Austin Parks Need Us More than Ever

Declining Parkland-per-Capita: Austin Parks Need Us More than Ever

If you’re like many Austinites, you love our city’s parks and count them among the many features that make Austin such a special place. But a recent combination of insufficient funding and resources, coupled with unprecedented population growth, have hurt the health of our park system. Simply put, there’s not much undeveloped land left. That’s why for the first time since 2012, city leaders are considering floating a bond package to secure critical funding and give some much-needed attention to green space and recreational facility issues in Austin. 

The bond measure would be a step toward addressing the declining parkland-per-capita ratio throughout the city. A few years ago, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) set a goal of maintaining approximately 24 acres of parkland for every 1,000 Austin residents. But with the city’s trend of unprecedented population growth, the actual amount of parkland has not kept pace. In 1995, Austin had a population of just over 500,000, with a ratio of 27 park-acres per 1,000 residents, according to city figures. In 2017, the population had almost doubled, while the ratio had dipped to 18.4. By 2020, Austin is estimated to have a parkland deficit of more than 5,000 acres.

Led by a volunteer group known as the Bond Advisory Task Force, which is currently working on a recommendation for City Council, the details of the bond are still underway. But no matter what comes to pass, our parks need some love! You can get involved by coming out to the first It’s My Park Day of 2018, happening on Saturday, March 3. It’s the biggest city-wide volunteer event, bringing together thousands of volunteers who collectively put in some 10,000 hours of labor. That labor represents seven park maintenance employees working full-time for a year—and an investment of more than a quarter million dollars for Austin’s parks.

Volunteer registration is open; visit the Austin Parks Foundation website for details.

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