Mamdani’s Proposed Budget Cuts Funding to NYC Parks, Despite Prior Pledges

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s preliminary budget proposal is drawing criticism from parks advocates who say it fails to deliver on campaign promises to increase funding for the city’s green spaces. The proposed budget includes cuts to parks funding, even as the city’s parks face increasing strain and declining rankings.

Broken Promises and Declining Park Conditions

During his campaign, Mamdani pledged to boost funding for parks and libraries. Still, his first major spending plan keeps funding for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation essentially flat, at roughly half the 1% of the total budget he had promised [1]. The proposed budget allocates approximately $654 million to parks, representing around 0.5% of the city’s $127 billion budget [2].

Parks advocates point to deteriorating conditions in parks across the city, including dirty bathrooms, overflowing trash bins, and unmowed lawns [2]. Staffing shortages are exacerbating the problem, with the parks department also responsible for maintaining all of the city’s trees. Following a recent blizzard, over 1,800 complaints were filed with 311 regarding tree damage, but the forestry unit is among those affected by recent staffing cuts [2].

Falling Rankings and Advocacy Efforts

New York City’s parks have fallen in national rankings. The city was once near the top of the Trust for Public Land’s ranking of big U.S. Cities with the best parks, but in 2025, it ranked 13th, trailing Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Boston [2].

New Yorkers for Parks and the Play Fair for Parks Coalition have been actively pushing Mamdani to prioritize parks funding. In December 2025, these groups presented a policy blueprint urging the mayor to commit to the 1% funding benchmark within his first term [3]. A letter co-signed by more than 400 organizations urged greater funding, citing a shortage of 600 positions due to prior budget cuts [2].

City’s Fiscal Challenges and Future Outlook

Mamdani has cited a “generational fiscal crisis” and a $5 billion deficit as justification for the proposed cuts, and has threatened to raise property taxes unless the state agrees to raise income taxes on the wealthy [2]. However, advocates argue that the city can find the necessary funds by restoring positions and allowing parks to fill vacancies [2].

The mayor’s office maintains that Mamdani “remains committed to achieving the 1% for parks pledge by the finish of his mayoralty” [2]. The final spending plan must be approved by the City Council by July 1.

Mayor Mamdani recently appointed Tricia Shimamura as the new NYC Parks Commissioner [4].