Austin is a city known for its parks, trails, and green space. It also has been a city historically divided along racial lines with lasting effects that exist today in housing, poverty, homelessness, health care, and education. East Austin, which was where Austinites of color principally had to live, has suffered from neglect and disinvestment, including its parks, compared to other parts of the city. Partially in response to this history and the city’s ongoing, rapid demographic and economic changes, the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) implemented an Equity Action Plan in 2021 to further equity for staff and the public.

Urban Land Institute (ULI) selected Austin as one of five cities to participate in its District Council Cohort for Park Equity program, which is designed to help communities advance equitable access to parks and open spaces. ULI Austin assembled a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) to analyze the City of Austin’s Adopt-A-Park program and offer recommendations to improve the program and remove barriers to participation among people of color.

Several themes emerged from the TAP’s stakeholder interviews identifying barriers to Adopt-A-Park program participation. The themes included communication, volunteer expectations, alignment with community needs, and the relationship between PARD and APF. Stakeholders revealed distrust of city government based on a history of neglect, an outreach and engagement approach that needs more resources and cultural relevance, and a perception of a bureaucratic city process that can result in long delays and adopter frustration.

Recommendations from the TAP report include:

Define and Formalize the PARD/APF Relationship

• Codify an agreement in writing
• Establish partnership rules of engagement (interpersonal)
• Create a culture where the relationship bond stays strong regardless of staff changes
• Create internal communication processes that address internal and external needs
• Acknowledge this unique partnership and support it by streamlining processes
• Create a cross-relationship working group to define metrics of success, especially in targeted areas

Strategic Community Outreach

• Utilize the Equity Analysis Zone to identify parks to target and revisit communications strategies
• Intentionally go out into the community rather than having them coming to you
• Create programming to engage the community </li><li>Collaborate with intermediary organizations in target areas
• Go to neighborhood institutions trusted in community
• Engage City of Austin Council members from Districts 1 to 4 to play an advocacy role in support of their District constituents
• Replace the Adopt-A-Park handbook with a toolkit and outreach materials
• Review location of the Adopt-A-Park Program information on the PARD website
• Consider renaming the program and/or rebranding to overcome any negative perception
• Understand what transparency is needed for outside groups and report accordingly

Facilitate Volunteering

• Adjust volunteer expectations
• Rally volunteers from youth groups to support adopter projects
• Create collaborative learning opportunities

Alternative Approach for Historically Underinvested Communities

• Pay people for time and resources
• Pick a group to pilot in targeted communities
• Utilize tools such as score cards to help communities understand needs or opportunities for their park and help communicate desires back
• Explore resources to retain and expand positions that support organizing and outreach as a sign of value and consistency for the community
• Identify new metrics and apply data-informed approach

Other Resources to Consider for the Program

• Leverage schools and recreation centers as community hubs
• AISD Parent Support Specialists are critical to your work in the community
• Tap other funding options
• Re-engage with companies that want to come out and help with projects and steer companies to areas with greatest needs
• Tap professional service firms that may have capacity or passion for free work

Panelists

• Gideon Berger, AICP, Panel Chair, Program Director, City Parks Alliance
• Julio Carrillo, AICP, LEED AP ND, Senior Planner & Manager, Parkhill
• Laura J. Cortez, Ph.D., CEO & Founder, Cortez Consulting
• Michael Halicki, Executive Director, Park Pride
• Warinda Harris, Organizer, Central Texas Interfaith
• Kathleen LéVeque, AICP, Assistant Director of Planning, Denver Parks and Recreation
• Monica Lopez Magee, Senior Vice President, Cities and Community Engagement Children & Nature Network