Onward

FY2022

Finance
Onward

GOING FURTHER

Houston Parks Board is dedicated to improving our city’s greenspaces and being passionate stewards of Houston’s Bayou Greenways, keeping them beautiful, accessible, safe, and sustainable. That is why our mission is to create, improve, protect, and advocate for parks for everyone.

As Houston continues to grow, our mission to create, improve, protect, and advocate for parks for everyone is as important as ever. Our work creates a healthier, more equitable, and more resilient Houston.


We are hard at work creating a holistic, interconnected park system that is better equipped to handle future weather events, connect neighborhoods to one another, and connect people and nature in extraordinary ways. Creating a stronger region includes improving neighborhood parks, expanding greenways, and transforming and maintaining greenspaces that merit special investments and attention.


OUR VITAL UNDERLYING COMMITMENT TO EQUITY IS AT THE CENTER OF ALL WE DO, DRIVING OUR MISSION AND INSPIRING OUR VISION FOR EVERY PERSON IN OUR CITY TO LIVE CLOSE TO PARKS AND TRAILS.


Every community deserves the opportunity to thrive, and the 50/50 Park Partners initiative is a key part of our neighborhood work. Focusing investments strategically in neighborhoods that have not historically had equitable access to high quality greenspaces fosters a sustainable, region-wide impact. We are proud that 23 upgraded parks will be open across the city in 2023.


Culminating in almost half a century of park work, we are delivering on the promise of Bayou Greenways. Thanks to the $50 million catalyst commitment from Kinder Foundation in 2012 and $100 million in bond funding from City of Houston, Houston Parks Board was able to raise and invest over $225 million in green infrastructure projects, parks, trails, and greenspace over the past decade. It is not only transforming our city, it is also providing the vital foundation for the next chapter that will build on the incredible Bayou Greenways framework of interconnected parks and trails across the Houston region.


As we continue our work through Beyond the Bayous and reaffirm our commitment to equity, doubling down on the investments already made and in progress, we are inspired and encouraged by the fact that in addition to benefiting people as individuals, we are drawing on the best regional conservation practices and preservation techniques. This helps us fulfill our goal of being the best steward of our region’s habitats and supporting vital ecosystems for native wildlife.


WE STRIVE TO CREATE A SPACE FOR EVERYONE IN A COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE AND BELONG.


With the support of our public and private partners, friends and colleagues, as well as commitments from our generous donors, we are making Houston a better place, together. Thank you for your partnership and collaboration as we create, improve, protect, and advocate for parks for everyone.


BARRON WALLACE

Chairman of the Board

BETH WHITE

President & CEO

Bayou
Greenways

We believe our bayous should serve more than one purpose.


Leveraging the commitment, support, and expertise of our private, civic, and philanthropic partners, Houston Parks Board continues to invest in multi-purpose infrastructure that adds greenspace to our bayous, connects neighborhoods and communities to each other -often for the first time, and provides bridges, hike and bike trails, and parks all over Houston. This transformational project is close to completion, with the last few miles under construction. When finished, approximately 1.5 million Houstonians will live within 1.5 miles of a Bayou Greenway.


An extraordinary lead gift of $50 million from Kinder Foundation in 2013 enabled Houston Parks Board to raise $125 million for this bold initiative.


Beyond The BAYOUS


Building on the backbone of Bayou Greenways, Beyond the Bayous is a region-wide plan to create an interconnected system of parks, greenspace, and trails to build a more resilient and equitable Houston. It is a vision of what it will take in public-private investment to bring a healthy park experience to neighborhoods whose quality of life will improve with walking and biking paths to schools, jobs, and resource centers.


Beyond the Bayous would not be possible without the generous support of Houston Endowment, and their transformative vision for expanding Houston’s public realm.

CORNERSTONE PROJECTS

Activity Hubs, Connectors, and Destinations


Six cornerstone projects within the Beyond the Bayous network, representing a diverse set of projects, have been identified and prioritized to put a system of expanded Bayou Greenways, regional and neighborhood connectors, hub parks, and neighborhood parks, into place.


50/50 Park
Partners

Coolgreen PARK

Hill at Sims

Inwood Recreation
Project

Macgregor
Park

Spring Branch
Trail
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NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

For 46 years Houston Parks Board has worked with neighborhoods and communities across the city and in partnership with public and private sector partners to create, improve, protect, and advocate for an equitable greenspace system for our region. The Neighborhood Partnership Program provides technical and strategic support to groups interested in becoming stewards to Houston’s park assets with the goal of improving city parks and greenspaces through a cooperative effort between community groups, Houston Parks Board, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.

