New Yorkers for Parks Hosts Fort Greene–Brooklyn Navy Yard “Walk & Talk” Highlighting Open Space Needs and Equity Priorities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, May 9, 2026
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Elected officials, advocates, and residents join walking tour to spotlight neighborhood parks and call for increased investment as NYC Parks faces FY27 budget cuts
Brooklyn, NY — New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) — in partnership with Council Member Crystal Hudson, State Senator Jabari Brisport, Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest, Borough President Antonio Reynoso, District Leader Shaquana Boykin, Fort Greene Park Conservancy, Whitman Houses Resident Association, and a coalition of community-based organizations — today convened a Fort Greene–Brooklyn Navy Yard “Walk & Talk” to Build a Strong Park System. The event brought together electeds, advocates, and residents to highlight open space challenges, opportunities, and recent progress across one of Brooklyn’s fastest-growing areas.
As NYC Parks faces funding cuts in the City’s FY27 budget, speakers connected neighborhood conditions to broader system-wide challenges. Participants called for increased investment through the “1% for Parks” campaign, amplifying the Play Fair Coalition’s Parks 2030 Platform, and underscored the urgency of delivering equitable access to high-quality open space.
The tour emphasized the needs of more than 12,000 local NYCHA residents in the Fort Greene and Brooklyn Navy Yard area, where open space quality, accessibility, and connectivity remain uneven despite significant residential growth. Advocates and residents pointed to improvements that would strengthen climate resilience, public health, and neighborhood cohesion.
Key priorities highlighted during the event included: advancing a new community garden at NYCHA Whitman Houses; exploring the formation of a Fort Greene Improvement District to benefit parks and open space in CB2 east of Flatbush Ave; and improving bus operations and safety along the DeKalb-Lafayette corridor, including potential protected bike lanes.
“Today’s walking tour made clear that as Fort Greene and the Brooklyn Navy Yard continue to grow, investment in parks and open space must keep pace,” said Kathy Park Price, Director of Advocacy and Policy, New Yorkers for Parks. “From NYCHA campuses to neighborhood corridors, we’re hearing a consistent call for safer streets, greener public spaces, and stronger connections between them. At a time of proposed budget cuts, the City must commit to sustained, equitable funding—including through the 1% for Parks campaign—to ensure every New Yorker has access to the open spaces they deserve.”
“Brooklynites shouldn’t have to leave their neighborhoods to access parks and open space,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “At my recent Fort Greene Roundtable, I heard loud and clear from local residents about the need to ensure that our parks and our public realm are well funded, and that NYCHA residents are not left behind when it comes to investment in green space and public infrastructure. This means we not only continue to support marquee spaces like Fort Greene Park, but also look to support creative solutions that improve quality of life such as new plazas and redesigned streetscapes in places like Willoughby Avenue. Thank you to New Yorkers for Parks for continuing to lead this work.”
“The walking tour highlighted parts of my district that are rapidly changing due to development across the broader landscape of Brooklyn. Fort Greene Park continues to stand as a testament to what our open spaces mean to this community, where green space is scarce. Walking through Fort Greene, the Navy Yard corridor, and our NYCHA campuses powerfully reminds us of both the progress we've made and the work still ahead.” said Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest.
“The growth of Downtown Brooklyn—some 35,000 units of housing since 2004—without the creation of any new parks east of Flatbush, has significantly impacted Fort Greene Park and other green space in the area. Environmental conditions are degrading and recreational access is decreasing at a rapid pace. The walk is a call for the City and our elected officials to address this gross inequity. Please fund the City’s budget per the Play Fair coalition’s request AND support us in our efforts to establish alternative funding for parks in the neighborhood. This is not an either/or - we need both types of funding to address the scale and urgency of needs.” said Rosamond Fletcher, Executive Director of the Fort Greene Park Conservancy.
“The urgency for open space investment has never been greater, and now is the time to commit resources to close this gap and help NYCHA residents thrive in healthy, sustainable environments,” said Alex Zablocki, Executive Director of the Public Housing Community Fund. “At PHCF, we’ve witnessed the transformative power of vibrant, well-designed open spaces in public housing – especially when they reflect the community’s history. Today’s walking tour marks an important step in advocating for expanding these efforts and helps connect public housing residents with nearby parks, with the goal of bringing high-quality open spaces to all New Yorkers. We’re grateful to NY4P, partner organizations, and elected officials for their support.”
“NYLCV is proud to support the Fort Greene-Navy Yard Walk & Talk highlighting the importance of parks funding and equitable access to tree canopy and open space. We look forward to working with parks advocates to invest at least 1% of the city's budget in our parks system,” said Alia Soomro, Deputy Director for NYC Policy at the New York League of Conservation Voters.
“Despite the massive zoning and density increases, public space in Fort Greene has not been increased to accommodate new residents and the neighborhood’s existing parks lack sufficient maintenance and operations support. This lack of investment in parks and services is very shortsighted and needs to be addressed immediately. Further, parts of the community are choked in auto and truck traffic with blocked intersections and unsafe street crossings (Flatbush Ave, Atlantic Ave, Flushing Ave among others) for people on bike or on foot, including many schoolchildren. The Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway on Flushing Ave and Navy Street is a major corridor for pedestrians, runners, and cyclists commuting, running errands, or exercising. Increasing its user capacity and its connections to Fort Greene Park, Commodore Barry, and other neighborhood parks will be the best way to provide safe, healthy access to current public space and improve circulation between neighborhood parks,” said Hunter Armstrong, Brooklyn Greenway Initiative executive director and NYC Greenways Coalition co-chair.
The Fort Greene–Brooklyn Navy Yard event is part of a five-borough NY4P “Walk & Talk” series engaging elected officials, advocates, and residents in identifying local open space needs and advancing citywide solutions. Previous events have taken place in the South Bronx, Long Island City, and Harlem.
The guided tour included stops at Fort Greene Park, Willoughby Avenue Open Street, NYCHA Whitman and Ingersoll Houses, St. Edwards Street corridor, Walt Whitman Library, Commodore Barry Park, Navy St & Arbor Place, Flushing Avenue Greenway corridor, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Building 92 landscaped forecourt.
Participating organizations included New Yorkers for Parks; Play Fair for Parks Coalition; Fort Greene Park Conservancy; NYC Department of Transportation; Brooklyn Community Board 2; Public Housing Community Fund; Whitman Houses Tenant Association; Brooklyn Public Library; Brooklyn Greenway Initiative; NYC Greenways Coalition; New York League of Conservation Voters; and Friends of Commodore Barry Park.
About New Yorkers for Parks
New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) is the citywide independent organization championing quality parks and open spaces for all New Yorkers in all neighborhoods. For over a century, NY4P has led the movement to protect, invest in, and celebrate New York City’s parks.