Visionaries in Parks and Recreation Article Series

The following interviews were conducted as part of a series designed to celebrate park visionaries and share inspiring and practical insights into their perspectives, challenges, and advice. Follow the series to learn from developers, planners, and other leaders creating innovative parks. 

Envisioning Inclusion: How Scott Kratz Transformed Bold Community Voices into the 11th Street Bridge Park, May 25, 2022
Scott Kratz is the senior vice president of Building Bridges Across the River (Building Bridges) and director of the 11th Street Bridge Project, Building Bridge’s largest project to date. Building Bridges and the Washington, D.C., city government are transforming an old freeway bridge into a park above the Anacostia River. [Read More]

Envisioning Park Quality for All: How Happy Haynes Is Transforming Neglected Parks into Community Assets, July 1, 2022
Allegra “Happy” Haynes is the current executive director of the Denver Department of Parks and Recreation. Appointed to this position in 2016, she has also been on the Denver Board of Education and has served as a member of the Denver City Council, both for over a decade. [Read More]

Envisioning Equity: How Corey Wilson Leveraged a Park System for Community Benefits, September 6, 2022
Corey Wilson is superintendent of the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC). He oversees the more than 170 parks in the system, which includes an observatory, a nature center, an equestrian park, a zoo, a performing arts theater, an arboretum, and more. [Read More]

Envisioning a “City in Nature”: How Kartini Omar and Singapore’s National Parks Board Is Creating Green Oases at Density, September 23, 2022
Kartini Omar is group director of parks development and Jurong Lake Gardens at the National Parks Board of Singapore (NParks). Her work involves the development of parks and green corridors across Singapore. [Read More]

Envisioning Connectivity in a Post-Conflict City: Callie Persic Works to Create a More Accessible, Safe, and Vibrant Belfast, October 7, 2022
Callie Persic is a Development Manager working with the Belfast City Council on the city’s Connectivity Programme and city center project, “A Bolder Vision for Belfast.” [Read More]

Recent Articles

“Five U.S. District Councils Selected for New Cohort Park Equity Program.” Urban Land, August 30, 2022.

“Ten Developments Selected as Winners of ULI’s 2022 Americas Awards for Excellence.” Urban Land, July 12, 2022.

“Creating Funding Mechanisms for a Revived Fairmount Park in Philadelphia.”  Urban Land, June 23, 2022.

“How Urban Parks Can Help Transform Downtowns.” Urban Land, June 6, 2022.

“Think Globally, Build Locally: Exploring the Benefits of Access to Nature for Climate Change and Health.” Urban Land, April 5, 2022.

“Why Developers and Land Use Professionals Are Championing U.S. Parks.” Urban Land, July 12, 2021.

“On the Right Path: Three Regional Trail Networks Boost Equitable Access to Health and Nature.” Urban Land, June 7, 2021.

“Parks in Brooklyn, New York and Wellston, Missouri, Win 2020 ULI Urban Open Space Awards.” Urban Land, September 9, 2020.

“Confronting COVID-19: Maintaining and Managing Parks and Open Space under Quarantine.” Urban Land, May 8, 2020.

“ULI Advisory Services Panel Charts Path for More Equitable Kansas City Parks System.” Urban Land, December 11, 2019.

“Prioritizing Parks and Public Space, as Well as Housing, for San Antonio,” Urban Land, May 17, 2019.

“Finding a Funding Solution to Maintain Detroit’s Parks,” Urban Land, May 2, 2019.

“ULX: Urban Open Spaces,” Urban Land, May 2, 2019.

“Envisioning More Green Space in Atlanta with a Park-Capped Highway,” Urban Land, March 11, 2019.

“Investing in Public Spaces to Make Placemaking a Value-Add,” Urban Land, March 4, 2019.

“From Active Transportation to Assessed Value: Lessons from ULI’s Small-Scale Development Forum,” Urban Land, November 15, 2018.

“Planning for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development in Sacramento,” Urban Land, November 11, 2018.

“ULI Member Perspective: Buffalo Bayou and Resilience in Houston (Video),” Urban Land, October 12, 2018.

“Parks in Houston and Madrid Selected as Winners of ULI Urban Open Space Award,” Urban Land, October 9, 2018.

“Building on the Reconnection of Parks and Waterways along Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River,” Urban Land, July 20, 2018.

“How Four U.S. Cities Are Using Public Space to Revitalize Neighborhoods, Add Resilience,” Urban Land, May 3, 2018.

“Reconnecting a Bisected Neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota,” March 29, 2018.

“Confluence Park Celebrates San Antonio’s Shifting Water Management Legacy,” Urban Land, March 20, 2018.

