New York Restoration Project
A New York City nonprofit that restores parks, community gardens, trees, and other neglected open spaces, especially in neighborhoods with limited access to municipal green infrastructure.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
New York Restoration Project (NYRP) is a nonprofit environmental and urban-restoration organization focused on improving publicly accessible green space across New York City's five boroughs. Founded by entertainer and New York resident Bette Midler on July 7, 1995, the organization was created to address neglected neighborhood parks and open spaces, particularly in economically disadvantaged communities where public resources for maintenance and improvement were limited. NYRP operates as a citywide conservancy that combines private philanthropy, nonprofit management, civic partnerships, and community participation. Its work has included planting and caring for trees, renovating gardens, restoring parks, improving waterfront and other open spaces, and supporting the long-term stewardship of land used by local residents. Rather than concentrating only on prominent destinations, the organization has emphasized areas that historically received less municipal investment and that often serve densely populated neighborhoods with comparatively limited access to nature. One of NYRP's early institutional relationships was with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. In 1995, the department partnered with the organization to help clean and maintain Fort Tryon Park. NYRP subsequently became involved in restoration and improvement work in several upper-Manhattan and Bronx locations, including Sherman Creek Park, Highbridge Park, Fort Washington Park, Fort Tryon Park, Roberto Clemente State Park, and Bridge Park. These projects established the organization's model of bringing private resources and nonprofit capacity to public spaces. A major turning point came in 1999, when New York City planned to auction 114 community gardens for possible commercial development. Midler and NYRP founding president Joseph Pupello joined other greening organizations in an effort to preserve the gardens. NYRP ultimately worked with the City of New York to take ownership of 52 of the most under-resourced gardens in economically challenged communities. This expanded the organization from a park-restoration initiative into a significant steward of community-managed garden properties. In 2007, NYRP became the private partner for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's MillionTreesNYC campaign, a citywide effort to plant one million additional trees by 2015. The partnership connected NYRP's neighborhood-based restoration work with a broader municipal environmental and infrastructure objective. Tree planting and maintenance became part of a larger agenda involving shade, air quality, stormwater management, habitat, public health, and climate resilience. NYRP's public identity is closely associated with environmental equity: the organization presents restoration not simply as beautification, but as a way to strengthen aging urban infrastructure and improve daily life for communities in the city's least green neighborhoods. Its activities encompass physical restoration, horticultural care, tree stewardship, community-space preservation, and collaboration with city agencies and local stakeholders. The organization remains active as a New York City-focused nonprofit, while specific programs, properties, and partnerships may evolve over time. In 2013, Midler received the Jane Jacobs Medal for her work through NYRP, recognizing the organization's contribution to a more equitable urban environment.
History
New York Restoration Project was founded on July 7, 1995, by Bette Midler as a nonprofit response to the deteriorating condition of neighborhood parks and open spaces in New York City. Its initial purpose was to direct attention and private resources toward parks in economically disadvantaged communities, where public maintenance and capital investment were often insufficient. The organization developed a model based on cooperation with municipal agencies rather than replacing the public park system. In its first year, NYRP formed a partnership with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to assist with cleaning and maintaining Fort Tryon Park. The relationship demonstrated how a nonprofit conservancy could contribute money, organizational capacity, volunteers, and advocacy to public land. NYRP then extended its restoration work to several sites in upper Manhattan and the Bronx, including Sherman Creek Park, Highbridge Park, Fort Washington Park, Fort Tryon Park, Roberto Clemente State Park, and Bridge Park. The organization's role broadened significantly in 1999. New York City planned to auction 114 community gardens for potential commercial development. Midler and NYRP founding president Joseph Pupello joined a coalition of greening organizations seeking to protect the gardens. Through negotiations and cooperation with the City of New York, NYRP took ownership of 52 gardens described as among the most under-resourced in the city's economically challenged communities. This outcome gave the organization a long-term stewardship role and made community gardens a central part of its environmental-equity work. NYRP later connected its neighborhood restoration activity to a large-scale municipal tree initiative. In 2007, it became the private partner of MillionTreesNYC, a campaign associated with Mayor Michael Bloomberg that sought to plant one million trees in New York City by 2015. The partnership placed NYRP within a citywide effort addressing urban canopy, shade, air quality, stormwater, habitat, and the broader resilience of the built environment. It also reinforced the organization's emphasis on distributing environmental benefits beyond the city's most established parks and wealthier neighborhoods. The organization has described its work as an effort to strengthen aging urban infrastructure while creating healthier environments for residents of densely populated and comparatively under-green communities. Its portfolio has included park renovation, community-garden stewardship, tree planting, open-space transformation, and collaboration with public agencies and neighborhood groups. The work is both physical and civic: restoring landscapes, maintaining them over time, and preserving places where residents can gather, grow plants, and access nature. NYRP's history is closely linked to Midler's public advocacy for urban green space. In 2013, she received the Jane Jacobs Medal from the Rockefeller Foundation for work conducted through NYRP. The recognition cited the organization's role in bringing verdant recreational space to communities across New York City and framed the effort as part of building a more equitable city. NYRP continues to operate as a New York City-focused nonprofit and citywide conservancy. Publicly available reference material establishes its founding, major partnerships, garden-preservation work, and principal campaigns, but does not provide a complete current roster of executives, a consolidated financial history, or a definitive inventory of all present-day sites and programs.
