Greater & Greener is different than other conferences. We curate the agenda to maximize networking, small group conversations, and hands-on experiences.
Be sure to take time to review the schedule and map out your experience before entering the registration portal.
Don’t forget to select backups as some sessions are capacity limited.
- 10:45 AM-12:00 PMPanel Dialogue
Decolonizing Public Spaces and Community Engagement through Indigenous Placekeeping and Partnerships
During the panel session, the speakers will discuss various initiatives to decolonize public spaces and promote community engagement through Indigenous placeke…
Track Inclusive Parks and Public Spaces - 10:45 AM-12:00 PMTopical Peer Conversation
Inclusive Engagement in Brownfield-to-Park Transformations
Brownfields – abandoned or underutilized sites suspected to be contaminated (usually due to historical industry presence and transportation infrastructure) -- …
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and Wellbeing - 10:45 AM-12:00 PMTopical Peer Conversation
The Role of Elected Officials in Building and Expanding Parks
What are the roles of elected officials such as mayors and councilmembers in park funding decisions, and how can parks practitioners better work with them?&nbs…
Track Equitable and Sustainable Park Funding - 10:45 AM-12:00 PMPanel Dialogue
Creating Jobs, Developing Skills, and Fostering Ownership in Parks and Public Spaces
This panel dialogue will highlight parks-related workforce development programs with the potential to transform communities. Panelists will discuss the ch…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and Wellbeing - 10:45 AM-12:00 PMPanel Dialogue
Partnering with Medical Districts for Placemaking and Public Health
Clusters of anchor institutions such as hospitals and healthcare facilities offer natural partners for parks practitioners to collaborate with to create, manag…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and Wellbeing - 10:45 AM-12:00 PMPanel Dialogue
The Duwamish Valley Resilience District: Collaborating on Sea-Level Adaptation Infrastructure
The Duwamish Valley Resilience District is located in the South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods of Seattle on the Duwamish River, which is home to the tradit…
Track Parks and a Changing Climate - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
Walking on Water: Creating Parks over Reservoirs
Explore Seattle's innovative transformation of open-air reservoirs into stunning parks, a trend initiated in the early 2000s, downstream of Cedar River and Tol…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and WellbeingTheme Community Engagement Design Solutions - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
Pathways Park: Demonstrating the Power of Diversity and Nature
Explore the newly opened Pathways Park, a park that began with a dream to build a space that celebrates the power of diversity and nature.Meet the community or…
Track Inclusive Parks and Public SpacesTheme Community Engagement Design Solutions - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
Seattle’s Northwest Parks & Boulevards: Olmsted’s Park System Expansion
This mobile workshop highlights northwest Seattle's parks and boulevards, tracing the historic legacy of the Olmsted Brothers’ work here. Beginning with the bo…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and WellbeingTheme Community Engagement Design Solutions - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
Mountain Biking in the City: How Residents Transformed a Community Green Space
This mobile workshop will take attendees to Cheasty Greenspace, a 43+ acre forest. The project is a collaborative effort with Community leaders from Friends of…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and WellbeingTheme Community Engagement Design Solutions - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
Community Resiliency: Environmental Justice along the Duwamish River
This walking mobile workshop will explore the South Park Neighborhood along the banks of the Duwamish River, Seattle’s only river, for a walking tour of recent…
Track Parks and a Changing ClimateTheme Community Engagement Resilience - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
The Evolution of Green Space in Seattle’s Tech Town
The workshop will highlight Seattle's distinctive approach to balancing the demands for economic development, parks and open space, historic preservation, and …
Track Inclusive Parks and Public SpacesTheme Community Engagement Design Solutions - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
Community-Driven Ecological Care
Experience community-led urban forest stewardship efforts the Seattle way! Stops will include Kubota Gardens, a Japanese garden surrounded by a riparian forest…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and WellbeingTheme Community Engagement Design Solutions Resilience - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
Giving Voice to Artists through Parks and Community Engagement
This workshop explores how art is crucial in empowering individuals to understand their communities better. Beyond its intrinsic value, art enhances the liveli…
Track Inclusive Parks and Public SpacesTheme Community Engagement Resilience The Year 2020 - 2:15 PM-5:00 PMPanel Dialogue
Federal Funding Opportunities for Parks: Green Space, Recreation, Trails, and Resiliency
Learn about federal funding sources (DOI/NPS, DOT, HUD, EPA, FEMA) that support urban parks, greenspace, recreation facilities, and playgrounds. Officials from…
Track Equitable and Sustainable Park Funding - 2:15 PM-3:30 PMCohort Peer Conversation
Power Sharing with Community-based Organizations: Lessons from the P3 Cohort
People, Parks, and Power (P3) is the first national funding initiative in the U.S. to support power building by community-based organizations to reverse deep-s…
Track Inclusive Parks and Public Spaces - 2:15 PM-3:30 PMTopical Peer Conversation
Dealing with Misinformation and Disruption in Community Engagement
What is the future of public participation in the age of contentious social media? This Peer Conversation will explore how practitioners are dealing with misin…
Track Inclusive Parks and Public Spaces - 2:15 PM-3:30 PMPanel Dialogue
(Re)Utilizing Transportation Infrastructure for Parks and Public Space
This panel dialogue will discuss innovative projects that redefine urban spaces utilizing both old and new transportation infrastructure, providing more sustai…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and Wellbeing - 3:45 PM-5:00 PMCohort Peer Conversation
Parks and Greenspace Coalitions: Building More Equitable Communities
This Peer Conversation will share the story of Cleveland's Parks and Greenspace Coalition (PGC): its origins in the 2021 Cleveland Mayoral Election, how it has…
Track Inclusive Parks and Public Spaces - 3:45 PM-5:00 PMCohort Peer Conversation
The Alphabet of Park Financing Tools: BIDs, CIDs, TIFs, TADs, SSDs, etc.
