Center for City Park Excellence – Trust for Public Land

Research at the center explores what makes city parks successful—and how those parks provide economic, ecological, and social value to their users. CCPE maintains an authoritative database on U.S. park systems and assists state and local leaders in quantifying the benefits these systems provide—helping to advocate for parks as a community investment. The Trust for Public Land assists municipalities fund parks and land conservation and design and develop parks out of their Seattle office.

Regional Open Space Strategy (ROSS)

A collaborative effort to integrate and elevate the many activities underway to conserve and enhance the ecological, economic, recreational, and aesthetic vitality of the Central Puget Sound region. Learn more.

National Recreation and Park Association resources and research

A wealth of publications, tools, and networks for urban park planning, funding, and management, including “Fund Your ParkSM“, a crowdfunding platform for agencies. Learn more about resources and research.

Project for Public Spaces resources

Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Their pioneering Placemaking approach helps citizens transform their public spaces into vital places that highlight local assets, spur rejuvenation and serve common needs.

City Parks Alliance

The City Parks Alliance works to engage, educate and nurture a broad-based constituency to support the creation, revitalization and sustainability of parks and green spaces that contribute to dynamic cities. The Alliance publishes the City Parks Blog in partnership with the Trust for Public land.

MRSC Urban Forestry

Municipal Research and Services Center has compiled research and information highlighting the benefits of urban trees, how a city can create plans for urban forestry, and where to learn more about urban forestry.

DNR Urban and Community Forestry Program

The Department of Natural Resources Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) program provides technical, educational and financial assistance to Washington’s cities and town, counties, non-profit organizations, and associations.

Exemplary City Parks in the Greenway