This year, NCP put its focus on how to get parks to the people who need them as quickly as possible. We have been exploring new models to move our existing projects forward and ensure that new parks we take on do not languish for years on end.

In our typical park creation model, after our community engagement that informs the design, funding must be found to build it. This requires applying for competitive state and federal funding with long turnaround times from application to award to contract to ultimate receipt of funds – often on a reimbursement basis after city dollars have been spent. Once the money is secured, cities must undergo a bidding process for contractors in accordance with state and municipal laws, which can prolong the process even more. While NCP works hand-in-hand with our cities to keep projects on track and to expedite these processes, we are also piloting approaches to bypass some roadblocks to help people get their parks faster.

Model 1: Direct Build

In select cases, NCP can enter into site licenses – akin to a short-term lease agreement – with property owners which give us the ability to handle construction directly. Using philanthropic support, NCP can hire the best designers, engineers, and contractors directly and push the timeline forward ourselves. As the direct recipient of capital grants, we can move faster with our singular focus on processing the funds.

In partnership with a collaboration of open space partners that NCP brought together in Mount Vernon, we just completed our very first direct improvement with new playground equipment for Eddie Williams Park. We will continue under this license to bring another phase of park improvements there in 2027.

On a larger scale, we have just begun direct work at NYCHA's East River Houses thanks to a large capital grant from a private funder and a first of its kind 5-year license agreement with NYCHA. We are now laying the groundwork for the project by speaking with residents about their visions and hiring a design-build firm.

Model 2: Developer Partnerships

In this model, NCP partners with a low-income housing developer who is taking on the construction or refurbishment of buildings on a property. As park creation specialists, NCP partners with the developer to ensure that the open space aspect of the project is thoughtfully designed and a reflection of the desires of those who will live in and use the space. NCP harnesses redevelopment capital to elevate recreation and nature for residents where, all too often, parks and open space have been an afterthought.

We currently have two NYCHA campuses underway under this model thanks to the NYCHA PACT program. We are recreating the open spaces at Bay View Houses in Brooklyn and UPACA 5 + 6 in Harlem.

Model 3: Nonprofit Partnerships

As referenced above, NCP maintains strong relationships with the wider cohort of park creation and conservation organizations. We don’t view our peers as competition but as colleagues and, increasingly, as partners. By coordinating and pooling the resources and expertise of multiple nonprofit organizations, NCP can get projects on the ground quickly. We actively look for partners who specialize in donating playground equipment or providing volunteer labor, utilizing our partners' strengths and NCP's expertise.

This fall, NCP joined Kaboom and Alexandra's Playground to install a new playground at Eddie Williams Park in Mount Vernon. The three organizations brought together over 75 volunteers for a community build day and created a playground within a week so that children attending programs in the nearby Doles Recreation Center will now have a safe place to play. Further renovations of the park are forth coming to enhance the nature elements, see the next model for more on phased construction.

Model 4: Phased Construction

Sometimes we have the funding and structure in place to finish one component of a park project earlier than others. Rather than waiting to break ground until we have all components ready to go at the same time, we accelerate that which can get done now so that communities have access to an improved space to get outside as quickly as possible. Then we return to the project to finish the improvements when conditions allow.

This year we cut the ribbon on phase 1 of three projects: Westside Park in Paterson, NJ, Eddie Williams Playground in Mount Vernon, NY, and PS 17 in Jersey City, NJ. All projects will see more improvements over the course of the next year but are currently open for use with improved facilities in the meantime.

These new models are truly a collaborative effort across the NCP team, spearheaded by Executive Director, Rose Harvey and the projects team which includes Emily, Emmanuel, and Shannon and newly joined Wilfred Nieves (Director of Capital Projects) and Elizabeth Evans (Capital Projects Fellow). Additional support for many of these models is provided by our General Counsel, Sean Moriarity, and Managing Director, LoriJeane Moody.

As we continue to test these models and learn from them in coming years, we will refine our approaches to ensure that we are delivering parks to residents who have gone without them for too long.