Tennessee’s Welcoming Places Program

Sitting next to a stranger on a park bench, watching your child make a new friend on the playground, or running into your neighbor at the local dog park are collective experiences we all share in public parks and green spaces. These everyday moments are more than just passing interactions. They’re the building blocks of strong communities, woven together to make up the fabric of our society. And what if these small connections were the key to cultivating a community that feels more vibrant, welcoming, and united?

Across the country, Trust for Public Land is dedicated to creating thriving communities by protecting and improving parks, trails, schoolyards, and public land—ensuring these spaces are available and welcoming to everyone, everywhere. But access to these places isn’t always equal. In too many communities, especially low income and communities of color, parks and green spaces are often smaller, lower quality, less well-maintained, and have less programming compared to those in affluent neighborhoods, limiting opportunities for connection, belonging, and well-being.

In Tennessee, this challenge calls for an innovative solution. Through our Welcoming Places program, we’re leading the way to build inclusivity, belonging, and rich local relationships and partnerships through three key areas:

1. Community Engagement: By working closely with local communities, organizations, and leaders, we can understand their needs and how parks can better serve everyone. True community engagement goes past tabling at events or continued education. TPL centers its engagement through surveys, focus groups, and community-driven events—ensuring that every voice is heard, trust is built, and public spaces reflect the people they’re meant to serve.
2. Research and Data Collection: TPL partners with academic institutions, like the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, to study how social interactions in parks impact perceptions of safety, trust, and inclusion. Through workshops and focus groups, we help identify barriers to park access, from feeling unwelcome or concerns about safety, so every green space is a place where neighbors can truly belong.
3. Community-Driven Programs and Events: TPL designs programs and events that invite people to connect with their local parks and each other through initiatives like the Park Listeners Program, which gathers local input on park needs and opportunities or Park Picture Day, a community event that encourages people to explore their green space. Most importantly, these efforts reinforce that every neighborhood should feel a sense of ownership and pride in the parks and public spaces they love most.

Through the Welcoming Places program, we’re developing the blueprint for inclusive public spaces that strength communities. This work is shaping best practices across the country, helping us create parks that truly serve the people who need them most and advancing our mission to connect everyone to the outdoors.

In Tennessee, this effort has led to a powerful idea: when parks are intentionally designed as welcoming, inclusive spaces, they don’t just bring people together—they help strengthen connection. When communities lead their local public space-making, they strengthen relationships within the community, enhance representation of identity and culture, and increase participation in civic engagement and decision-making. In short: connection happens outside. So, the next time you sit next to a stranger on a park bench, take a moment to say hello—you might just be part of something bigger.