"Putting the ‘Rec’ Back in NYC Parks and Recreation"
A Center for an Urban Future Policy Symposium

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 
8:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. 
The Greene Space 
44 Charlton Street

To attend in-person, RSVP via this link.
To watch the livestream, RSVP via this link.

For decades, NYC Parks was known as the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, and recreation once accounted for nearly one-third of the agency’s budget. Today, most New Yorkers think of the agency primarily as steward of the city’s public parks, while recreation represents barely 5 percent of its expense budget—and years of underinvestment have left the system struggling to realize its full potential, with fewer programs than before the pandemic, staffing shortages, and aging rec centers, field houses, pools, and athletic facilities in need of major upgrades and expansion to meet demand. With New Yorkers spending more time indoors and struggling with health challenges—from obesity to social isolation—it may be time to put the Rec back in Parks & Rec.

This in-person policy forum will explore the importance of public recreation in New York City, the challenges of expanding recreation in communities across the five boroughs, and what’s needed to restore recreation as essential civic infrastructure. Our solutions-focused discussion will examine how to bolster aging rec facilities and expand recreational programming, especially in low-income neighborhoods, where access to free, low-cost recreation is limited and demand is high.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Commissioner Tricia Shimamura, NYC Parks
• Council Member Tyrell "Ty" Hankerson, Chair, Committee on Parks & Recreation
• Jordan Brackett, CEO, Asphalt Green
• Kaitlin Krause, Founder & Executive Director, Rising Tide Effect
• Nzingha Prescod OLY, Founder & Executive Director, The Prescod Institute for Sport, Teamwork, and Education
• Andrew So, Executive Director, South Bronx United
• Udai Tambar, CEO & President, New York Junior Tennis & Learning
   

Details
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 
8:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. (doors open at 8; program begins at 8:45)
@The Greene Space 
44 Charlton Street (between 6th Avenue and Varick Street)

To attend in-person, please RSVP via this link. 

To watch the livestream, please RSVP via this link. 

We are committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations in our programs. For questions or requests regarding access and accommodation, please contact Sophia Tumolo [email protected] at least 72 hours in advance of the program.

This event was made possible thanks to generous support from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. We are also grateful for general support from The Clark Foundation and the Altman Foundation, support from Fisher Brothers Foundation for CUF's Middle Class Jobs Project, and ongoing support from a number of other philanthropic funders.