Public Private Partnerships in Urban Parks: A Case Study of Five U.S. Parks

Public-private partnerships (P3s) are increasingly used to manage public parks. What do cities, citizens, and organizations need to know when establishing a P3 for park management? What are the opportunities and implications of these partnerships? This research provides information not readily available on the structure and operations of public-private partnerships in five U.S. parks. These parks present a range of funding sources and expenditures, programming, concessions, and historical contexts. Though these parks differ in certain aspects, distinct trends and lessons emerge. From these trends and a review of academic literature I propose recommendations for establishing and monitoring the public-private partnership process. This research began as part of an in internship with the Downtown Austin Alliance in the summer of 2010. Data on these parks were collected through interviews with park managers during the summer and fall of 2010 and supplemented by park websites or online news sources