“Detroit’s Parks Turn Winter Months into Placemaking Opportunity,” Urban Land, March 5, 2018.

“10 Projects Leveraging Public/Private Synergies,” Urban Land, February 26, 2018.

“Promoting Active Transportation in El Paso,” Urban Land, February 26, 2018.

“Three U.S. Cities Reinventing the Modern Waterfront,” Urban Land, November 13, 2017.

“ULI Partners on “10-Minute Walk” Campaign for Urban Parks,” Urban Land, October 11, 2017.

“The Bayou City: Reclaiming Houston’s Signature Waterways,” Urban Land, August 30, 2017.

“Five Finalists Announced for ULI Urban Open Space Award,” Urban Land, July 27, 2019.

“ULI Urban Open Space Award Winner: Levy Park,” Urban Land, July 27, 2017.

“ULI Urban Open Space Award Winner: Madrid Rio Park,” Urban Land, July 27, 2017.

“ULI Urban Open Space Awards, Special Community Impact Recipient: Ricardo Lara Linear Park,” Ubran Land, July 27, 2017.

“Finding a Unified Vision for the Future of the Sacramento Waterfront,” Urban Land, July 20, 2017.

“Four Lessons Learned from Successful Urban Park Launches,” Urban Land, May 8, 2017.

“Resilience Experts Examine Climate Issues Facing Florida’s Gulf Coast,” Urban Land, April 27, 2017.

“Freeway Lids: Reconnecting Communities and Creating New Land for Development,” Urban Land, April 7, 2017.

“Adding Green Space and Value in Houston’s Upper Kirby District,” Urban Land, March 20, 2017.

“New Greenway Planned for Tulsa Aims to Tear Down City’s ‘Silos,’” Urban Land, September 19, 2016.

“Rising Tides: Designing Resilient Amenities for Coastal Cities,” Urban Land, September 1, 2016.

“Highlighting the Growth, Economic Opportunity in Walkable Urban Places,” Urban Land, July 15, 2016.

“Before It Runs Off,” Urban Land, July 14, 2016.

“Waterfront Open Spaces,” Urban Land, June 13, 2016.

“Minneapolis, St. Paul Lead Rankings of Top U.S. Parks,” Urban Land, June 6, 2016.

“More Open Space, Walkability, and Multifamily Are Future of Suburbs,” Urban Land, April 29, 2016.

“Camden’s Comeback,” Urban Land, April 11, 2016.

“Drawing People In: Placemaking and the Density Discussion,” Urban Land, February 29, 2016.

“Industry Outlook: Getting Density Right,” Urban Land, February 29, 2016.

“Bringing Better Health Outcomes to South Philadelphia,” Urban Land, February 24, 2016.

“Bringing an Open-Air Venue and Park to a Former Landfill in the Music City,” Urban Land, February 2, 2016.

“Creative Place Making: Turning Urban Open Space into a Cultural Asset,” Urban Land, November 2, 2015.

“Waterfront Open Spaces,” Urban Land, June 13, 2016.

“Making Park Conservancies Work,” Urban Land, June 10, 2015.

“Making the Economic Case for More Walkability,” Urban Land, May 8, 2015.

“The City with (Almost) No Limits,” Urban Land, April 20, 2015.

“Redeveloping for Health in Hamburg’s HafenCity,” Urban Land, February 20, 2015.

“Green from Green: Creating Value from Private Management of the Public Realm,” Urban Land, November 4, 2014.

“Europe’s Fastest-Growing Cities Are Focused on Building Healthy,” Urban Land, February 14, 2014.

“Open Spaces and Active Transportation,” Urban Land, January 31, 2014.

“In Mexico, a City’s Scar Becomes Its Most Prized Park: La Línea Verde,” Urban Land, January 24, 2014.

“Outlook: How Can Open Space Add Value to Real Estate Development?” Urban Land, January 7, 2014.

“Open-Space Energy,” Urban Land, December 6, 2013.

“Chicago’s Bloomingdale Trail Takes Rail-to-Trail Concept to Next Level,” Urban Land, June 19, 2013.

“The Payoffs from Parks,” Urban Land, August 29, 2012.

“Playing along the Railroad Tracks,” Urban Land, May 8, 2012.

“Creating Place through Creative Partnerships,” Urban Land, December 6, 2011.

“Creating Urban Open Space with the Power to Transform,” Urban Land, November 23, 2011.

“Citygarden: Open Space as Catalyst,” Urban Land, August 17, 2011.

“Reclaiming Urban Breathing Spaces,” Urban Land, July 21, 2011.

“Cap Parks,” Urban Land, July 14, 2011.

“Campus Martius Park,” Urban Land, January 27, 2011.