Parks & Housing

Trust for Public Land and Design Trust for Public Space are thrilled to co-host this free forum exploring the powerful intersection of parks, green space, and public housing, featuring speakers from public housing authorities, community organizations, and planning experts from across the country. Decades of disinvestment in public housing has contributed to a growing number of under-resourced open spaces – from shared courtyards within developments to vacant parcels. These spaces hold significant potential to serve as vital community assets, to support health, belonging, climate resilience, and economic opportunity. Yet, unlocking that potential requires partnerships, funding, policy, and capacity.  

This convening is a key moment to re-envision and reimagine the future of our cities and communities, the central role public housing plays, and the spaces that connect us together, create our sense of home, and drive neighborhood vitality.

Please see below for event speaker information.

Want to learn more, get involved, or support this work? Please reach us at 10minutewalk@tpl.org – we’d love to connect.  

Shaun Donovan is the Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Community Partners and has spent over 30 years advancing affordable housing, equity, and community development nationwide. As U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama, he led the response to the foreclosure crisis, championed fair housing protections, and helped cut veteran homelessness in half. Previously, he headed New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and later directed the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, expanding investments in housing and opportunity. Today, he continues to drive solutions that ensure every community has safe, affordable homes.

Lisa Bova-Hiatt leads the nation’s largest public housing system through its ongoing transformation and implementation plan. With three decades of public sector experience, she has held senior legal and leadership roles at CUNY and the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery – overseeing major housing and infrastructure initiatives, including the reconstruction of 12,000 homes. A respected expert in public housing governance and real estate law, Bova-Hiatt is known for advancing equitable, resilient, and community-driven housing solutions.

Trust for Public Land and Enterprise Community Partners are collaborating to bridge affordable housing and parks and create a guidebook to offer real-world case studies and policy models for city leaders, developers, policymakers, and advocates. The effort highlights policies, financing models, and design strategies that integrate parks and green space into affordable and public housing developments – advancing housing affordability, equity, and climate resilience while improving quality of life for residents.