Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) is set to get much-needed funding! City Council formally adopted the new budget for next fiscal year on Tuesday, September 11th. This includes recommendations from City Manager Spencer Cronk and additional funding for recycling in parks and building maintenance. All told, there’s nearly $12.5 million in additional funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-2019 compared to FY …
Project Playback: Shade Structure at Gullett School Park
Austin Parks Foundation helped fund the new shade structure at Gullett School Park, in partnership with the Adopt-A-Park group, the Gullett PTA. Premiering with a ribbon cutting ceremony last week, the shade structure over the playground at Gullett Elementary now allows kids to play year-round. The Gullett PTA, which is also the Adopt-A-Park group for the park, saw how the …
Republic Square Named 2018 Best Public Place
The Austin District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI Austin) named Republic Square as the 2018 Best Public Place last week! Given at the annual ULI Austin Impact Awards, this distinction is awarded to a completed public space that adds value to the community through its adaptability, frequency of use and magnetic quality. ULI Austin is an organization that …
Fall Back into the School Year with Little Hummingbird Society
The kids are back to school, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have time for the parks! Spending time outdoors is essential to physical and mental health for kids and adults alike. Keep the kids involved by signing them up for Little Hummingbird Society. Membership to this growing program guarantees the little ones will have activities that increase their interest …
August Advocacy Update: Your Voice Matters!
It’s been a busy few weeks at City Hall! Back from a quick break in July, City Council has been working on all things bond, budget and beyond in these first few weeks of August. Read on to learn more about what they’ve been up to and how you can help parks receive more funding this Fall! Final Vote on …
The Next Generation of Park Lovers
Little Hummingbird Society, one of our newest programs, is bridging the gap between kids and our parks and helping us create the next generation of park lovers here in Austin. Parks are the places that we go to feel connected to nature and our community. From volunteer workdays, to grant projects, there is so much that APF has done to …
Parks Could Receive $149M in Bond Funding through November Ballot
At their June 28th meeting, City Council voted to move forward and put multiple bond propositions on the ballot in November! Read on for the details, and be sure to check out the video re-cap below. Council approved a resolution directing the City Manager to come back with ballot language which they’ll look over in August. During their discussion, Council …
Park Pollinators: Meet Liz Rush-Smyth
Our tagline is people + parks, and we take that to heart. We know the people we work with, both inside and outside the office, are what make this organization successful, and we’re proud of the team we’ve put together. Each of us is committed to making Austin’s parks, trails and green spaces great for each and every Austinite. Read …
Austin ParkScore Changes
Last month, the Trust for Public Land published its annual ParkScore index; a ranking of the top 100 largest U.S cities parks. TPL determines the rankings by looking at factors like accessibility, funding, integrity and resources. For 2018, some of last year’s hard work on advocacy and public participation helped Austin move up four spots to #42. Compared to other …
APF Awards $172,000 in 2018 Spring Community Grants and Announces First Recipient of Design Services
Funding will be used for various community-initiated Austin parks’ improvements, renovations and construction projects AUSTIN, TX (June 25, 2018) – Austin Parks Foundation (APF) is thrilled to announce their 2018 spring grantees that will receive over $170,000 in collective funding to improve various Austin parks, trails, and green spaces. Projects include new playground equipment, improved community pools, school parks, sports …