Discovery Green hosted 38 attendees from 19 cities in 12 different states as part of the City Parks Alliance Park Study Tour in Houston.
These visitors were treated to a tour of Discovery Green by first park President Guy Hagstette, who spoke about the design and creation of Discovery Green and current park President Kathryn Lott, who spoke about the ongoing maintenance and programming of Discovery Green. Karen Navarro, one of the inaugural Art Lab fellows then spoke about her art installation at Discovery Green, Chroma Collective.
The tour chose to highlight the people, places and partnerships that make Houston’s park system so special and successful. Themes discussed included public-private partnerships, community engagement and resilience in design.
Discovery Green was chosen as a tour location for its status as Houston’s first park created through a public-private partnership as well as its success in creating a safe and welcoming environment for more than 3.3 million visits a year. The high quality and variety of programming attracts audiences as diverse as the city itself. Other parks in the City Parks Alliance tour included Hermann Park, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Willow Waterhole and Memorial Park.
After the tour, attendees were treated to a panel discussion in the Norton Rose Fullbright Tower about collaboration across sectors featuring Kenneth Allen, Director, Houston Parks & Recreation Department, Hagstette, Senior Vice President of Parks and Civic Projects, Kinder Foundation, and Dr. Tina Petersen, Executive Director, Harris County Flood Control District. The discussion was moderated by Justin Schultz, the incoming President of Houston Parks Board.
The program’s lead national sponsor is Landscape Structures. Supporting national sponsor is the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund. The lead local sponsor is Kinder Foundation and supporting local sponsor is Skanska.
Through your efforts Discovery Green can continue to provide a beautiful oasis in the heart of downtown Houston where memories are made.
