NYC is ignoring Mother Nature, according to a new report announced on Tuesday that highlights the city’s shrinking investment in public parks.
The report, from the public policy research group the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), shows that the recreation portion of NYC Parks’ budget has plummeted from 31% in the mid-1960s to around 5% today.
Notably, in February, Mayor Zohran Mamdani allocated only half a percent of his proposed $127 billion preliminary budget to fund city parks. That number accounts for less than the 1% he pledged on the campaign trail.
CUF researchers said decades of funding cuts have left a multitude of communities without the facilities, staffing and programming needed to meet the “rising demand” for recreation. Full-time recreation staff have fallen from nearly 2,000 to under 700. Recreational programming outside rec centers is also down 45%, per the report.
Some of the decline reflects sites closing for renovations. But the report notes that recreation facilities are “serving fewer New Yorkers” today than they were half a century ago. It zeroes in on “rec deserts” in city neighborhoods such as Ozone Park, Midwood and Mount Hope, where more than 4,000 residents have to share one public athletic facility—triple the citywide average.
Although fewer than 2% of New Yorkers are members of city rec centers, and pool attendance has dropped since before the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not because of a lack of demand, researchers pointed out. Wait lists for fitness classes, swim lessons and youth programs “stretch longer” each year, they said.
Jonathan Bowles, executive director of CUF, said that investing in public parks is essential to help combat growing health problems by providing outlets for fitness and fresh air.
“Public recreation is one of the most powerful tools the city has to improve health, reduce disparities, and strengthen social connections,” he said. “But for decades, it has been treated as an afterthought. Restoring recreation as a core civic priority is essential to building a healthier and more equitable New York.”
NYC Parks offers free public programs; commitments made to improve recreation
Despite the CUF report, NYC Parks are thriving, according to Gregg McQueen, a Parks Department spokesperson.
The agency has committed $1 billion to recreation center projects through 2029, as well as other funding for city pool upgrades and improvements for playing fields, courts and skate parks.
“Parks is the agency of affordability, and our recreation centers and programming are an essential component of that,” McQueen said. “Our rec center memberships are the best deal in the city, free for anyone 24 and under, and we’re proud to be building four new centers and renovating two others across the city.”
Last month, city officials opened the new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in East Flatbush that features 74,000 square feet of space with amenities including a gymnasium, pool and indoor walking track.
“Parks also offers over 20,000 free public programs annually to engage New Yorkers with the natural and recreational assets of our city, improving health, social connection and quality of life for New Yorkers,” McQueen added.
CUF recognized NYC Parks’ recent achievements. However, the research indicates a need for a more “practical agenda” to improve the city’s parks system. Per the report, the agenda should include developing a recreation master plan, constructing more rec facilities and establishing new partnerships, among other solutions.
The CUF report was funded by a grant from The Leona M. And Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
