To help support park and recreation professionals with tools to advocate for green infrastructure in parks to protect and improve communities, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has released the Greener Parks for Health resources. The project, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and in partnership with Willamette Partnership, includes:

• Greener Parks for Health Communications Toolkit 
Highlights powerful evidence and messaging for professionals to showcase the impacts of green infrastructure in parks.

 

• Greener Parks for Health Policy Action Framework 
Recommends the creative use of new and existing policies and funding mechanisms at the federal, state and local levels to encourage green infrastructure in parks.

• Greener Parks for Health Advocacy Toolkit 
Provides key actions professionals can take to be leaders and gain cross-sector and community support for green infrastructure in parks.

"As we're grappling with both a pandemic and the very real impacts of systemic racism, planners, park managers, city engineers and community activists should take a serious look at how green infrastructure and parks provide opportunities to keep people healthy while actively creating health equity across communities," says W illamette Partnership partner, Barton Robison. Willamette Partnership is an organization dedicated to creating solutions to environmental problems through smarter infrastructure, working lands conservation and community resilience.

The resources are part of the NRPA's Greener Parks for Health initiative developed to advance equitable access to greener parks across the country. According to the NRPA, incorporating green infrastructure will enhance the well-being of surrounding communities through increased health, environmental, social and economic benefits.

For more information on the NRPA's Greener Parks initiative and to access these resources and more: https://tinyurl.com/ya2q8ujy