About Friends of the Parks

For more than 50 years, Friends of the Parks (FOTP) has championed Chicago’s parks and open spaces. We work to preserve, protect, and expand green spaces so that every community can thrive. FOTP was born to fight against exclusion and give communities a real voice in their parks.

Mission

Friends of the Parks inspires and mobilizes a diverse Chicago to ensure an equitable park system for health and well-being for all.

Vision

We believe that a healthy park system:

  • Is equitably distributed and resourced

  • Contributes to inclusivity and democracy

  • Offers a balance of recreational and natural resources

  • Contributes to neighborhood safety

  • Ensures gathering spaces that help build community

  • Supports the rejuvenation of the body, mind, and spirit

  • Promotes the health of our environment

  • Forms part of a healthy economic base for all people living, working, and playing in our city

Our History

A story by Chicago Daily News columnist Jory Graham, titled “A Slow Death for the Parks,” described what was needed to reimagine Chicago’s parks: ”A group of concerned citizens with enough dynamic leadership to become the ultimate pressure group.” Two Chicago activists, Lois Weisberg and Vicky Ranney, answered the call and formed Friends of the Park (FOTP) in 1975.

FOTP was founded to challenge corruption and neglect within Chicago’s park system. At the time, the Chicago Park District was run as a political pay-to-play machine—taxpayer dollars were wasted, facilities were crumbling, and parks were disconnected from the very communities they were meant to serve. Maintenance was poor, recreational programs were failing, and resources were distributed inequitably across the city.

From the beginning, FOTP worked to hold leaders accountable. We conducted surveys, published report cards, and gave voice to residents who demanded better. For over a decade, FOTP advocacy helped pave the way for major reform. 

In 1986, under Mayor Harold Washington, the Park District was finally wrested from political control, and world-renowned architect Walter Netsch was appointed board president—ushering in a new era of stewardship and reform.

Our Legacy

Protecting the Lakefront

From saving South Shore Cultural Center in 1978, to stopping private lakefront developments in the 1980s, to defeating the proposed Lucas Museum in 2016, we’ve upheld the founder’s vision of a lakefront that is “forever open, clear, and free.”

Restoring Historic Spaces

We’ve fought to preserve, create, and/or restore some of Chicago’s most iconic green spaces, including Garfield Park Conservatory, Nichols Park, Edgebrook Park, and Northerly Island.

Building Community Power

FOTP helped launch more than 50 Park Advisory Councils across the city, giving residents a real voice in shaping their parks. Our annual Earth Day clean-up now mobilizes over 5,000 volunteers citywide.

Expanding Access and Recreation

From resurfacing the 18-mile Lakefront Trail in 1979, to launching Chicago’s first marathon and Shakespeare Festival, to supporting riverfront development, we’ve made sure parks and open spaces are welcoming and accessible for all.

Fostering Environmental Justice

We’ve championed playground reform, fought destructive highway expansions, closed a toxic landfill, and expanded environmental education for youth—ensuring that every neighborhood has the health and climate benefits parks provide.