Parks that serve the majority of low-income households are less than half as big as the parks serving high-income households. These small parks are wholly reliant on public funds. #ParkEquity @CMPeterKoo @CarlinaRivera @MarkLevineNYC @AndrewCohenNYC

These smaller parks have been more susceptible to closures during #COVID19. According to data from @tpl_org, more than 1 million New Yorkers in central Brooklyn, Queens & the East Bronx lost access to their park or playground this year. #ParkEquity @MarkGjonajNY @FranciscoMoyaNY

The COVID-related economic crisis has also had an inequitable impact on New Yorkers and their parks. Despite record use during the pandemic, the parks department budget was cut by 14%, the second highest among all agencies. #ParkEquity @eric_ulrich @JoeBorelliNYC @BobHoldenNYC

The areas most impacted by the closures and staff reductions are the same areas where the largest numbers of New Yorkers have died or become seriously ill with COVID, and are primarily communities of color. #ParkEquity @JimmyVanBramer @AdrienneEAdams @JustinBrannan @CMPeterKoo

As we look to an increase in #COVID cases this fall, the City must aggressively plan to ensure all New Yorkers have access to open space. #ParkEquity

Immediate priorities:

-Identify funding to ensure a full seasonal parks staff.
-Unfreeze capital funds for critical improvements to our parks.
-Eliminate onerous legal requirements that make it nearly impossible for not-for-profit park partners to support their open spaces.

We also must address the historic challenges of our parks system to improve #ParkEquity:

-Identify a more resilient and equitable pubic funding model for our parks system.
-Prioritize creative new park development in the outer boroughs as part of an equitable economic recovery.