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50/50 park partners

We are renovating 23 neighborhood parks throughout Houston, selected by need, considering equity-driven metrics including social vulnerability. The innovative 50/50 Park Partners framework provides an opportunity for public sector funds to leverage private funding to reinvigorate under resourced parks across the city. We are proud to be working in close partnership with the Office of the Mayor, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, and Greater Houston Partnership to improve the quality of life for all Houstonians.

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Highlights

Groundbreakings, Key Connections, and New Segments of BAYOU GREENWAYS

Houston Parks Board celebrated milestones along Brays, Buffalo, Greens, Hunting, Sims, and Vince Bayou Greenways.

Brays

Final segment along Brays Bayou Greenway begins construction, a 7.67-mile trail connecting Braeburn Glen Park to Archbishop Fiorenza Park. The longest stretch of Bayou Greenway segment built to date.

GREENS & HUNTING

New segment of hike and bike trail completes connection of Hunting Bayou Greenway to Greens Bayou Greenway.

SIMS

A new segment along Sims Bayou Greenway, provides a key connection east to Milby Park and west to Stuart Park.

A NEW PLAYGROUND FOR HARTMAN PARK

Completion of the first neighborhood park improvement project as part of the 50/50 Park Partners initiative.

BUFFALO

A new park and 0.4-mile trail now connects Fannin Street to Austin Street along Buffalo Bayou thanks in part to Buffalo Bayou Partnership.

VINCE

The first phase of design on Vince Bayou Greenway is underway to create safe connections between Pasadena’s Memorial Park and Strawberry Park.

A NEW WETLAND FOR HOUSTON

Capturing storm water and providing habitat for native flora and fauna at Thomas Bell Foster Park.

Houston’s Inaugural

ART BIKE PARADE

In partnership with the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art and Houston Independent School District, MacGregor Park teemed with thousands of people celebrating the artist in everyone for Houston’s first-ever annual Art Bike Parade and Festival. Over 100 HISD schools participated in festivities that spanned across the city starting in MacGregor Park, followed along Brays Bayou Greenway to Fonde Park, and ended at Smither Park for an awards ceremony.

The free, family-friendly event showcased the beauty and diversity of our city and brought out the creative spirit inside of everyone.

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MKT Bridge
Fully Restored

MKT Bridge Fully Restored

Working closely with the City of Houston, owner of the bridge, and Harris County Flood Control District, Houston Parks Board worked diligently to repair this essential component of the trail system in the Heights connecting toWhite Oak Bayou Greenway.

After extensive damage due to a fire in August 2020, initial repairs to MKT Bridge began in summer 2021. While conducting repair work, contractors and structural engineers found additional damage caused by the fire that was not visible during the initial assessment of the bridge’s condition. It was determined further repairs were needed before the bridge could safely reopen andfollowing expedited approval of the additional design plans from the City of Houston and Harris County Flood Control District, on site construction to MKT Bridge resumed in March 2022.

The recently completed repair work included adding steel channels and bracing to the timber piling, transferring weight from the bridge to the ground.

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CONSERVATION

We are committed to not only creating beautiful greenspaces in the Houston region, but also to making sure our parks and trails preserve and enhance our region’s diverse habitats. Over 40% of the land maintained within the Bayou Greenways system is prairies, wetlands, and forests, and all are critical for providing ecological benefits and wildlife habitat.

By planting native trees, growing prairie seedlings, caring for nursery plants, saving existing trees when possible, and employing invasive species control techniques, we are improving Houston’s vital greenspaces and protecting the future of our greenways, keeping them beautiful, accessible, safe, and sustainable.

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2,806

ACRES
MAINTAINED

91.5

Miles of Trails

MAINTENANCE

Houston Parks Board is committed to keeping our greenways well maintained. This is why more than a third of our annual budget is dedicated to conservation and maintenance.


Through regular mowing, de-littering, clearing paths, removing debris, graffiti abatement, restoring amenities, and cleaning up after floods, the maintenance team keeps over 90 miles of trails and 2,800 acres of greenspace beautiful, accessible, safe, and functional, for everyone.

July 2014 – June 2022

2,235

TRUCK LOADS OF LITTER & HEAVY DEBRIS

$3,261,866

FOR FLOOD
CLEAN UP

3,016

TRUCK LOADS OF SILT & FLOOD DEBRIS
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VOLUNTEERING IS A WORK OF HEART

Our gratitude for our dedicated volunteers runs deep. Especially those that continued to stick it out through the COVID-19 pandemic and show up month after month.


In fiscal year 2022, we welcomed over 200 volunteers who served a total of 665 hours in 13 parks and greenspace locations. We continue to ramp up our program and welcome all Houstonians to get their hands dirty with Houston Parks Board.


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OPPORTUNITY

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