Just learning about endangered Mount Prospect Park?
Here’s some background!
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has not abandoned the Adams Administration’s plan to build a regional-scale concrete skateboard facility that takes over the central lawn of Brooklyn’s historic Mount Prospect Park. Thousands of park-lovers, Brooklyn Community Board 9, and a growing number of environmental health and historical and climate-conscious skateboarder groups seek to protect the beloved parkland and its towering shade trees. All urge officials to follow sound on-the-books urban planning law and policies, public health, and science, and to shift any construction to nearby already-paved space. Brooklyn has the worst tree canopy coverage of any borough in NYC and the least green space per person, according to the Wilderness Society.
Paving green space worsens urban “heat islands,” while green park spaces are free public “cooling islands.” Concrete construction would endanger shade trees growing since mid-century – even ones that aren’t cut down. Extreme heat kills 580 New Yorkers each year, and sickens thousands of us — because we lack consistent access to cooling spaces, like Mount Prospect Park’s free green parkland. Since the project was announced, New York City has suffered record-breaking heat, tree-killing drought, and City parks have actually caught fire. Click for a timeline of some key events.
The project is inequitable for skateboard recreation, too. Brooklyn already has more than 40% of NYC’s skate facilities. Most of them are already clustered around Mount Prospect Park, many are neglected, and a vast swath of Brooklyn has no skate facilities at all.
Serious safety questions drawn from expert skateboard materials have remained unaddressed since 2024.
The Mount Prospect Park construction would cost taxpayers more than $11M.
Our goal is the sound urban planning solution: Protect the historic green park, and shift any skateboard investment to already-paved space, as urged by
thousands of park-lovers petitioning officials to keep the park green (welcoming additional signatures),
Brooklyn Community Board 9, which has passed resolutions (1) opposing concrete construction on Mount Prospect Park as "bad public policy" and welcoming skateboard facility construction "with open arms" on already-paved space, and (2)calling on the Mamdani Administration to halt planning and construction pending investigation for legal and policy violations, and
a raft of climate justice, skateboard, neighborhood and historic organizations (welcoming additional organizations to join).
Here are reels showing community members caring for and celebrating the park, and enjoying the central lawn on on a sunny day. The project would commandeer the free flexible lawn — putting it behind barriers, for people who buy and use specialized equipment. Here’s a "virtual visit" showing some of the many ways people enjoy Mount Prospect Park, in the hope that people who have never seen the park may be moved to understand the importance of saving it.
We are happy to address questions and provide more information! Email FriendsofMountProspectPark@gmail.com
