Daily Archives: July 9, 2019


Saturday, July 20 – Wednesday, July 24 – Greater & Greener 2019, An International Urban Parks Conference

Greater & Greener 2019 – Exploring Natural Connections, will take place July 20 – 24 in Denver, Colorado. This International Urban Parks Conference is presented by the City Parks Alliance. The Toro Urban Park Innovation Award, which recognizes innovation in park management and practices, is presented. Participants will explore the Denver Metro Parks System, and there will be an opportunity to give back to the conference host city during a Volunteer Service Day.

For more than a decade, Greater & Greener has been the leading international conference for urban park leaders, city planning and design professionals, public officials, advocates, funders, and innovators to explore the role of parks and recreation in addressing some of the biggest challenges facing 21st Century cities. The highly curated sessions, workshops, and tours facilitate an honest dialogue around solutions, cross-sector and peer-to-peer networking, and tools for building successful park partnerships.   

Greater & Greener 2019: Exploring Natural Connections is presented by City Parks Alliance, the only independent, nationwide membership organization dedicated solely to urban parks. The conference will bring together more than 1,000 leaders from parks and recreation, public works, transportation, city planning and other municipal agencies, mayors, advocacy and funding organizations, community leaders, designers and landscape architects, real estate developers and other stakeholders involved in city building.

Greater & Greener explores how urban parks can be designed, developed, programmed, funded, and sustained to meet increasing city demands. By expanding the discussion to new audiences and emphasizing the relevance of urban parks to engage leaders from across sectors, Greater & Greener aims to inspire reimagining of parks in a broad new context of economic, environmental, and social opportunities. 

The Denver metropolitan region is one of the fastest growing in the U.S., due in part, to the city’s ongoing commitment to an outdoor urban lifestyle. The entire city is our venue as historic vision and modern execution of the Denver park system provide first-hand examples of urban park planning, partnerships, design, and programming.

Over the five days of the conference, attendees can visit and experience the inspiring Denver metro area, including its impressive mountain parks, through our Weekend Tours. They can learn and engage in our breakout sessions, then enhance their learning through our Mobile Workshops. Or invest in networking with peers and across sectors at our special events. On the final day, it is time for our International Forum, where attendees can get an in-depth look at select projects and models from around the globe. To register, visit https://www.greatergreener.org/conference/schedule-at-a-glance


Saturday, July 20, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm – Establishing a Meadow

Meadows are now one of the more popular native garden types for homeowner landscapes, yet many people remain baffled by how to create one with long-lasting beauty that won’t quickly become overrun by weeds. Using the Old Meadow at Garden in the Woods as an example, Anna Fialkoff, staff Horticulturalist, discusses the first three years of establishing a meadow including design concepts, plant selection, installation, management, pitfalls, and surprising insights gained along the way. The class will be held Saturday, July 20 from 10:30 – 12:30 and is co-sponsored by the Native Plant Trust and the Ecological Landscape Alliance. $26 for members of sponsoring organizations, $32 for nonmembers. Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org.

Photo by Dan Jaffe