FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, February 26, 2026
PRESS CONTACT:
press@ny4p.org
Play Fair for Parks Coalition Responds to Mayor Mamdani’s FY27 Preliminary Budget for NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
New York, NY — The Play Fair for Parks Coalition (Play Fair) today responded to Mayor Mamdani’s FY27 Preliminary Budget, noting modest administrative progress but raising concerns that the proposal fails to meaningfully invest in New York City’s parks system. While the budget ends a hiring freeze for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation that has been in place since 2023 and anticipates capital investments tied to planned rezonings in neighborhoods such as Long Island City and Jamaica, it does not increase baseline operating support for the agency.
Coalition members emphasized that these steps, while positive, fall short of the Mayor’s campaign commitment to dedicate 1% of the City’s budget to Parks.
Statement from Play Fair Co-Chairs, New Yorkers for Parks Executive Director Adam Ganser and New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe:
“Mayor Mamdani's preliminary budget for NYC Parks, at $33 million less than last year’s adopted budget, does not signal the restoration the agency needs or the investment advocates have called for. We are heartened by the elimination of the hiring freeze, but this comes with the loss of nearly 100 unfilled staffing lines. The budget also fails to address the nearly 300 parks workers set to lose their jobs at the end of the fiscal year, leaving them subject to the annual budget dance advocates hoped this administration would end. This is not the strong first step needed to move Parks funding to 1% of the total city budget, which the mayor committed to and which is key to a livable and affordable New York City. Instead, it maintains the status quo of historic underfunding, leaving communities without the safe, accessible green spaces they deserve. As the process advances, we look forward to working with the mayor and City Council to secure a more robust allocation that supports a world-class parks system and meets the open space needs of all New Yorkers.”
Play Fair open space advocates underscored that parks are essential infrastructure for public health, climate resilience, youth programming, and neighborhood vitality. Without new operating dollars, the end of the hiring freeze alone will not close persistent staffing gaps or address longstanding inequities in park maintenance and access across boroughs.
“New York City's 30,000 acres of parkland are essential to public health, climate resilience, and community cohesion, yet year-after-year our budget falls short of what's needed to sustain them. Parks are not “nice to have” spaces: they are crucial to our current and future wellbeing, health, and quality of life across all five boroughs. As the coalition representing the City's nonprofit community partners, we know more than anyone how decades of disinvestment have under-valued and under-resourced our parks. The Preliminary Budget is subject to immense change, and so we remain hopeful that the Executive Budget will reflect Mayor Mamdani's commitment to parks. We are grateful for his public remarks about the importance of parks to New York City's future, and we look forward to working with the administration and the City Council to translate that commitment into action – with increased investment in operations, staffing, and maintenance that matches the scale of the challenge,” said Merritt Birnbaum, President & CEO - Riverside Park Conservancy and Rebecca Pryor, Executive Director of Guardians of Flushing Bay, Co-Chairs of Parks and Open Space Partners.
“The Natural Areas Conservancy encourages Mayor Mamdani and the New York City Council to work together in the coming months to increase NYC Parks’ budget for Fiscal Year 2027. The preliminary budget stalls Parks funding at around 0.5% of the overall city budget, which is far from the mayor’s campaign promise of 1%. While we understand the current financial challenges facing the City, we join our fellow advocates in the Play Fair and Forest for All NYC coalitions in calling for sufficient funding for our parks and urban forest,” said Emily Walker, Senior Manager External Affairs, The Natural Areas Conservancy.
“The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation plays a critical role in making NYC livable and sustainable. They manage about 14% of NYC’s land and 53% of the entire urban forest canopy. Yet, NYC Parks remains chronically underfunded and faces another year of potential budget cuts,” said Tami Lin-Moges, Director of the New York Cities Program at The Nature Conservancy. “Investments in parks means growing our urban forest and keeping our green spaces clean, safe, and accessible to all. We will continue to work to ensure sufficient funding is invested in these critical assets.”
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.
About Play Fair Coalition
Play Fair for Parks is an advocacy campaign and 400+ member coalition calling for #1Percent4Parks and elevating parks issues citywide. New Yorkers for Parks co-founded Play Fair along with the New York League of Conservation Voters and District Council 37, the NYC Parks workers’ union.