The Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) operates and maintains the City of Houston's parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, golf courses, skateparks, and recreation centers; as well as, providing recreational programming.[2][3] HPARD currently oversees 382 developed parks and more than 167 greenspaces, covering over 39,500 acres;[3] and over 125 miles of hike-and-bike trails.[4]
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Preceding agencies |
|
| Jurisdiction | City of Houston |
| Headquarters | Houston |
| Employees | 708 (as of Jan 2021)[1] |
| Department executive |
|
| Child agencies |
|
| Website | houstontx |
The HPARD consists of seven (7) divisions:[3]
- The Director's Office
- Recreation and Wellness Division
- Greenspace Management
- Facilities Management and Development
- Management and Finance
- Urban Park Rangers and Safety, and
- Communications
History edit
The Department of Public Parks was created on March 15, 1916 by a City of Houston ordinance (Chapter 23, Article 1, Section 32-2). At that time, the department had two parks — Sam Houston Park and Hermann Park.[1]
In 2008, the department received national accreditation from the National Recreation and Park Association's (NRPA) Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA).[1]
As of 2021, the department has:[1]
- Budget: $69 million
- Employees: 708 full time
- Facilities
- Developed Parks: 382
- Greenspaces: 160
- Acres: 39,000+
References edit
- ^ a b c d "CITY OF HOUSTONinvites applications for the position of: DIRECTOR - PARKS & RECREATIONS". City of Houston Job Opportunities. Government Jobs. 2021-01-07. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
- ^ Zuvanich, Adam (2022-10-17). "Houston to protect more than 7,400 acres of nature preserves under new city ordinance". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
- ^ a b c "Houston Parks & Recreation Department: About Us". City of Houston. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
- ^ "Houston Parks & Outdoors". Greater Houston Partnership. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
External links edit
- Herndon, ShaVonne (2022-10-20). "Houston hosts national pickleball tournament with hundreds of players". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
- MacDonald, Evan (2022-10-19). "Houston hosting its first national pickleball tournament at Memorial Park through Sunday". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
- Wanjau, Maryann; Cuellar, Laura; Stone, Amber (2022-05-26). "UNICEF Working With City of Houston to Improve Child Mental Health". UNICEF USA. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
- Kovar, Seth (2022-09-23). "Hired goats are clearing unnatural vegetation from Houston city park". CW39 Houston. Retrieved 2022-11-02.