Akron鈥檚 annual resident-led park improvement challenge will have a more collaborative approach this year.
The City of Akron and Akron Parks Collaborative are now taking submissions for the
Organizations or Akron residents can submit a city park they'd like to see improved. The selected park will receive $150,000 for renovations and restorations.
This year, the process was designed to foster collaboration within Akron communities, according to Bridget Ambrisco, executive director of Akron Parks Collaborative Executive.
Once registration is completed, the Akron Parks Collaborative will group together applicants who nominated the same parks.
This change will help streamline the process, according to Ambrisco.
鈥淚nstead of externalizing and instead of having them figure that out for themselves, we鈥檙e going to bring them to a workshop, introduce them to each other if they don鈥檛 know each other and help them form a friends group up front, as well as put an application together,鈥� Amrbrisco said during a city council committee meeting on Monday.
From there, the Akron Parks Collaborative will help them form park friends groups鈥攃ommittees of citizens who help upkeep Akron鈥檚 parks.
Akron Parks Collaborative hopes the groups will ensure local parks are maintained.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we want them to establish a friends group, so they get into the mix of the work we鈥檙e doing across the city with all of the friends groups.鈥� Ambrisco said.
The new revisions will lead to an increased popularity in the city鈥檚 parks, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said in a press release.
鈥淲e are putting community-led design and decision-making at the core of park improvements, which leads to more active, vibrant spaces and stronger communities,鈥� Malik said.
The deadline to register for the contest is Feb. 23, 2026. Working group sessions will take place in March. The winning park will be announced on April 15, Ambrisco said.
To enter, residents need to submit their name, address and preferred park on the
