 21st city council meeting agenda. ITEM 20 is asking city council members to vote on whether the current Parkland Dedication (PLD) fee structure should be revisited. This could be a huge loss for Austin’s parks, trails and green spaces! Austin’s Parkland Dedication Ordinance requires new real estate developments to set aside a certain …