Activating National Parks in Cities Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Activating National Parks in Cities Act changes title 54's National Park System purpose language by adding promotion of active use for system units located in urban areas. It defines active use as use that prioritizes current enjoyment by people and improves quality of life, including playgrounds, pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly infrastructure, sports and recreation facilities, community events, programming, and concessions. It defines urban area by reference to the most recent decennial census designation by the Commerce Secretary. The bill shifts urban park management toward recreation, programming, and everyday public use alongside preservation.
Who Benefits and How
Urban residents benefit because nearby National Park System units would be managed with more emphasis on current enjoyment and quality of life. Park visitors benefit from more playgrounds, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, sports facilities, events, and programming. Urban recreation organizations benefit from a stronger statutory basis for active programming in city park units. Concession businesses benefit if urban park units add more visitor-serving concessions.
Who Bears the Burden and How
National Park Service urban park managers must incorporate active-use priorities into planning and operations. Historic preservation advocates may bear tension if recreation facilities or concessions compete with preservation goals. Park maintenance staff must support more intensive visitor use and recreational infrastructure. Urban park planners must apply the census-based urban-area definition when identifying covered units.
Key Provisions
- Amends National Park System purpose language to promote active use in urban units.
- Defines active use to include playgrounds, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, sports facilities, events, programming, and concessions.
- Defines urban area by the most recent decennial census designation.
- Expands urban park management emphasis toward current enjoyment and quality of life.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Amends National Park Service organic law to promote active use of urban National Park System units and defines active use to include playgrounds, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, recreation facilities, events, programming, and concessions.
Key Policy Areas
Public Lands, Urban Parks, Recreation
Primary Purpose
Amends National Park Service organic law to promote active use of urban National Park System units and defines active use to include playgrounds, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, recreation facilities, events, programming, and concessions.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Urban residents
- Park visitors
- Urban recreation organizations
- Concession businesses
Identified Costs
- National Park Service urban managers
- Historic preservation advocates
- Park maintenance staff
- Urban park planners
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMs. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E136-137)
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology