The Houston City Council has cleared the way for construction to begin on 25 neighborhood parks across the city.
It formalizes a roadmap for Let’s Play Houston, a public-private partnership Mayor John Whitmire has called the city’s biggest park investment ever. Through a partnership between the city and the Houston Parks Board Local Government Corporation (HPBLGC), 25 parks will be constructed.
This will be the largest investment to neighborhood parks in Houston's history! Mayor John Whitmire's "Let's Play Houston" initiative was approved today by City Council. Here's the video story: @houmayor @houstonparksboard @houtx pic.twitter.com/QNMOvXkbOR
— HPARD (@HPARD) July 15, 2026
“Every neighborhood deserves to have a great park that its residents can enjoy,” said Mayor John Whitmire. “The City of Houston looks forward to partnering with Houston Parks Board and working with public and private organizations to benefit 25 neighborhood parks and the communities they serve.”
List of parks
District A: Haden Park and Schwartz Park
District B: Trinity Gardens Park and Lakewood Park
District C: Lawrence Park and American Legion Park
District D: Bricker Park, Zollie Scales Park, and George T. Nelson Park
District E: Greenwood Park, J.P. White Park, and Dylan Duncan Memorial Skate Park
District F: 6640 Wilcrest Greenspace and Kirkwood Park
District G: Pumpkin Park and Francklow Park
District H: Montie Beach Park, Clark Park, and Warren Park
District I: Andover Park and Brookline Park
District J: E. L. Crain Park and Bonham Park
District K: Haviland Park and Beulah Maxie Park
Where will the funds come from?
While the city will contribute nearly $11 million, HPBLGC is responsible for raising at least $26.5 million from various sources.
Combined with earlier commitments, the full initiative is expected to bring roughly $60 million in public and private funding to parks that officials say have long been overlooked.
The $11 million in city funding approved by Council is drawn from three sources, including the Parks and Recreation Dedication Fund, the Parks Consolidated Construction Fund, and the Contributed Capital Project Fund.
City Council members noted the spending was already included in the FY26 Adopted Budget, meaning no additional fiscal note was required. If more public funding is identified down the line, the agreement calls for the city to return to the Council for future appropriation.
“Neighborhood parks offer a place where people can disconnect from daily stress, connect with nature, and strengthen belonging within their community.”
Justin Schultz, president and CEO of Houston Parks Board
Houston’s park-dedication system has produced large geographic disparities. Sector 14, covering affluent Inner Loop neighborhoods including River Oaks, Upper Kirby, and Montrose, has generated $21 million, the most of any sector. It is 59% white and has a median household income of about $114,000.
By contrast, city budget records show Sector 5 had the smallest available dedication-fund balance in FY2024, at $19,000. That sector is 78% Hispanic and 16% Black, with a median household income of about $36,000.
Houston tied park-dedication dollars to where residential development occurred, resulting in enormous differences across sectors.
The biggest generator, Sector 14, is unusually affluent and disproportionately white compared with Houston overall, while historically Black communities, including Kashmere Gardens, Fifth Ward, and Trinity/Houston Gardens, fall partly or entirely in sectors that had much smaller available dedication-fund balances.
“Structure imbalance exists between our park sectors,” Allen said, referring to 53.5% of total park dedication fund revenue being generated by five out of 21 park sectors. “That’s pretty amazing.”
How were the parks chosen?
Houston has more than 180 neighborhood parks, many of which serve as daily gathering spaces for residents.
The 25 selected for the program were chosen through an analysis of park conditions and equity across all 11 City Council districts.
According to the ordinance report presented to Council, the Parks Department and Houston Parks Board have already collaborated on the first 11 parks, one per district, with design work nearing completion and groundbreaking anticipated this fall.
Under the deal, the Houston Parks Board’s project arm will coordinate community engagement, design, procurement, and construction for all 25 projects, effectively acting as project manager on the City’s behalf.
That structure builds on work already underway. More than 40 community engagement events have reached over 1,600 residents so far, per city documents.
“While many residents enjoy our signature parks, bringing that same quality and care to local parks across the city will help more people experience the benefits of having a green space close to home,” said Kenneth Allen, director of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department. “The Houston Parks and Recreation Department is excited to continue working alongside Mayor Whitmire and the Houston Parks Board to strengthen our park system from the ground up.”
Early private and state support includes $8 million from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and nearly $18 million in combined support from groups including the Brown Foundation, Hildebrand Foundation, The Elkins Foundation, The Cullen Foundation, Houston Endowment, and ExxonMobil, among others. Fundraising is ongoing for the remaining private match HPBLGC is on the hook to raise.
“Neighborhood parks offer a place where people can disconnect from daily stress, connect with nature, and strengthen belonging within their community,” said Justin Schultz, president and CEO of the Houston Parks Board. “Houston Parks Board is proud to partner with Mayor Whitmire and the City of Houston to invest in public spaces that unite people of all backgrounds.”
