13 May 2022
Organised by City Parks Alliance - the Greater & Greener biennial conference explores how urban parks can be designed, developed, programmed, funded, and sustained to meet the challenges facing 21st-century cities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated a national dialogue on the essential role of parks in our cities, and Greater & Greener will continue to lead this conversation by bringing together experts to share lessons, network across sectors, and engage together.
This year Green Flag Award are excited to be attending as both an exhibitor and a participant in the City Parks Lab poster session as part of the event. Keep Britain Tidy are keen to engage with potential applicants in the USA in order to expand the programme across America in future.
Carl McClean, International Development Manager for the Green Flag Award said:
"City Parks Alliance run fantastic events and have a great reputation for sharing best practice and innovative thinking within the parks sector. This is a great opportunity to meet parks professionals and introduce them to the concept of the Green Flag Award"
IMAGE: The iconic San Francisco Presidio won the first Award in the USA in 2020
Green Flag Award in the USA
Green Flag Award have been reaching out to potential applicants across California as part of a proposed pilot launch in the golden state. This follows the Presidio of San Francisco becoming the very first park in the USA to win a Green Flag Award in 2020.
Now, applications are open from anywhere in the country as interest in the programme is set to reach a wider audience. The proposal is to combine new applications with the first Green Flag Award judges training in the country - setting the scene for the many benefits the award programme has to offer.
Green Flag Award is already established in 16 countries around the world and now it sets its sights on working together with US parks professionals to make the programme a success.
Michael Boland, Chief Park Officer for The Presidio Trust in San Francisco said:
"The Green Flag Award helps us improve our park in a couple of really important ways. First of all it gives us the perspective of a really well informed third party. It gives us an objective perspective on what's going well and what we can improve in the park. Secondly it allows us to become part of a community of aspirational park leaders all working together to make sure that their parks represent the best practices from around the globe."
Greater and Greener 2022
Greater & Greener 2022 takes place over five days in Philadelphia June 18th - 21st and includes a blend of technical site tours alongside in-depth presentations, workshops and discussions. Over 1,000 parks leaders from across the USA and abroad are expected to attend.
The main conference topics or 'tracks' are:
- Resilient Cities
- Co-Creating Civic Life
- Safe, Healthy, Inclusive Communities
- Equitable Economic and Community Development
IMAGE: Erion Veliaj - Mayor of Tirana, Albania at Greater and Greener 2019 in Denver, Colorado
Why attend?
Greater & Greener is the premier event for anyone who cares deeply about urban parks. This year’s Greater & Greener is packed with hands-on, exploratory workshops and tours that showcase Philadelphia’s approach to urban parks and inclusive civic spaces. You’ll explore the best of our 10,200 acres of parkland, watersheds, and more than 300 neighborhood parks, playgrounds, recreation centers, and public spaces. We’ll go behind the scenes to see how the city built equity in seam neighborhoods, adapted historic sites for everyday use, repurposed and revitalized underused civic spaces, and established and leveraged public-private partnerships, using parks as community and economic drivers.
You’ll learn from experts and peers about critical topics facing urban parks and cities, such as: how parks spur economic growth, showcase local cultures, support diverse populations and civic involvement, provide health benefits, job creation, & equitable solutions to environmental challenges. You’ll be participating in mobile workshops, going outside and yes, even getting your hands dirty! You won’t be disappointed.
Who should attend?
- Parks & recreation professionals
- City & urban planners
- Landscape architects
- People who love parks and want to learn more about how to support them
- You’ll meet and mingle with our exceptional audience of 750+ cross-sector leaders and decision makers, from 200+ cities from across the nation and around the world.
It sounds great! Where do I sign up?
Our most popular tours and workshops fill up quickly, so register now and enjoy early-bird rates!
https://www.greatergreener.org/
