Know of a neighborhood park in need of improvements? The Akron Parks Collaborative wants to hear from you.
On Wednesday, the nonprofit and the City of Akron opened registration for the 2025 Akron Parks Challenge. Two local parks will receive $150,000 each to assist with capital improvements. For past recipients, improvements have included resurfaced sports courts, new playground equipment and updated landscaping.
Registration for this year’s challenge is open through March 22.
To register, all that’s needed is the registrant’s name, email address and the name of the park they are submitting. No project pitch is needed to register. After compiling registrations for each park, the Akron Parks Challenge will host moderated sessions from March 24 to March 28 for each park group to assist with the application process and to create a joint project proposal. Final applications will be due April 6.
Once the two parks are selected, the groups, with assistance from Akron Parks Collaborative, will survey their neighborhoods, finalize a plan, create a budget and assist with the final projects.
In a press release announcing the 2025 Akron Parks Challenge, Mayor Shammas Malik said, “Making investments in our neighborhoods with quality, well-maintained parks and public spaces is an essential part of the solution toward a safer and more vibrant Akron for the long-term. We are putting community-led design and decision-making at the core of park improvements, which leads to more active, vibrant spaces and stronger communities.”
The Akron Parks Challenge started in 2018 as a partnership between Akron Parks Collaborative, the City of Akron, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition. To date, 12 parks have received funding through the Akron Parks Challenge. The 2024 winners were Prentiss Park and Sherbondy Hill Park.
Akron Parks Collaborative was founded in 2018. Through its programming and its partnership with the City of Akron, the organization advocates for and supports the city’s parks.
