As part of the World Urban Parks Symposium 2026, we’re sharing this keynote presentation by Richard O’Byrne, exploring why protecting and expanding urban parks requires continued advocacy and collective action.
The presentation reflects on the origins of public parks and examines seven challenges shaping their future, including population growth, competition for land, inequality, climate change, intensive use, budget pressures and artificial intelligence. Through international examples, it highlights how community advocacy, ecological restoration and new approaches to urban planning can help safeguard public space and strengthen connections with nature.
Whether you couldn’t join us in Istanbul or would like to revisit your notes, this material invites you to reflect on the decisions and actions needed to carry our parks legacy forward.
Explore the presentation and discover how advocacy and collective action can help protect the future of urban parks.
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