Login
Login

Houston Parks and Recreation Department

{{Short description|Department of City of Houston, Texas}}

{{Primary sources|date=November 2022}}

{{Infobox government agency

| agency_name = Houston Parks and Recreation Department

| type = department

| nativename =

| nativename_a =

| nativename_r =

| seal =

| seal_width =

| seal_caption =

| logo =

| logo_width =

| logo_caption =

| picture =

| picture_width =

| picture_caption =

| formed =

| preceding1 = Department of Parks

| preceding2 = The Department of Playgrounds and Recreation

| dissolved =

| superseding =

| agency_type =

| jurisdiction = City of Houston

| headquarters = Houston

| coordinates =

| motto =

| employees = 708 (as of Jan 2021)

| budget =

| chief1_name = Kenneth Allen

| chief1_position = Director

| chief2_name =

| chief2_position =

| parent_department =

| parent_agency =

| child1_agency = · The Director's Office

| child2_agency = · Recreation & Wellness

| child3_agency = · Greenspace Management

| child4_agency = · Facilities Management & Development

| child5_agency = · Management & Finance

| child6_agency = · Urban Park Rangers & Safety

| child7_agency = · Communications

| child25_agency =

| keydocument1 =

| website = {{URL|https://houstontx.gov/parks/index.html}}

| map =

| map_width =

| map_caption =

| footnotes =

| embed =

}}

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. HPARD currently oversees 382 developed parks and more than 167 greenspaces, covering over 39,500 acres; and over 125 miles of hike-and-bike trails.

The HPARD consists of seven (7) divisions:

  1. The Director's Office
  2. Recreation and Wellness Division
  3. Greenspace Management
  4. Facilities Management and Development
  5. Management and Finance
  6. Urban Park Rangers and Safety, and
  7. Communications

History

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.

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).

As of 2021, the department has:

  • Budget: $69 million
  • Employees: 708 full time
  • Facilities
  • Developed Parks: 382
  • Greenspaces: 160
  • Acres: 39,000+

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{Cite web |access-date=2022-11-02

|last=Zuvanich |first=Adam |date=2022-10-17

|title=Houston to protect more than 7,400 acres of nature preserves under new city ordinance

|website=Houston Public Media

|url=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/city-of-houston/2022/10/17/435358/houston-to-protect-more-than-7400-acres-of-nature-preserves-under-new-city-ordinance/ |language=en-US}}

{{cite web|accessdate=2022-12-03

|title=Houston Parks & Recreation Department: About Us|publisher=City of Houston

|url=https://www.houstontx.gov/parks/aboutus.html}}

{{cite web|accessdate=2022-12-04

|title=Houston Parks & Outdoors |publisher=Greater Houston Partnership

|url=https://www.houston.org/living-in-houston/parks-outdoors}}

{{cite web|accessdate=2022-12-06

|url=https://agency.governmentjobs.com/houston/job_bulletin.cfm?jobID=2947685=0

|title=CITY OF HOUSTONinvites applications for the position of: DIRECTOR - PARKS & RECREATIONS

|work=City of Houston Job Opportunities |publisher = Government Jobs

|date=2021-01-07}}

}}

External links

  • {{Cite web |access-date=2022-11-02

|last=Herndon |first=ShaVonne |date=2022-10-20

|title=Houston hosts national pickleball tournament with hundreds of players |url=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/sports/2022/10/20/435574/houston-hosts-national-pickleball-tournament-with-hundreds-of-players/ |website=Houston Public Media |language=en-US}}

  • {{Cite web |access-date=2022-11-02

|last=MacDonald |first=Evan |date=2022-10-19

|title=Houston hosting its first national pickleball tournament at Memorial Park through Sunday |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/renew-houston/fitness/article/Houston-hosting-its-first-national-pickleball-17519693.php |website=Houston Chronicle |language=en-US}}

  • {{Cite web |access-date=2022-11-02

|date=2022-05-26

|first1=Maryann |last1=Wanjau |first2= Laura |last2=Cuellar |first3=Amber |last3=Stone

|title=UNICEF Working With City of Houston to Improve Child Mental Health

|website=UNICEF USA

|url=https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/unicef-working-city-houston-improve-child-mental-health/40065 |language=en}}

  • {{Cite web |access-date=2022-11-02

|date=2022-09-23 |first=Seth |last=Kovar

|title=Hired goats are clearing unnatural vegetation from Houston city park

|url=https://cw39.com/news/local/hired-goats-are-clearing-unnatural-vegetation-from-houston-city-park/ |website=CW39 Houston |language=en-US}}

Category:Government of Houston