Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 28, 2025
No. 12
www.nyc.gov/parks

TEN NEW SITES TO RECEIVE UPGRADES THROUGH THE COMMUNITY PARKS INITIATIVE, WITH A TOTAL INVESTMENT OF MORE THAN $50 MILLION CITYWIDE; CUNY LAUNCHES NEXT PHASE OF PUBLIC HEALTH STUDY

Equity-driven CPI program renovates parks in undeserved neighborhoods in all five boroughs

CUNY unveils free public events in CPI-renovated parks in connection with community health study

NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue today announced ten additional parks slated to receive investments through the Community Parks Initiative (CPI) in FY2026, with a total new investment of over $50 million across all five boroughs.

"All New Yorkers deserve access to clean, safe, and high-quality parks — no matter what zip code they live in. Through our Community Parks Initiative, we're proud to announce the next ten parks to receive key investments in undeserved neighborhoods throughout all five boroughs," said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. "I'm also grateful to the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy for its partnership to provide free programming and examine the health and quality-of-life benefits related to CPI sites through the SPARCS study. Our greenspaces are not just amenities; they are vital public resources that improve public health, foster social connections, and make communities stronger."

Launched in 2014, CPI provides equity-driven investments for parks that have not seen significant investment in at least two decades, located in neighborhoods with the highest need based on considerations like poverty levels, density, and population growth. Through CPI, local parks are reconstructed through a community-driven design process that updates sites, introduces new play equipment and recreation amenities for all ages, and beautifies parks with new greenery.

In addition to reimagining parks to meet the community’s needs, CPI also supports local groups to care for and better use their parks, as well as free community programming.

Over the past decade, Parks has reimagined and reconstructed 67 CPI projects for local neighborhood parks, and currently has another 50 projects actively underway, investing over half a billion dollars of capital funding to rebuild parks and playgrounds that haven’t seen significant investment in decades.

The following NYC Parks sites will be the next to be transformed through CPI:

Bronx

Arcilla Playground

Tiffany Playground

Brooklyn

Breukelen Playground

Harmony Park

Willoughby Playground

Manhattan

ABC Playground

Harlem Art Park

Dr. Ronald E. McNair Playground

Queens

Arverne Playground

Staten Island

Terrace Playground

“We’re excited to be working with the Parks Department to deliver these game-changing renovations to ABC Playground. Since taking office, students, parents, teachers, and neighbors of PS20 have been advocating for improvements – and their voices have been heard,” said City Councilmember Chris Marte. This investment shows that here on the Lower East Side, we can invest in our public spaces in a way that benefits the entire community. I’m honored I’m in a position to give back to my own alma mater and grateful to the Parks Department for their dedication to our community.”

“I am excited and thankful that two parks in East Harlem have been selected to receive CPI funding this year as part of New York City’s equity-driven program to enhance green spaces in underserved neighborhoods,” said City Councilmember Diana Ayala. “I have been advocating for improvements to both Harlem Art Park and Dr. Ronald E. McNair Playground for some time and am pleased that these parks now will be getting major upgrades. They are integral spaces for socialization, recreation and fresh air for many members of our community. Harlem Art Park provides a creative space for artists and musicians to share their work, enhancing cultural awareness within the community. At McNair Playground, countless children will benefit from dramatically improved play space, making this park a more enriching place for families. Thank you to NYC Parks for selecting these parks for the serious investment they deserve.”

Parks will host Community Input Meetings for these projects beginning in April. New Yorkers can register for meetings at our Community Input Meeting webpage.

In addition, the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy (CUNY SPH) has announced a series of free public events in CPI-renovated parks as part of the Supporting Parks and Revitalizing Communities Study (SPARCS) study. The study is examining the impact of CPI park activation and programming on the health of residents within park neighborhoods. SPARCS events, which will take place throughout 2025, were designed by local community members through a community engagement process led by CUNY.

“Improving the quality of neighborhood parks is a precondition to the health benefits of park use. However, social interventions may be needed in addition to the physical transformation of park spaces to maximize the health impact,” said Terry Huang, Distinguished Professor of Public Health at CUNY SPH. “In SPARCS, we are activating the social environment of neighborhoods with CPI-renovated parks by using a community co-design process. The hope is that this will further enhance park use and improve the wellbeing of residents in general.”

Launched in 2022, SPARCS is designed to test the impact on community-level quality of life and mental health of a community-engaged intervention that aims to improve park-based health and social programming.

SPARCS represents the latest phase of a large-scale study of the public health impacts of the CPI program. According to study results first released in 2024, renovations made through CPI made New Yorkers more likely to spend time in their local parks. New Yorkers living near a CPI-renovated park were 66 percent more likely to have visited their park than New Yorkers living near non-renovated parks. The CUNY study also found that all New Yorkers may benefit from having a CPI-renovated park in their neighborhood, not just regular park-users, thanks to quality-of-life improvements that uplift the entire community.

The following are among the upcoming events:

Bronx

Dance Class with Sweet Water Dance & Yoga

Al Quinones Playground

Saturday, March 29th and Saturday, April 12th

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Brooklyn

Soca Dance Class

Hilltop Playground

Sunday, March 30th 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Manhattan

Salsa Dance Class