New website and blog debut “green grid” logo

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA – The Minneapolis Parks Foundation today released its new website at https://mplsparksfoundation.org, built around its renewed focus on creating the Next Generation of Parks™ and debuting the organization’s new “green grid” logo.

The new identity is a visible step forward for the independent non-profit, which was created to provide private-sector support and advocacy for the century-old award-winning Minneapolis Park System, managed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

The Parks Foundation undertook a new direction in November 2011, when Mary deLaittre – known locally and nationally for her lead role in the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition (MR|DC) – was hired as the organization’s Executive Director. Under deLaittre, the Parks Foundation is beginning to fulfill its potential to shape discussion about the place for “next generation” multifunctional parks in city building – in Minneapolis, and potentially, cities around the world.

“The Minneapolis Parks Foundation is a bridge from the parks visionaries of the past — who gave us a legacy of abundant public and green space, and a civic model to nurture them – to communities of the future, whose uses and needs for these vital spaces will differ from ours today,” says deLaittre. “What remains constant from each generation to the next is that well-designed parks and public space are essential to vibrant, healthy individuals, families and communities.”

The Parks Foundation’s Next Generation of Parks™ vision is at the heart of its mission, through which the organization will focus on three areas of opportunity in parks design:

• Education of the public through the Next Generation of Parks™ Lecture Series and children’s programming;
• Innovation by building on the success of the MR|DC as the organization explores new ways to meet the needs of today’s park visitors and supporters;
• Implementation of inspiring design-based projects, such as the interdisciplinary visioning and feasibility study for the Water Works site on the city’s downtown Central Riverfront.

The Parks Foundation’s new logo is clean and green and overlaid with a simple gray grid. Its design projects the calming feeling associated with nature, while conveying that creating and re-creating public and green space is an integral part of city building.

Pam Miller Design created the Parks Foundation logo and identity system. Bust Out Solutions designed and developed the new website. Tableau Pro PR consulted on branding and positioning for both logo and website and contributes to the website and blog. All three organizations are based in Minneapolis.

Explore the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, its projects, events and partners at https://mplsparksfoundation.org.