Parks Are Free is Conservancy Mantra

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy has launched a new effort to get more people to use city parks this summer. Print and broadcast advertisements will encourage people to use the parks and a new webpage “parksarefree.com” has been launched. The page lists the assets available in every city park and all of the free activities scheduled in the parks this summer. In the past, the information was scattered across a couple of sites and this brings it all together in one place. Parks Conservancy President Meg Cheever says when people become connected to parks on a regular basis it improves their quality of life. Regional Asset District Executive Director David Donahoe says with the slow economy many people are planning “stay-cations” (vacations at home) and that means the importance of having a good park system grows. He says the parks should be a part of our everyday lives. Donahoe says we are lucky that people, often more than more than 100 years ago, decided to set aside much of the land we now call parks.