"The report, from the public policy research group the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), shows that the recreation portion of NYC Parks' budget has plummeted from 31% in the mid-1960s to around 5% today. Notably, in February, Mayor Zohran Mamdani allocated only half a percent of his proposed $127 billion preliminary budget to fund city parks. That number accounts for less than the 1% he pledged on the campaign trail."
"CUF researchers said decades of funding cuts have left a multitude of communities without the facilities, staffing and programming needed to meet the rising demand for recreation. Full-time recreation staff have fallen from nearly 2,000 to under 700. Recreational programming outside rec centers is also down 45%, per the report."
"Although fewer than 2% of New Yorkers are members of city rec centers, and pool attendance has dropped since before the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not because of a lack of demand, researchers pointed out. Wait lists for fitness classes, swim lessons and youth programs stretch longer each year, they said."
New York City is significantly underinvesting in public parks and recreation, according to a Center for an Urban Future report. The recreation portion of NYC Parks' budget has plummeted from 31% in the mid-1960s to approximately 5% today. Mayor Zohran Mamdani allocated only 0.5% of his proposed $127 billion budget to city parks, falling short of his campaign pledge of 1%. Full-time recreation staff have declined from nearly 2,000 to under 700, while recreational programming outside rec centers has dropped 45%. Certain neighborhoods like Ozone Park, Midwood, and Mount Hope face severe recreation deserts where over 4,000 residents share one public athletic facility. Despite low membership rates, wait lists for fitness classes, swim lessons, and youth programs continue to grow annually, indicating strong unmet demand for public recreation services.
Read at www.amny.com
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