Through thoughtful planning and restoration efforts, parks can help heal degraded land, meeting multiple community needs, improving soil quality, restoring native vegetation, and creating habitats for wildlife.

The creation of new parks represents a powerful way to regenerate both the land and the communities that inhabit it. By restoring damaged landscapes, providing valuable green spaces, and fostering environmental education and awareness, parks can play a significant role in healing the land and building more sustainable and resilient communities.
As park planner Clement Lau explains in this article, creating new parks, especially in areas scarred by industrialization, urbanization, and/or environmental degradation, can serve as a transformative force, regenerating both the land and the communities that surround it. He highlights Los Angeles County's efforts to implement the recommendations of the Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+) which reimagines conservation through an equity lens to include both the protection of natural lands and the restoration of degraded lands, especially in lower-income communities of color where vulnerable populations and environmental burdens are concentrated.
Parks are not just spaces of leisure and recreation, but are also sanctuaries of nature’s resilience and human hope. Former industrial sites, landfills, and other damaged areas can be transformed into vibrant green spaces, teeming with biodiversity. Through thoughtful planning and restoration efforts, these parks can help heal the land, meeting a variety of community needs, improving soil quality, restoring native vegetation, and creating habitats for wildlife. This regeneration not only improves the aesthetics of the area, but also contributes to the health of the ecosystem and mitigates environmental damage.
FULL STORY: The Healing Power of Parks: Regenerating Landscapes and Communities

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Santa Barbara Could Build Housing on County Land
County supervisors moved forward a proposal to build workforce housing on two county-owned parcels.

San Mateo Formally Opposes Freeway Project
The city council will send a letter to Caltrans urging the agency to reconsider a plan to expand the 101 through the city of San Mateo.

A Bronx Community Fights to Have its Voice Heard
After organizing and giving input for decades, the community around the Kingsbridge Armory might actually see it redeveloped — and they want to continue to have a say in how it goes.
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