OUR WORK

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#OPENSPACESFORALL

Open Spaces For All

The Open Spaces for All report is a blueprint for creating welcoming, accessible outdoor experiences in New York State’s parks and open spaces and contains community and state level recommendations to improve equity and access for visitors to New York’s parks and open spaces.

Download The Report

Please read and share the report to your communitees, members, and stakeholders.

Background & Approach

The report is rooted in a multiyear research and community engagement process, Open Spaces for All identifies structural and societal barriers that hinder access and enjoyment of public parks, green spaces, and other outdoor facilities by people of color, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and other underrepresented or marginalized groups.

The Open Space Institute (OSI), in partnership with the New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition (NYORC), has developed Open Spaces for All, a report containing community- and state-level recommendations to improve equity and access in New York’s parks and open spaces. The full report can be viewed in English and Spanish at www.openspaceinstitute.org/research/openspacesforall.

The Open Spaces for All report was created with input from more than 200 individuals representing diverse social and economic identities, community groups, nonprofit organizations, businesses, existing users, thought leaders, non-traditional stakeholders, and government entities from across the state. The plan was guided by a steering committee composed of members from OSI, NYORC, Inclusive Woods and Us, New York New Jersey Trail Conference, Center for Diversity at SUNY Potsdam, REI, and Get Out and Trek. Open Spaces for All was made possible with generous support from the Laurance S. Rockefeller Fund, Overhills Foundation, Samuel Freeman Charitable Foundation, and an individual contributor. Research support and analysis was provided by Potrero Group.

Recommendations

Through Open Spaces for All, OSI and NYORC provide guidance for future policies, programs, initiatives, and creative partnerships that can engage and support a growing and increasingly diverse constituency of visitors.

Open Spaces for All guidance includes:

Engaging and empowering communities and partners.
Prioritizing equity at the forefront of future park and open space investments.
Building support and capacity for implementation of recommendations and improvements.
Honoring Indigenous people and their unique spiritual and cultural connections to the land.

Download the report to learn more about each recommendation.

Intended Audiences

The report is intended to inform planning and decision-making processes for state leaders, recreation providers, and land managers, in addition to the greater outdoor recreation industry, nonprofit organizations, community groups and open space partners.

Share the Report

Please share the report via social media using the resources provided below.

Social Media Images

Feel free to use the following images in your posts. Images must be accompanied by the appropriate photo credits:

Whitewater Rafting - SUNY Potsdam Live Now

Empire State Trail - New York Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation

Family By The River - New York Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation

Water - New York Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation

Hashtag & @ Mention Usage

To assist in tracking and provide others the ability to "reshare" your posts, please use the following hastags and @ mentions.

Capitalize the first letter of each word so that screen reader software can properly pronounce each word separately. In all social posts, always use the following:

Always use

#OpenSpacesForAll

Additional Hashtags

#OutdoorRecreation

#DiversityAndInclusion

#DisabilityInclusion

#Accessibility

#Inclusion

#DEI

#Equity

#ParksProvide

Use the following accounts to @mention when posting

Facebook

@OpenSpaceInst

@New-York-Outdoor-Recreation-Coalition

Instagram

@OpenSpaceInstitute

@NYOutdoorRecreationCoalition

@Open-Space-Institute

@New-York-Outdoor-Recreation-Coalition

Twitter

@OpenSpaceInst

@NYOutdoorRec

Sample Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn Posts

Need Ideas on what to post, please use the following samples to help your creative process.

PLEASE SHARE! Public parks and green spaces should be welcoming and accessible to all! That’s why ORGANIZATION NAME has joined with the Open Space Institute and the New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition on #OpenSpacesForAll. This report was

informed by hundreds of partners and community members who believe everyone has the right to safe, enjoyable experiences in New York’s beautiful outdoor spaces. Read the report here: www.openspaceinstitute.org/research/openspacesforall

#DiversityAndInclusion #DisabilityInclusion #OutdoorRecreation #DEI

SHARE TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! New York’s public parks and green spaces must be welcoming and accessible for a growing and diverse population. #OpenSpacesForAll, from the Open Space Institute and the New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition, provides recommendations for a more inclusive future for New York’s park visitors. Read the report: www.openspaceinstitute.org/research/openspacesforall

#DiversityAndInclusion #DisabilityInclusion #OutdoorRecreation #DEI

We all deserve to feel safe and welcome in New York’s public parks and green spaces.

ORGANIZATION NAME supports #OpenSpacesForAll, a report developed by the Open

Space Institute and the New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition containing important

recommendations on how New York State can make outdoor spaces accessible and

inviting for all visitors. Read the report here:

www.openspaceinstitute.org/research/openspacesforall

#DiversityAndInclusion

#DisabilityInclusion #OutdoorRecreation #DEI

PLEASE LISTEN AND SHARE! #OpenSpacesForAll was developed by the Open SpaceInstitute and the New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition as a blueprint for making public parks and green spaces welcoming and accessible for New York’s growing and diverse population. Listen to a profile on @WAMC’s “The Best of Our Knowledge” at www.wamc.org/show/the-best-of-our-knowledge/2022-10-28/1675-making-the-outdoors-open-to-all-the-best-of-our-knowledge

#DiversityAndInclusion

#DisabilityInclusion #OutdoorRecreation #DEI

The global Covid-19 pandemic underscored that not all New Yorkers have equitable access to New York state’s parks and public lands. #OpenSpacesForAll was developed by the Open Space Institute and the New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition to provide recommendations on making public parks and greenspaces welcoming for everyone. Listen to “The Best of Our Knowledge” and find out why this report is so important: www.wamc.org/show/the-best-of-our-knowledge/2022-10-28/1675-making-the-outdoors-open-to-all-the-best-of-our-knowledge

#DiversityAndInclusion

#DisabilityInclusion #OutdoorRecreation #DEI SHARE TO SHOW YOUR

SUPPORT!

Do you love public parks and green spaces? So do we! That’s why ORGANIZATION NAME supports the recommendations in #OpenSpacesForAll, a report developed by the Open Space Institute and the New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition. This report outlines recommendations that can help make New York’s public outdoor spaces more welcoming and accessible for all visitors. Read the report here and SHARE!

www.openspaceinstitute.org/research/openspacesforall

#DiversityAndInclusion

#DisabilityInclusion #OutdoorRecreation #DEI

Sample Twitter Posts

Public parks and green spaces should be welcoming and accessible to all! That’s why we support #OpenSpacesForAll from @OpenSpaceInst & NY Outdoor Recreation Coalition.

Read the report here: www.openspaceinstitute.org/research/openspacesforall