We Believe Everyone Should Have Access to the Outdoors

Raise your hand if you agree: Spending time outdoors sparks hope, brings people together, and provides common ground (literally and figuratively). That’s why our work is about far more than conserving land. We use nature and the outdoors—parks, trails, community schoolyards, cultural sites—to catalyze social impact, delivering connection, equity, and community well-being. It’s a feel-good story. Help us spread it.

We create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.

Lasting change comes from transforming the systems that shape how land is used and conserved. Through the expertise of our staff and the tools they’ve built, we generate insights and share proven practices with local governments, community organizations, corporations, foundations, and donors—expanding our reach and multiplying our impact.

Our Projects

Since 1972, we’ve made a deep and lasting impact on communities nationwide. Learn more about our completed projects and what we’re working on next.

Parks for People–Cleveland | Ohio

What We’re Doing
Mapping out a future with improved waterfront access for the people of Cleveland.

Our Goal
Improve and create spaces by Lake Erie that strengthen community and connect people with nature.

The Cleveland Story

People are naturally drawn to waterfronts, especially where there’s easy access, an interesting view, and space to walk along the shore or gather with friends. City parks and open space improve our physical and psychological health, strengthen our communities, and make our cities and neighborhoods more attractive places to live and work.

Trust for Public Land is working to increase parkland and trails to connect Cleveland neighborhoods with Lake Erie at Whiskey Island. Our Parks for People—Cleveland program is committed to ensuring that everyone (especially children) can enjoy access to a park, trail, or green space.

Right now, there’s growing enthusiasm for creating a central civic gathering place in downtown Cleveland along Lake Erie. Like Grant Park in Chicago, a recreational corridor along Cleveland’s lakefront will accommodate large public gatherings and offer green space for people to enjoy. The same goes for improvements at Rockefeller Park, which funnels into the lakeside Gordon Park, with $150,000 in state funding already approved.

This is a long-term vision that will carry Cleveland in the right direction, and we look forward to accomplishing these ambitious goals together.

Learn more at https://www.tpl.org/