Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura have announced a $50 million capital investment to upgrade 10 parks across New York City. The funding, allocated for Fiscal Year 2027 through the Community Parks Initiative (CPI), is aimed at reconstructing parks in neighborhoods that have historically received less attention and investment.
The initiative will impact all five boroughs, with improvements designed to provide safer and more accessible public spaces for residents. This announcement aligns with recent studies from the City University of New York (CUNY) that highlight the mental health and social benefits of improved park environments.
“For many New Yorkers, the park is their backyard — a place where they can play a game of pick-up basketball, hold a picnic on the grass or kick a ball with their kids. These New Yorkers know the difference between a park in disarray and a park that city government has invested in,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “That is why, today, we are proud to announce $50 million worth of capital investments to ten parks across the city — investments that will allow more than 100,000 New Yorkers in all five boroughs to experience a healthier, cleaner and more accessible city.”
NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura stated, “All New Yorkers deserve access to clean, safe and high-quality parks — and through our Community Parks Initiative (CPI), we’re proud to announce the next 10 parks that will receive key investments in underserved neighborhoods. These renovations will benefit more than 100,000 New Yorkers across all five boroughs. Along with this new investment, NYC Parks has reimagined and reconstructed 70 CPI sites. We are grateful to the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy for its partnership in studying the health and quality-of-life benefits of these projects through the SPARCS study.”
Terry Huang, Distinguished Professor of Public Health at CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), commented on CPI’s impact: “Urban parks are increasingly being recognized around the world as crucial for the wellbeing of citizens. It is exciting to see that CPI has been successful at improving the level of satisfaction and usage of neighborhood parks throughout the city. Importantly, the park renovations created the necessary condition for New Yorkers to benefit from using these parks in terms of their health and wellbeing. We are fortunate in New York to have such strong leadership and efforts to continue improving the park spaces in local communities through the expansion of CPI.”
The CPI program uses community input during design processes to guide upgrades such as new play equipment, recreation amenities for all ages, and enhancements to green space.
In recent years, NYC Parks has completed reconstruction at 70 CPI project sites across various neighborhoods and currently has another 47 projects underway. These efforts represent over half a billion dollars invested into rebuilding neglected parks and playgrounds.
With today’s announcement, there will be 57 active CPI projects citywide. The newly selected sites include:
Bronx: Mott Playground (Concourse), Fountain of Youth Playground (Mott Haven / Longwood), Morris Mesa Playground (Mount Hope)
Brooklyn: Van Dyke Playground (Brownsville), Roebling Playground (South Williamsburg), Elizabeth Stroud Playground (Bedford–Stuyvesant)
Manhattan: Vladeck Park (Lower East Side), St. Nicholas Park 133rd St. Playground (Harlem)
Queens: Corona Health Sanctuary (Corona)
Staten Island: Kaltenmeier Playground (Rosebank / Shore Acres)
Launched in 2014, CPI focuses on equity-driven investments targeting parks that have not had significant upgrades for at least two decades—often located in areas facing higher poverty rates or rapid population growth.
A recent example includes Jennie Jerome Playground in the Bronx, which was renovated last year with inclusive play equipment for children with varying abilities, water features for cooling off during summer months, picnic tables for families, seating areas, shade trees, and plantings intended to reduce heat exposure as well as noise from nearby traffic.
Studies by researchers at CUNY’s Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy indicate that residents living near renovated CPI parks report improved mental health outcomes along with increased use of these public spaces.
