Urban parks institute selects Republic Square

The Central Park Conservancy Institute for Urban Parks has selected Republic Square to participate in its Partnerships Lab, a new program developed to “leverage the resources and expertise of the Conservancy to help other parks build their capacity to plan, develop, and maintain great public spaces,” according to a press release. Republic Square, which is operated by the Downtown Austin Alliance, was one of only five organizations nationally to be selected, along with three in New York City. “Partners will work collaboratively with the Central Park Conservancy Institute for Urban Parks for six to twelve months to develop and implement a strategy for achieving their proposed challenge. They will receive access to staff time and experts both from within the Conservancy and from its network of professionals, as well as a capacity-building grant.” The other organizations selected for the national cohort, in addition to Republic Square, include the Parks & People Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland; Forest Park Conservancy in Portland, Oregon; the Public Space Planning Unit in Detroit, Michigan; and Balboa Park Conservancy in San Diego, California.