Website Comment Summary
This goal clearly resonates with a large number of New Yorkers, many of whom glowingly describe the initiative ("What a wonderful and achievable goal"; "This is a great idea"; "Best idea ever!"). Comments frequently center on specific parks and specific areas that could become parks, particularly the St. Saviour's property in West Maspeth, Queens and the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn. Some comments suggest a tension between this goal and the need for additional housing, but others favorably connect the brownfields and parks goals. Though there is some skepticism within the comments about how feasible this goal is, several comments suggest that the parks goal can be achieved by including playgrounds, greenstreets, and green roofs as parks.

Comments suggest a great variety of options for siting future parks. The most common site suggestions involve placing parks along the waterfront, on abandoned or vacant sites, above expressways and parking lots, along abandoned rail lines, and on brownfield sites. Comments encourage the redevelopment of existing parcels but caution against tearing down historic buildings or ignoring the educational potential provided by parks in historically relevant locations.

Comments also address the specific features these existing and new parks should possess. The greatest number of comments concern the need for improved park management at the same time as additional parks are planned. Many would like to see additional "green" features within parks, including trees and grassy areas rather than concessions and blacktop. Given the tremendous land pressures within NYC, many acknowledge that many small parks and community gardens will be necessary, as well as greenstreets, greenways, and pedestrian-friendly streets. Additionally, many comments suggest the expanded use of green roofs as a substitute or supplement to traditional parks. According to many comments, parks should be fully open to all New Yorkers, many objecting to closed school playgrounds and plans for Randall's Island. Many suggest that the parks should be treated as "green classrooms" for promoting outdoor education.

Several comments suggested particular methods for accomplishing the overall parks goal. Many express disappointment with the parks allotment within the Atlantic Yards and other EDC proposals. To enhance park acquisition, comments recommend that the City provide tax incentives for land donations to the city, create a public fund to purchase parkland, pass developer incentives or mandates for providing parks or trees, and require Business Improvement Districts to set aside portions of their districts as parkland. Others suggest that the city immediately analyze how well it currently meets the "ten-minute" goal, and determine priority areas for new parks.

Town Hall Comment Summary
Specific Ideas for Park Venues
Numerous participants offered the following ideas for park venues: building more green roofs and rooftop parks and "ensure they are publicly accessible," remediating brownfields, adding community gardens, providing schools and schoolyards as off-hour parks and "recreation centers,", creating "pocket parks and plazas," planting greenways along waterfronts, converting parking spaces to "sidewalk cafes/parks," and replacing the Sheridan Expressway with a greenway. Several comments simply suggest "greening the streets with more plants and trees."

Individual ideas for conversion to parks or other types of recreation areas included: "car-free Sundays on Grand Concourse," Pier 40, "make private gardens public," linear parks next to the Staten Island highways, and "complete plans to convert Brookfield and Fresh Kills landfills into parks."

Require or Incentivize Developers to Build Parks
Numerous participants encouraged the city to incentivize or require developers to "have set asides for parks," "green spaces," or other recreational areas. A specific idea raised was to "compel developers to contribute to an open space fund." Another comment suggested the parks should be protected from development.

Improve the Park System
Many participants emphasized the importance of improving, maintaining and cleaning existing parks as well as maximizing "universal accessibility" (both in terms of being located near transit modes and being public vs. private parks). A few shared the sentiment for increased "community input with regards to park design" and for connecting parks "to create a total system." Individual ideas included: establish a "lottery for gardens in parks," "increase water retention areas in parks," more dog amenities, more money for "park stewardship and youth programs," "get cars out of parks," "staff parks with recreational aides," and "curtail large or private institutions dominating parks."

Additional miscellaneous suggestions included: eliminate artificial grass use, cluster health care facilities near parks, "expand agricultural education at community gardens," and build hospitals, schools and senior housing instead of parks.

Community Leader Comment Summary
Specific Ideas for Park Venues
Many of the suggestions to "use wasted space innovatively for parks" specifically referred to "more green roofs," "rooftop gardens," or "public roof parks" above existing structures. Other shared suggestions included: remediated brownfields, community gardens, reclaimed or developed waterfront property, and schoolyards. Individual ideas for conversion to parks included: abandoned piers, abandoned armories into youth centers, green spaces surrounding public institutions, "bluebelts" throughout the city, "corridor parks," "pocket parks," and landfill expansion. Specific locations raised for park development were above the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Hyland Park reservoir, St. Saviour's park, and Penn. Ave landfill.

Improving the Park System
Different suggestions were offered to improve the park system, including: greater maintenance and cleanliness ("new parks should have dedicated maintenance funding before they are built"), community involvement and partnerships in park planning, better park accessibility, more incentives for public parks, and "no more synthetic turf." One group commented that "parkland area per person, i.e. density" should replace the "ten minute walk" metric.

Require or Incentivize Developers to Build Parks
Several community groups emphasized the role that developers should play in building public, open, green spaces to offset high rise development. Specific suggestions were made to also encourage property owners to green their property or to pay private owners who open their yards to the public.

"Green Our Streets"
Community leaders called for greener streets by planting more trees, developing more "greenways," and "more gardens on building setbacks," with a comment to "create ‘greenstreet' areas big enough for activity (not just in the median)."