Thursday, 9/18/2025 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST (Education Block 8)

Room: W303

Topic(s):
Access for All, Arts and Culture, Community Engagement, Planning and Design, 2025 Conference Theme: Build Together, Play Together

Description:
Parks are more than recreational spaces — they are powerful tools for strengthening social bonds, fostering belonging and improving public health. This session will explore how placemaking, arts and culture can transform parks into welcoming, vibrant hubs of social connection and resilience. The session will begin with The Foundation for Social Connection’s Systems Approach of Cross-sector Integration and Action across the Lifespan (SOCIAL) Framework reports, highlighting evidence-based strategies for enhancing social cohesion through public spaces and Trust for Public Land’s latest research on the role of outdoor spaces in fostering unity and belonging. Their research highlights how fair access to parks and green spaces directly impacts community connection, well-being and resilience. Then, we will showcase real-world case studies: The Park Listeners Program, a community-driven initiative using parks as gathering places for social connection, and the Welcome to Raleigh Parks Initiative, which activates parks as welcoming social spaces through arts and culture programming. The session will conclude with a live case study from a community leader, providing attendees with practical tools and strategies to foster connection in their own parks and public spaces.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the role of placemaking and public space design in fostering social connection, supported by findings from the SOCIALFramework reports and Trust for Public Land’s research.

2. Learn from real-world case studies (e.g., Park Listeners, Welcome to Raleigh Parks) about how local parks have been transformed into inclusive, vibrant community spaces.

3. Gain practical tools and engagement strategies to implement in their own park and recreation program.

Speaker(s):
Morgan Marler
Cary Simmons