Since 1996, Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC) has established itself as San Francisco's premier park advocacy authority, representing more than 120 park groups, 67 strategic partner organizations, and 4,000 park volunteers. Our well-articulated mission and energetic agenda has inspired positive change within our city's parks.
Our Mission Statement:
Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC) advocates for a superior, equitable and sustainable park and recreation system. NPC provides leadership and support to park users through community-driven stewardship, education, planning and research.
PARK STEWARDSHIP
NPC galvanizes public concern for our local green spaces and parks by supporting park stewardship groups throughout San Francisco. Our goal is to have a "Friends of" group for every one of the 220 neighborhood parks in San Francisco. Active community participation in our parks' activities spurs public commitment to this vital component of our urban environment. Knowledge of the environment through local activities helps to build global environmental stewardship. Working together to support our parks strengthens communities, promotes physical and mental health, encourages a strong economy, and augments limited city resources. To see if your park has a "Friends of" group, or to create one, please visit www.sfnpc.org/parkgroups. For more information, contact Meredith Thomas: 415.621.3260, mthomas@sfnpc.org
PARKSCAN.ORG
NPC actively campaigns for more gardeners in our parks in order to improve the standard of upkeep and meet the expectations of residents for clean, safe and beautiful parks. To assist the city in fulfilling this goal, and to facilitate communication between park groups and the city agencies that maintain our parks, NPC developed a program to support community monitoring of park conditions. ParkScan.org is a web site that allows groups or individuals to observe conditions in their park on a regular basis, and to communicate maintenance needs directly to the Recreation and Park Department. These reports become part of RPD's work order system.
PARK ADVOCACY
NPC is dedicated to improving civic commitment to parks and filling the gaps in our open space system so that every neighborhood has the parks and playgrounds it needs and deserves. We organize our coalition members to attend budget meetings and other hearings on park topics, to sponsor election debates to ensure that all candidates understand how important parks are to San Franciscans, and to meet with elected officials to highlight the need for park resources, good park management and planning. NPC also strives to educate civic leaders and residents about the value of parks through our quarterly newsletter, monthly E-news, action alerts, and special workshops that include national and international guest speakers. For more information, Chloe Good: 415.621.3260, cgood@sfnpc.org
BLUE GREENWAY
The eastern neighborhoods of San Francisco are the most notably deficient in green space. Working with a coalition of public agencies, community organizations and individuals, NPC is proposing the Blue Greenway, a 13-mile waterfront trail along the Bay shoreline, which will complete San Francisco's portion of the Bay Trail. The Blue Greenway will connect existing green spaces and add new ones to benefit the entire city, but especially the southeast section. This Blue Greenway also initiates development of the Bay Water Trail, fulfilling the Bay Conservation and Development Commission's goal of providing water access to the non-powered boating community. This trail will link land and water resources for recreation and enjoyment of nature. For more information, please visit www.bluegreenway.org or contact Corinne Woods: 415.621.3260, cwoods@sfnpc.org
Open Space San Francisco is a participatory initiative to develop a 100-year open space network vision that will complement San Francisco’s predicted growth and density, promoting exceptional quality of urban life, biodiversity, healthy air and water and strong communities. The 12-month process includes a speaker series, neighborhood level planning discussions, a design charrette and a multi agency Mayor’s Task Force on Open Space for the 21st Century. For more information, visit www.sfnpc.org/open_space_2100 or contact Karin Edwards: 415.621.3260, kedwards@sfnpc.org
All of San Francisco's neighborhoods deserve beautiful, well-maintained parks in which to play, mingle, and relax. For more information on how to start or participate in a park group in your neighborhood, contact us at 415.621.3260, or if you would like to donate to support our work, CLICK HERE.
To download an NPC fact sheet, click here.
