Friends of the Parks hosts an annual Parks as Democracy? Conference and Luncheon. We include a question mark in the name in recognition of the messiness of democracy. Our goal is to hold space for conversations--including honest and legitimate disagreements--about what it means for parks to be democratic spaces.
2022: Looking Back to Look Forward in a Landmark Year
Our 2022 conference commemorated the 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted and the 100th anniversary of Washington Park’s Fountain of Time. Learn more here.
Our 2022 conference commemorated the 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted and the 100th anniversary of Washington Park’s Fountain of Time. Learn more here.
2021: Reimagine
The theme of our 2021 conference was "Reimagine," with a keynote address by Blair Kamin, former architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune. He reflected on his 28 years of covering Chicago's open-space battles and what the parks of the past and present mean for the parks of tomorrow. Learn more here.
The theme of our 2021 conference was "Reimagine," with a keynote address by Blair Kamin, former architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune. He reflected on his 28 years of covering Chicago's open-space battles and what the parks of the past and present mean for the parks of tomorrow. Learn more here.
2020: What's in a Name
In response to the pandemic, we hosted our first virtual conference. Click here to see recordings of the workshops:
In response to the pandemic, we hosted our first virtual conference. Click here to see recordings of the workshops:
- Parks, Statues, and the State of our Democracy
- Defund? Reimagine? Examining Park Investments, Policing, and Security Models
- DuSable as Chicago's Founder: What to Make of the Title and Whether it Matters
- CDF What? A Pollution Dump on the Lakefront
2019: Climate for Change
This year's theme was Climate for Change, a phrase meant to connect our planet’s climate crisis and our city’s equity crisis to new opportunities for policy change and reform. Learn more here.
This year's theme was Climate for Change, a phrase meant to connect our planet’s climate crisis and our city’s equity crisis to new opportunities for policy change and reform. Learn more here.
2018: In Black and White?
Our 2nd Annual Parks as Democracy? conference was keynoted by Dick Simpson, Professor of Political Science at University of Illinois at Chicago, former Chicago alderman and author of The Good Fight: Life Lessons from a Chicago Progressive. Learn more here.
Our 2nd Annual Parks as Democracy? conference was keynoted by Dick Simpson, Professor of Political Science at University of Illinois at Chicago, former Chicago alderman and author of The Good Fight: Life Lessons from a Chicago Progressive. Learn more here.
2017: Rethinking the Role of Chicago’s Parks
Parks as Democracy? kicked off in 2017 with the goal of bringing together planning professionals, leaders in park advocacy and policy, plus supporters of Chicago park preservation and development to explore how communities can activate and engage in supporting and developing the best parks possible. Learn more here.
Parks as Democracy? kicked off in 2017 with the goal of bringing together planning professionals, leaders in park advocacy and policy, plus supporters of Chicago park preservation and development to explore how communities can activate and engage in supporting and developing the best parks possible. Learn more here.