- 2013
Bette Midler receives the Jane Jacobs Medal
[1]The Rockefeller Foundation recognized Midler's work through NYRP for helping create a more equitable urban environment.
- 2007
NYRP joins MillionTreesNYC
[1]NYRP became the private partner for the city's campaign to plant one million trees by 2015.
- 1999
Community-garden preservation expands NYRP's stewardship role
[1]After a city plan to auction 114 community gardens, NYRP helped preserve garden sites and took ownership of 52 under-resourced gardens.
- 1995
New York Restoration Project is founded
[1]Bette Midler founded NYRP to revitalize neglected neighborhood parks and open spaces in economically disadvantaged areas of New York City.
- 1995
Partnership with New York City Parks begins
[1]NYRP partnered with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to help clean and maintain Fort Tryon Park.
Products and positioning
Nonprofit urban environmental organization and citywide conservancy focused on equitable access to parks, gardens, trees, and healthy public open space.
Community gardens · 1999
Community garden stewardship
NYRP preserves, owns, and stewards community garden properties, with particular emphasis on gardens in neighborhoods that have historically received limited public investment. These spaces provide local residents with places for cultivation, gathering, recreation, and contact with nature. The organization's garden work grew substantially after its 1999 role in protecting 52 gardens from potential commercial development.
Park restoration · 1995
Neighborhood park restoration
NYRP restores and supports public parks and open spaces across New York City's five boroughs. Its early and documented work included sites such as Sherman Creek Park, Highbridge Park, Fort Washington Park, Fort Tryon Park, Roberto Clemente State Park, and Bridge Park. Activities have included cleanup, maintenance assistance, landscape improvement, and the transformation of neglected spaces into more usable community assets.
Urban forestry · 2007
Urban tree planting and care
Through its own environmental work and its role as private partner in MillionTreesNYC, NYRP supports the expansion and care of New York City's urban tree canopy. Tree planting contributes to shade, neighborhood livability, habitat, stormwater management, and the resilience of the city's aging infrastructure. The initiative also reflects NYRP's focus on distributing environmental benefits to less-green communities.
Marketing campaigns
- 2007MillionTreesNYC
New York City
NYRP served as the private partner for a citywide campaign associated with Mayor Michael Bloomberg to plant one million trees by 2015.
- 1999Community Garden Preservation
New York City
NYRP joined a coalition opposing the planned auction of 114 community gardens for commercial development and worked with New York City to secure long-term protection for under-resourced gardens.
Outcome. NYRP took ownership of 52 community gardens in economically challenged communities.
Brand decisions
2007
Become the private partner for MillionTreesNYCStrategyBackground
New York City launched a large-scale objective to expand its urban tree canopy and plant one million trees by 2015.
Action taken
NYRP joined the initiative as its private partner, linking neighborhood-based nonprofit restoration with a citywide tree-planting campaign.
Aftermath
The partnership broadened NYRP's visibility and connected its environmental-equity work with urban forestry, public health, and infrastructure resilience goals.
1999
Assume ownership of 52 community gardensStrategyBackground
The city planned to auction 114 community gardens for potential commercial development, prompting a coalition of greening organizations to seek their preservation.
Action taken
NYRP worked with New York City and took ownership of 52 of the most under-resourced gardens in economically challenged communities.
Aftermath
Community gardens became a central component of NYRP's long-term land stewardship and environmental-equity work.
1995
Adopt a nonprofit-conservancy model for neglected public spacesStrategyBackground
NYRP was established to address neglected parks and open spaces in disadvantaged New York City neighborhoods while working alongside public agencies.
Action taken
The organization directed private resources and nonprofit capacity toward park cleanup, maintenance, restoration, and community-oriented environmental projects.
Aftermath
The model led to a formal relationship with the city Parks Department and expanded NYRP's work across multiple boroughs.
Recent events
- 2013
Bette Midler receives the Jane Jacobs Medal[1]
Other
The Rockefeller Foundation awarded Midler the Jane Jacobs Medal for her work through NYRP and its contribution to more equitable urban green space.
- 2007
NYRP becomes private partner in MillionTreesNYC[1]
Campaign
NYRP became the private partner for New York City's MillionTreesNYC campaign, which sought to plant one million trees by 2015.
- 1999
NYRP helps preserve 52 community gardens[1]
Other
Following a city plan to auction community gardens, NYRP and allied greening organizations worked with New York City to preserve gardens and assume ownership of 52 under-resourced sites.
- 1995
New York Restoration Project is founded[1]
Other
Bette Midler established NYRP to revitalize neglected parks and open spaces in economically disadvantaged New York City neighborhoods.
- 1995
NYRP begins partnership with New York City Parks[1]
Other
The organization partnered with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to help clean and maintain Fort Tryon Park.
Sources2 sources
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