Formerly the Philadelphia Parks Alliance, we campaign for outstanding parks, recreation, and open space to make Philadelphia a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable city for all.
Philadelphia Parks & Rec is drastically underfunded but provides services essential to the City, especially providing neighborhood jobs, jobs for teens, Out of School Time Programs, meals for students, and safe spaces for communities impacted by gun violence. The City budgets money for these services, but these funds go to other departments or to contracted providers. This capstone will explore: What policy and operational changes can the next mayor make to bring existing funds to Parks & Rec?
Some potential ideas/directions:
- The City spends funds on infrastructure. The new tree plan will make the case that trees are infrastructure that reduces heat islands. What are potential funding sources for tree maintenance?
- Out of School Time (OST) contract providers must meet certain standards that Parks & Rec does not currently meet. What are the barriers and costs for Parks & Rec to meet OST standards and qualify for OST funding? Does undertaking this pass a cost-benefit analysis?
- Can Parks & Rec sites host activities that the City is paying other entities to host?
- What additional staffing is needed at Parks & Rec to expand teen and young adult employment at Parks & Rec?
The deliverable should be a set of recommendations, with a cost-benefit analysis, for the next mayor to implement.
Project Timeline: The primary for mayor is in May. While the general election is not until November, the Democratic nominee starts making transition plans in the summer of 2023.
