New Yorkers for Parks

Budget cuts in 2020 caused parks' worst conditions on record

We call on our leaders to restore parks funds in 2021

The Play Fair Coalition rallied and testified for parks on March 12!

In 2020, we secured 300 NYC Parks workers jobs despite a 14% pandemic budget cut

In 2019, we secured a historic increase of $44 million for NYC Parks

Overview
2021 Budget Action
Past Success
The Play Fair Coalition

The Play Fair for Parks campaign is a multi-year advocacy effort that elevates parks and open space issues in NYC with the Play Fair Coalition, 300+ groups and organizations

Co-founded by New Yorkers for Parks, the New York City Council, the New York League of Conservation Voters, and DC 37, the NYC Parks workers’ union

City parks cover 14% of NYC but the NYC Parks budget is just 0.5% of the total City budget. NYC’s parks are critical infrastructure that have been overlooked and underfunded for too long. The pandemic laid bare the inequities in NYC's park system and highlighted the dire need to fund and build more parks to ensure equitable access for all New Yorkers.

2021 Budget Action

Play Fair Now

In 2021, we are calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council to restore essential funds to the NYC Parks department. NYC Parks received the 2nd largest cut of any agency following COVID-19 austerity measures. That reduction of $84 million caused parks to be in the worst conditions on record while demand for them was at an all-time high.

Sign the Play Fair Now petition!

FY22 Budget Platform: $79.8M to Renew and Restore the Expense Budget for NYC Parks

$58M to reinvest in critical Maintenance and Operations

$10M to baseline the FY21 one-shot 100 City Park Worker and 50 Gardener staff lines
$30M to restore the seasonal staff budget for maintenance and operations workers citywide
$3M to restore the Parks Opportunity Program and provide a pathway to full-time employment
$15M to restore critical parks forestry contracts for tree pruning, stump removal, sidewalk repair, and invasive species control

$4M to reinvest in Recreation and Programming – to restore the Parks Equity Initiative and support park stewardship organizations citywide

$9M to reinvest in Parks Safety

$3M to restore the 50 Urban Park Ranger positions created in the FY20 budget
$6M to restore the 80 Parks Enforcement Patrol positions created in the FY20 budget

$7.9M to reinvest in Nature and Resiliency

$3.4M to restore 15 GreenThumb staff and expand access to plant materials, resources, and tools for community gardeners citywide
$4.5M to continue conserving and caring for our natural forests and begin critical improvements for our City’s wetlands and trails network

Past Success

Watch our last-minute pivot to a Digital Rally for Parks on YouTube!

2020 brought unprecedented challenges but we adapted to continue our advocacy. Our Coalition's campaigning in-person, by phone and email, and on Zoom resulted in 300 secured jobs for NYC Parks workers, despite the agency taking a 14% cut of $84 million.

Of those 300 secured jobs, 150 were made permanent and 150 were renewed just for the year – we'll continue to advocate for those 150 to become permanent, too.

We kicked off the Play Fair campaign in 2019 and succeeded in getting a historic increase of $44 million into the NYC Parks FY20 budget. We held two rallies in February and May attended by over 200 New Yorkers. The $44 million broke down like this: