Over 100 New Yorkers gathered on the steps of City Hall in Manhattan, chanting “What do we want? One percent! When do we want it? Now!” as the rain poured in. They all had one goal in mind: to obtain a fully funded parks system.
Play Fair – an advocacy campaign and 400+ member coalition – alongside New Yorkers for Parks, hosted a rally and budget hearing on Monday. According to their website, 14% of New York City is parkland, but the city allocates 0.6% of the budget to the New York City parks department. They aim to have at least 1% of the budget given to parks.
“We want to send a loud and clear signal to Mayor Mamdani that organizations representing communities from across the city demand a fully funded park system,” said Kathy Park Price, Director of Advocacy and Policy at New Yorkers for Parks.
According to Nilka Martell, President of the Friends of Pelham Bay Park, the preliminary budget was $654 million – a $33 million decrease from the fiscal year 2026. The budget will eliminate 276 essential positions by failing to baseline one year contracts. It also provides no funding for critical maintenance and operation.
“This is not just a budget cut. It is a disinvestment in the health of our communities,” said Martell during her speech.
This affects many New Yorkers throughout the boroughs, whose parks are considered to be their backyards. Parks are known to absorb storm water during flood events and provide shade and lower temperatures during extreme heat events.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many depended on parks to do their daily exercise or to get a breath of fresh air. For Bronx Rivers Alliance’s Volunteer Coordinator Jennifer Seda, she has had many memories in NYC parks, ranging from birthdays to picnics.
“We need more safe communities in these free spaces, and not fewer. We’re very proud to engage community volunteers that work hard to bring together a strong network of dedicated, passionate and talented volunteers, people who step up to help fill the gaps, but volunteers play a higher role in mobilizing them,” said Seda.
“Volunteers cannot replace the trained professionals our hearts depend on. Expecting unpaid labor to fill these gaps is not fair, not equitable and not sustainable.”
Seda notes that the Bronx River Alliance has become more dependent on volunteers to clean up and maintain the parks, as the budget cuts have lowered staffing.
“They need to be funded. They need to be clean. They need to be safe,” said Seda. “For us to continue to go back to them.”
Alice Moreno is a freelance reporter and photographer based in Queens. She can be reached at alicemorenopena@gmail.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
