PRB+ Magazine

Trusted Partners Across the country, partnerships with local land trusts facilitate projects with long-term environmental, economic, and social impacts. Expertise in land acquisition, fund development, environmental s...

-- and the work of Sempervirens Fund.

This is an essential read for park leaders hoping to develop long-lasting, impactful relationships with third-party organizations. Read the full story here: www.prbplus.com/trusted-part...

Some article highlights include:

-- Thurgood Marshall Green (a partnership between Western Reserve Land Conservancy and City of Cleveland that just opened to the public last week)
-- insights from Land Trust Alliance
-- projects helmed by Estes Valley Land Trust and Town of Estes Park

This month's cover story (written by regular contributor Brianne Sanchez) explores partnerships between land trusts and park departments. In working together, these unique agreements help identify and protect community greenspaces for public use.

Lighting The Way In June 2024, Washington, D.C., completed one of the most ambitious public lighting upgrades in the country.

Get the full story, including its partnership with Cyclone Lighting, in "Lighting The Way": www.prbplus.com/lighting-the...

Lighting is a big deal in communities of all sizes. @ddotdc.bsky.social knows this well — its Smart Street Lighting Project is a game-changer for residents and a leading example for the rest of the country.

ParkFest 2025

Reserve your spot for FREE: events.zoom.us/ev/AkydtMDP5...

Other Camp sessions include:
-- Healthy Vs. Harmful Pressure w/Chris Thurber: Oct 30, 2025, 9-10 a.m. ET
-- Building or Growing Your Outdoor Education Program w/Jessica Lippe: Oct 30, 2025, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET

Tools for Storytelling and Alumni Engagement

ParkFest 2025 happens Oct. 28-30. This FREE virtual event offers dynamic education sessions across 7 tracks, including Camps.

Author and writer Dan Shortridge leads Tools for Storytelling and Alumni Engagement on Oct 30, 2025, 10-11 a.m. ET.

Listen to a preview: open.spotify.com/episode/44yc...

Lighting The Way In June 2024, Washington, D.C., completed one of the most ambitious public lighting upgrades in the country.

The results? It has helped foster safer streets and parks and a stronger sense of community for residents and visitors alike. Read "Lighting The Way" to learn how this groundbreaking initiative came to be: www.prbplus.com/lighting-the...

Led by the @ddotdc.bsky.social and featuring innovative luminaires from Cyclone Lighting, this ambitious project is the largest public-private partnership (P3) of its kind in the U.S.

From PRB+ October: Washington, D.C.'s Smart Street Lighting Project transformed more than 75,000 outdated streetlights into a modern, energy-efficient, and smart-controlled network.

Explore independence in play now! www.bciburke.com/products/evo...
#ad

Climb however it feels best, slide down comfortably, and repeat! Its thoughtful design — every surface, height, and angle — blends access, flow, and fun. This design approach from Burke proves that intentional design creates playgrounds that inspire both kids and communities.

INDEPENDENCE IN PLAY
The 360 Loop® by BCI Burke Company gives kids control over their play experience and offers access to the Circle of Play — transfer > climb > slide — to more children.

2024 Project Portfolio At PRB+, we understand the vision and passion it takes to create and maintain parks, recreation facilities, and camps. From planning and community engagement to construction and design, every part of ...

See last year's winners and entries here: www.prbplus.com/2024-project...

PROJECT DETAILS & DESCRIPTION
Facility Name:
City, State:
Cost of Project:
Type of Facility:
Architectural Firm:
Lead Architect Name:
Status: (Complete, Under Construction, In Design)
Square Footage: Number of Floors:
Description of Project: (200 words or less)

-- Winners will be determined by an interactive vote and announced in our February 2026 issue. The submission deadline is October 15.

Don't miss this opportunity to share your hard work! Send you photos and details to jefferey@northstarpubs. (Template's in the next tweet.)

-- We're exclusively featuring projects that were initiated or completed throughout 2025.
-- Each listing will feature 1-3 hi-res photos, project specs, and a brief description of the project (200 words max).
-- Submit as many eligible projects as you’d like.

SUBMIT YOUR PROJECTS!

PRB+ is hard at work on the 2025 Project Portfolio. This is our annual showcase of the year's best projects.

[Pictured: Park Circle Complex, submitted by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting — last year's Best Major Park Investment $10M+]

Here's how it works:

PRB+ October is here!

This month's stories wrestle with placemaking — what does it take to bring the care and consideration of a stadium experience to any venue?

Dive in here: www.prbplus.com/issue-archive/

[Cover story: Brianne Sanchez]
[Photo credit: Jordan Lawrence]

Our Leadership track also includes:

-- Best Practices for Designing the Ideal Internship w/Julie Knapp: Oct. 30, 2025, 12-1 p.m. ET
-- The False Economy of Generic Staff Schedulers w/Gwen McEwen: Oct. 30, 2025, 2-3 p.m. ET

ParkFest 2025

Dave is Extension Organizational Development Coordinator for NC State Extension. He knows not only about leading with purpose but also how it applies to parks and rec.

Reserve your spot to hear his insights: events.zoom.us/ev/AkydtMDP5...

Leading With Purpose

Join us Oct. 28-30 for ParkFest 2025, a FREE virtual event with dynamic education sessions across 7 distinct tracks, including Leadership.

For a preview of "Leading With Purpose", a session taking place Oct. 30, 1-2 p.m. ET, and led by Dave Herpy, listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/2HEq...

Finding The Answers Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of various industries, transforming how professionals work and enhancing their productivity. Parks and recreation professionals, however, might...

-- "Finding The Answers": This article puts ChatGPT to the test concerning park-specific functions. Learn how to craft detailed prompts that deliver useful answers — www.prbplus.com/finding-the-...

Truth For Youth To the mid-19th-century educators who organized the first overnight camps in North America, this five-faceted educational gem solved two problems: It was the ideal complement to traditional classrooms...

-- "Truth For Youth": Our resident camp columnist, Dr. Christopher Thurber, highlights the important role camps play in providing moral guidance for kids — www.prbplus.com/truth-for-yo...

What If Something Happens? Operating a camp means creating memorable, often life-shaping experiences for kids. Underlying these opportunities for fun, adventure, and education, however, is a serious responsibility to protect fa...

-- "What If Something Happens?": This is a deep dive into the aspects of camp insurance that many program directors overlook — www.prbplus.com/what-if-some...

But we still have a couple of September days left. So, ICYMI, here are a few stories from the current issue that deserve your attention:

October is set to be a big month at PRB+ — our first-ever ParkFest kicks off on the 28th, our newest issue of the magazine debuts Wednesday, and the deadline to submit to the 2025 Project Portfolio is on the 15th!

Tomorrow is #NationalPublicLandsDay! 🌿 Join an event near you and volunteer your time to help care for our public lands. Find an event near you:neefusa.org/npld-event-search @neefusa.bsky.social
#NPLD

PRB+ October loading...

Our annual Stadiums issue hits the web and ships out next week. This photo — of the new Jacksonville State University Loring and Debbie White Football Performance Center — offers a preview of what you can expect. [Photo courtesy of Fischer Studios]