BIDs, CIDs, TIFs, TADs, SSDs. How do they work? What are some exemplary examples? How effective are they? Join this Peer Conversation to learn more about these…
Track Equitable and Sustainable Park Funding - 3:45 PM-5:00 PMTopical Peer Conversation
Parks and Barks: Expanding Seattle’s Dog Off-Leash Area System
The demand for facilities that serve dogs and their owners has increased over time. However, acquiring funding, identifying suitable locations, and managing co…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and Wellbeing - 3:45 PM-5:00 PMTopical Peer Conversation
Finding Common Ground: How Parks Can Flip the Script on Polarization
What societal divisions can our parks help bridge? How can we use community engagement to help reduce polarization, loneliness, and prejudice? Discussion …
Track Inclusive Parks and Public Spaces
- 10:15 AM-11:30 AMInnovation Round
Solving Multiple Policy Goals with Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Parks
As the largest natural areas in urban spaces, park systems can offer ideal potential sites for implementing green stormwater infrastructure. Despite alignment …
Track Parks and a Changing Climate - 10:15 AM-11:30 AMPanel Dialogue
Illuminating the Past and Healing the Present with Hidden Park Histories
Uncovering (often intentionally) hidden histories about park spaces can provide invaluable opportunities for engagement and community building, in addition to …
Track Inclusive Parks and Public Spaces - 10:15 AM-11:30 AMTopical Peer Conversation
Using Tech, Media and Art for Youth Programming and Engagement
Post-pandemic, what approaches are being used to address youth violence in parks? To mitigate this issue, park officials are leveraging technology, media, and …
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and Wellbeing - 10:15 AM-11:30 AMTopical Peer Conversation
Partnerships for Large-Scale Urban Ecosystem Management
How can multi-party partnerships be used to manage large-scale urban ecosystems, and how are they funded? Discussion leaders will share examples of partnership…
Track Equitable and Sustainable Park Funding - 1:45 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
The Grand Connection: Funding Bellevue’s Vision for a ‘City in a Park’
Explore Bellevue's visionary initiative, "The Grand Connection," designed to seamlessly link the thriving urban downtown core with its picturesque waterfront a…
Track Equitable and Sustainable Park FundingTheme Community Engagement Design Solutions - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
University of Washington: How Olmsted Integrated a Campus into Seattle’s Public Open Space
This mobile workshop will delve into the rich history of The University of Washington Campus and the lasting impact of the renowned Olmsted brothers. Rel…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and WellbeingTheme Design Solutions - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
Farming and Foraging: Growing Community in Beacon Food Forest
Join us for a mobile workshop exploring Beacon Food Forest, affectionately known as "your BFF." This grassroots project, conceived by four friends studying foo…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and WellbeingTheme Community Engagement Resilience - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
Protests and the Park: Evolving Community Needs in Cal Anderson Park
Join us as we explore the evolving narrative of Cal Anderson Park and discuss the impact of community engagement in shaping this space. Learn about the collect…
Track Inclusive Parks and Public SpacesTheme Community Engagement The Year 2020 - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
Olmsted in West Seattle: Forest Parks, Boulevards and Playgrounds
Join us for a mobile workshop delving into the historical impact of Olmsted-designed playgrounds, parks, and unrealized boulevards on the communities of West S…
Track Inclusive Parks and Public SpacesTheme Design Solutions - 2:15 PM-5:15 PMMobile Workshop
Decolonizing Ecological Restoration: A Partnership Between Tribes and City Parks
This mobile workshop takes participants on a walking tour to explore the cultural history amidst the abundant forests, wetlands, and ponds of Daybreak Star. Fo…
Track Inclusive Parks and Public SpacesTheme Community Engagement Resilience - 2:15 PM-3:30 PMCohort Peer Conversation
Equity in Practice: A Certificate Program to Advance Equity in Park and Recreation
Equity in Practice (EiP) is a three-certificate program offered by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) that aims to expand and deepen the work …
Track Inclusive Parks and Public Spaces - 2:15 PM-3:30 PMCohort Peer Conversation
Using Trails & Greenways to Make Access More Equitable
This Peer Conversation will explore how community engagement, design solutions, and art can be used to make access to trails and greenway systems more equitabl…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and Wellbeing - 2:15 PM-3:30 PMCohort Peer Conversation
The Seattle Story: Shifting from Capital Improvements to Maintenance and Asset Renewal
In 2014, Seattle voters approved the creation of a Metropolitan Park District to provide a sustained and dedicated source of funding for park and recreation op…
Track Equitable and Sustainable Park Funding - 2:15 PM-3:30 PMTopical Peer Conversation
The Unhoused in Parks: Design Strategies for Inclusive Public Space
As cities across the country struggle to respond to growing housing, mental health, and substance abuse crises, homelessness is increasingly visible in public …
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and Wellbeing - 3:45 PM-5:00 PMTopical Peer Conversation
Protecting Your Vision Through Park Design, Construction, and Programming
Completing large-scale capital projects involves managing budgets, revising timelines, securing contractors, and countless other resource-intensive tasks. The …
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and Wellbeing - 3:45 PM-5:00 PMCohort Peer Conversation
Park Master Plans: Lenses and Lessons from Toronto’s Island Park
Master plans are critical tools for policymakers and park practitioners, as well as essential documents for park partners for fund-raising, awareness, and advo…
Track Parks, Recreation, Health, and Wellbeing
