60+ events across the five boroughs last week aimed to highlight the importance of parks to quality of life for New Yorkers
Elected officials and advocates are pushing to restore funding for 795 essential jobs at the NYC Parks Department
NEW YORK, NY (May 19th, 2025) – New Yorkers for Parks and the Prospect Park Alliance were joined on Sunday by advocates, including NYCRUNS, community members and elected officials – including Council Member Crystal Hudson and Council Member Shahana Hanif – for a rally at Grand Army Plaza. The rally closed out a week of events across the city, highlighting the importance of restoring funding for the Parks Department in the city budget to improve quality of life for New Yorkers.
“Parks are the lifeblood of our city. Millions of New Yorkers rely on them every day—for recreation, leisure, and improving their physical and mental health. And parks serve as our most accessible spaces for vital community building,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson. “Year after year, we’ve seen this mayoral administration slash the Parks budget, which has been detrimental to not only our parks, but also the trees and garden beds that line our streets. The Parks Department remains underfunded, and there is still much work to do to make up for years of disinvestment. We must account for inflation, restore past cuts, and invest in the improvements our parks so urgently need. I am proud to be standing with the Speaker and this Council in fighting for greater funding for our city’s parks.”
“As spring comes into full bloom and more New Yorkers are using our parks, we’re seeing the consequences of years of underfunding come to light,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif, Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus. “This year alone, our city saw an unprecedented surge in brush fires, including a two-alarm fire in Prospect Park in my district that devastated the Woodland Ravine, and the first drought warning in 20 years. Yet, Mayor Adams’ Executive Budget omits critical funding for Parks. I’m proud to stand with New Yorkers for Parks, Prospect Park Alliance, and my colleagues in the Brooklyn Delegation in calling on this year’s budget to baseline $79 million for Parks programs and essential staff positions. Our parks sustain our communities. It’s time that our budget sustains them.”
“On this beautiful Sunday, in every corner of our city, families, kids, seniors, and everyone in between are heading to their local park. This is a staple of being a New Yorker – but the city’s investments in our parks simply aren’t enough to maintain these vital green spaces,” said Adam Ganser, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks. “New York City’s parks are irreplaceable – they’re central to our quality of life and provide countless benefits to all. New Yorkers deserve safe, clean and well-maintained green-spaces, and now is the time for Mayor Adams to deliver by restoring funding and jobs for NYC Parks.”
“The urgent need to invest in our parks and public spaces cannot be overstated, especially in the face of climate change and its devastating effects,” said Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance. “In the past two years alone, Prospect Park has seen unprecedented devastation from a brush fire caused by severe drought this past November, as well as extreme flash flooding from a severe storm the year prior, which resulted in devastation requiring FEMA funding. Our parks are essential infrastructure, and the City needs to move beyond a cycle-to-cycle funding model by increasing its baseline funding. Parks saved our city during the pandemic. Now is the time to make sure they get their fair share of the budget.”
Decades of disinvestment have left the city’s 1,700+ parks, playgrounds, and recreation centers under-resourced and in disrepair. This week, through more than 60 grassroots events across all five boroughs, New Yorkers made it clear: parks are essential infrastructure for quality of life that must be prioritized. As the FY’26 budget deadline approaches, advocates continue to call on the Mayor and City Council to restore $79.7 million to the parks budget to reinstate 795 essential staff positions and strengthen programs.
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About New Yorkers for Parks
For over 100 years, New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) has built, protected, and promoted parks and open spaces in New York City. Today, NY4P is the citywide independent organization championing quality parks and open spaces for all New Yorkers in all neighborhoods. www.ny4p.org.
Media Contacts
Callie Samton
917.744.9715
