Austin Parks Foundation is excited to announce that we are a recipient of a Community Placemaking Grant from Project for Public Spaces, funded by General Motors, to improve Parque Zaragoza.
As part of the grant, Project for Public Spaces and Austin Parks Foundation are teaming up with the City of Austin’s Park and Recreation Department, Ride Bikes Austin and the Amigos de Parque Zaragoza – the “adopt a park” group that has successfully advocated for several park improvements in the park. Through this Community Placemaking Grant, we will collaborate to transform an unused former driveway next to the park into a safe and exciting gathering place. Austin Parks Foundation’s goal is to work with the local Hispanic community to activate the space with public programs that help to preserve and strengthen Parque Zaragoza’s customs and traditions, while also offering ways for the broader community in East Austin to learn about the area’s history and connect with one another.
Parque Zaragoza was founded in 1931 as the first public park for the city’s Mexican-American community. Since then, the park has grown to include a thriving recreational and cultural center for East Austin’s largely Hispanic community. However, the surrounding neighborhood has also become one of the most rapidly gentrifying in Austin, Texas, and many members of the historic community are facing displacement.
Placemaking is a proven approach in bringing communities and people together around the shared vision of a public space. Not only will the grant allow us to bring our vision to life and create lasting change in our city, but the process of involving the community creates a sense of ownership and investment in Austin and draws residents closer.
