About The Bronx Coalition of Parks and Green Spaces

BCPGS is a grassroots collaboration of Bronx parks and open space groups that advocates on a borough-wide level, convenes an annual Bronx Parks Speak Up and promotes member events and initiatives.

The Bronx Parks Speak Up was first held in 1995 to organize community groups around Parks’ issues, and to create a calendar of events in Bronx Parks.

The day-long session was started by the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality, Borough President Ferrer’s Office, the Neighborhood Open Space Coalition, Transportation Alternatives, and Bronx Green Up as a Bronx Greenway Committee and was also used for creating a calendar of events of Bronx parks and open space events.

Over the years the event evolved into a “report card” for parks and is a forum to discuss hot topics.  This day-long event draws over 400 Bronx residents, elected officials, and agency personnel. It gives its attendees the chance to learn about government and non-government resources, network, share ideas and skills and participate in face-to-face discussions with city and local elected and appointed officials.

The Speak Up helped start several groups in our borough, including the Bronx River Working Group, which is now the Bronx River Alliance, The Harlem River Working Group and BCPGS.

In 2001 when there was a city-wide campaign called Parks 2001, Speak Up participants decided to the start their own borough-wide Coalition and BCPGS was born.

In the beginning BCPGS adopted a multi-point platform to increase the Parks budget; hire more, especially skilled, personnel; preserve community gardens; and increase the opportunities for recreation in parks.

They reached out to all the parks and open space groups that had attended Speak Up and asked them to sign onto their platform.

Today, the coalition is comprised of more than 40 advocacy organizations, including housing associations, little leagues, civic associations, and parks and garden groups.