City Parks Alliance

What City Parks Alliance does

City Parks Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 2000 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., operating as the only independent, multisector organization in the United States solely dedicated to the future of city parks. The organization serves a network of more than 11,000 urban parks professionals, including municipal parks and recreation staff, urban planners and landscape architects, elected officials, nonprofit leaders, and corporate funders. Its core functions are research and publications demonstrating parks as critical urban infrastructure, national advocacy (including the bipartisan Mayors for Parks coalition of 60+ mayors and federal funding advocacy for programs like the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership), and high-quality convenings anchored by the biennial Greater & Greener conference that draws over 1,200 practitioners. There is no proprietary technology platform; the organization distributes content through a member portal, newsletters, webinars, peer conversations, workshops, and study tours.

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring membership dues, biennial conference registration, corporate sponsorships, and individual/organizational donations. The GTM motion is community-led and event-driven, acquiring and retaining members through convenings, thought-leadership research, and peer referrals from existing park leaders. Geographic footprint is national, with operating presence concentrated in Washington, D.C. and event activity rotating across major U.S. cities on a two-year cadence. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by an Executive Director; Catherine Nagel served as Executive Director for 20 years before announcing her departure in 2026. Headcount stands at approximately 23 employees.

Name

City Parks Alliance

Legal name

City Parks Alliance

Website

https://cityparksalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

City Parks Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2000 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., serving as the only independent U.S. organization solely dedicated to city parks. It supports 11,000+ urban parks professionals through membership, research, advocacy, and the biennial Greater & Greener conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Parks Advocacy and Convening

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Urban parks advocacy
• Park funding research
• Parks professional network
• Membership nonprofit
• City parks convening

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington, District of Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees that provide access to the organization's network, resources, programming, and member portal.
2. Conference Revenue: Registration fees for the biennial Greater & Greener conference and associated events including weekend tours, mobile workshops, and day passes.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors pay to align with the organization's network of 11,000+ urban parks professionals, gaining visibility at conferences and events.
4. Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individuals and organizations supporting the urban parks movement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

City Parks Alliance is a nonprofit membership organization that delivers the biennial Greater & Greener conference, a tiered membership program, professional development events (webinars, peer conversations, workshops, study tours), and research and funding resources for urban parks professionals. It also runs the bipartisan Mayors for Parks coalition advocating for increased federal funding for city parks and operates the Funders Learning Network for park funders.

Product overview

City Parks Alliance operates as a nonprofit membership organization rather than a commercial product company. Its core offerings center on the biennial Greater & Greener Conference (the only conference dedicated to exploring parks as city-building tools), a membership program providing access to resources and networking, and various professional development programs including webinars, peer conversations, workshops, and study tours. The organization also provides knowledge tools through its Research & Publications, City Park Resource Library, and City Park Funding Hub. Its advocacy initiatives include the Mayors for Parks coalition and the Funders Learning Network. Recent offerings include the Toro Company Urban Park Innovation Award recognizing sustainable park innovations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Greater & Greener: Biennial conference dedicated to exploring the full potential of parks as city-building tools, bringing together urban park professionals from government, nonprofits, and communities.
• Mayors for Parks

Products and services

• Greater & Greener Conference Biennial flagship conference dedicated to exploring parks as city-building tools, bringing together urban park leaders, planning and design professionals, public officials, nonprofits, and community advocates for educational sessions, networking, mobile workshops, park study tours, and exhibition.
• Membership Program

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• National Park Service / Land & Water Conservation FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) grant program, a federally funded initiative to enhance recreation opportunities in urban communities. The organization serves as a leading advocate for ORLP funding and provides technical assistance to applicants.
• Austin Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost city lead partner for Greater & Greener 2026 conference in Austin, Texas. Partnered with The Trail Conservancy to showcase Austin's park system.
• Seattle Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost city lead partner for Greater & Greener 2024 conference in Seattle, Washington. Additional supporting partners included Associated Recreation Council, Friends of Waterfront Seattle, and Seattle Park Foundation.
• Philadelphia Parks & RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost city lead partner for Greater & Greener 2022 conference in Philadelphia, partnered with Fairmount Parks Conservancy.
• Denver Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost city lead partner for Greater & Greener 2019 conference in Denver, Colorado.
• The Toro CompanycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing the Urban Park Innovation Award of $50,000 at the Greater & Greener conference, recognizing innovative park projects.
• The Trail ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered as host city lead partner for Greater & Greener 2026 alongside Austin Parks and Recreation.
• Fairmount Parks ConservancysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for Greater & Greener 2022 in Philadelphia alongside Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.
• Associated Recreation CouncilsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for Greater & Greener 2024 in Seattle.
• Friends of Waterfront SeattlesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for Greater & Greener 2024 in Seattle.
• Seattle Park FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for Greater & Greener 2024 in Seattle.
• Saint Paul Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host city partner for Greater & Greener 2017, the first conference co-hosted by two cities alongside Minneapolis.
• Minneapolis Park and Recreation BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host city partner for Greater & Greener 2017, the first conference co-hosted by two cities alongside Saint Paul.
• San Francisco Recreation and Park DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost city lead agency for Greater & Greener 2015 in San Francisco, California.
• New York City Department of Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity host lead partner for the inaugural Greater & Greener 2012 conference in New York City with over 600 participants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Central Park Conservancy: Large nonprofit conservancy managing New York City's Central Park. Comparable nonprofit parks advocacy and stewardship model and one of CPA's existing city/peer network partners; a potential competitive threat at the city-convening level as it expands programmatic scope.
• Outdoor Industry Association: Trade association representing outdoor recreation industry participants. Comparable in federal outdoor recreation funding advocacy (similar ORLP/LWCF stakeholder role) and large membership model, though industry-facing rather than parks-professional-facing.

Broad incumbents

• American Planning Association: National membership organization serving urban planners, including those focused on parks and public space. Comparable in operating model (membership, conferences, advocacy) but addresses a wider professional constituency than city parks specifically.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit focused on land and water conservation, including urban green-space projects. Comparable nonprofit operating model with similar funder and federal agency relationships, though broader geographic and ecological scope.
• Urban Land Institute: Large research and convening organization focused on land use including urban green space. Comparable convening and research output to CPA but covers the full real estate and land-use spectrum rather than parks specifically.

Direct peers

• American Society of Landscape Architects: Professional association for landscape architects including those designing urban parks and public space. Comparable in serving city planning and design professionals (a CPA customer segment) and in running member-driven conferences and publications.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that creates parks and protects land for people, working with cities on park funding, design, and policy. Directly comparable to City Parks Alliance in its urban parks mission, federal grant advocacy, and city-level partnerships.
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA): Membership-based professional association for park and recreation professionals. Most direct competitor to CPA's membership, advocacy, and professional development offerings, though broader in scope (parks + recreation at all government levels).
• National Park Trust: Nonprofit dedicated to preserving parks and creating new park experiences. Comparable advocacy and park-funding mission, though more focused on youth/acquisition programs than professional convening.
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: Nonprofit advocacy and community-building organization for trails and active transportation. Comparable nonprofit advocacy model targeting public funding for urban outdoor infrastructure, with overlapping city and federal policy engagement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9G9Lc58eFtsTHJmytONwNg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CityParksAlliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cityparksalliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/cityparksalliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City Parks Alliance