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Urban parks have long played a vital role in community-based programs for young people. Traditionally, they have been thought of mainly as venues for play. Open spaces, playgrounds, sports fields, and recreational programs make an important contribution to children’s lives. But to realize their full potential as community resources for youth development, parks can and should go beyond recreation. At their best, they can offer a wide variety of high-quality opportunities for children to build the skills and strengths they need to lead full and rewarding lives.

Recent research provides important lessons about how community-based programs can be structured to promote youth development most effectively. And the experiences of a new generation of youth programs in urban parks—including several funded by The Wallace Foundation’s Urban Parks Initiative—illustrate how these lessons can be applied on the ground.

Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).

The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

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