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. …
Project Playback: Kendra Page Nature Playscape
The Kendra Page Nature Playscape, one of only a handful in Austin, is complete! The park adopter team at Kendra Page was awarded our 2020 Fall ACL Festival Community Grant after applying to create a nature playscape, a play environment that consists of elements and textures from the earth such as tree logs, tree stumps, and a nature trail that …
Project Playback: Alderbrook Pocket Park Playground Renovation
For almost 20 years, Austin Parks Foundation has worked with the Friends of Alderbrook to improve Alderbrook Pocket Park (12444 Lamplight Village Ave.). The surrounding neighborhood had been designated high-need by Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), and this undeveloped space was officially acquired by PARD in 2011. Over the years, the neighborhood advocated for a community garden, playground, trails, …
Spring Community Impact Grant & Design Award Winners
We are excited to announce some recent ACL Grant and Design Services awards to parks across Austin: A $600 Neighborhood Grant to Overton School/Colony Park District Park in City Council District 1, for outdoor classroom installation and programming sponsorship for participation with PEAS OutdoorLearning A $1,000 Neighborhood Grant to West Austin Neighborhood Park in District 9, for the restoration of …
Austin Parks Foundation Awards $150,000 Community Impact Grant to Highland Neighborhood Park
Austin Parks Foundation (APF) announced today that Highland Neighborhood Park will receive $150,000 as part of our Community Impact Grant. The grant will fund specific amenities as part of the park’s overall vision plan implementation, including a pedestrian bridge, connection path, water fountain and more. This year, we’re also excited to announce changes to their ACL Music Festival Grants Program …
Amplify Austin Day: Support Austin’s Parks on March 2nd & 3rd!
Amplify Austin Day is an annual day of giving hosted by I Live Here I Give Here (ILHIGH), a local non-profit organization. This 24-hour giving period provides an easy and fun way for our entire community to support hundreds of non-profits in Central Texas! Together, 34,415 donors raised $12.5 Million for 760 Central Texas nonprofits in 2021. Over the past …
ATX Walk Bike Roll: Helping Everyone Access Their Local Parks
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 …
Project Playback: How the Power of Community Shaped Brentwood Park
Placed right beside Brentwood Elementary School, Brentwood Neighborhood Park has been the go-to location for countless community events and individual fun for many years! This park is an essential part of the outdoor culture of this community and provides a sanctuary of green space where neighbors can escape the rush of their everyday lives. As this passion for the park …
Project Playback: Helping Neighbors Improve North Oaks Neighborhood Park
One of our favorite things about the work we do is the people and organizations we get to work with. In 2018, Austin Parks Foundation completed four park improvement projects thanks to a $210,000 Active Parks Project grant from the St. David’s Foundation! With COVID delaying an official ribbon cutting and some additional community-initiated improvements coming this year, we wanted …
Project Playback: The Long-Awaited Alliance Children’s Garden Now Open
Park History Michael Butler Park has been a fixture of Austin’s green spaces for the past 20 years. With all kinds of activities for Austinites to enjoy and Austin’s stunning skyline as a backdrop, it’s a perfect spot to enjoy the outdoors right in the center of our city. In November 1998, the City of Austin enforced a motor vehicle …