Community Corner

Santa Monica's Tongva Park and Ken Genser Square Selected As 'Frontline Parks.'

The national urban park advocacy organization City Parks Alliance each month recognizes a park as a 'frontline park' - one that promotes and highlights inspiring examples of urban park excellence.

Santa Monica's Tongva Park and Ken Genser Square have been named “Frontline Parks” by the national urban park advocacy organization City Parks Alliance.

Each month, City Parks Alliance recognizes a “Frontline Park” to promote and highlight inspiring examples of urban park excellence, innovation, and stewardship across the country. The program also seeks to highlight examples of the challenges facing our cities’ parks as a result of shrinking municipal budgets, land use pressures, and urban neighborhood decay.

“We selected Santa Monica’s Tongva Park and Ken Genser Square for recognition because they exemplify the power of urban parks to build community and make our cities sustainable and vibrant,” said Catherine Nagel, executive director, City Parks Alliance. “We hope that, by shining the spotlight on these parks, we can raise awareness about both the necessity and the promise of public open space to spur investment in our nation’s urban parks.”

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On receiving the honor, Santa Monica Mayor Pam O’Connor said in a statement, “We are honored that Tongva Park and Ken Genser Square have received national recognition by the City Parks Alliance as Frontline Parks. Through creative use of space, the parks have transformed a flat asphalt lot into a magical oasis amid our urban environment. Tongva Park and Ken Genser Square provide welcome respite and enhance the wellbeing of people of all ages – residents, visitors, and area workers alike.”

Tongva Park and Ken Genser Square are being featured on CPA’s website, www.cityparksalliance.org, during the month of January.  

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