Frequently Asked Questions

Greater & Greener 2026 will be held in Austin, TX, June 13-16, 2026. The conference venue is the Austin Marriott Downtown, located at 304 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin, TX 78701; (512) 457-1111

Greater & Greener attendees receive a discounted room rate of $279/night based on double occupancy, excluding taxes and fees. Parking is available at the hotel. Visit our Travel & Hotel page for more information.

Getting There

The closest airport is Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). Transportation to the Marriott is available through taxi, rideshares, and shuttles. Additional information can be found on the Travel & Hotel page.

Greater & Greener is the only event dedicated to exploring the full potential of parks as city-building tools. Join over 1,000 practitioners and decision-makers from across the global urban parks community in learning about cutting-edge projects and new ways parks are meeting the needs of cities.

With an exciting blend of indoor sessions and outdoor hands-on experiences, Greater & Greener turns the host city into a learning lab. The highly curated programming moves beyond theory to real solutions with peer-to-peer learning from practitioners who've done the work. The conference is designed to facilitate an honest dialogue around solutions to real-life problems facing cities.

Visit the Why Attend page for more great reasons to attend Greater & Greener.

Greater & Greener 2026 blends classroom and experiential learning, starting with more than a dozen guided weekend tours highlighting Austin’s vast outdoor resources and landmarks – including the Lady Bird Lake, Barton Springs, Zilker Park, East Austin, Travis County, and more.

This year’s conference is organized into four themes:

Parks as Resilient Infrastructure
Sustaining Park Funding in Turbulent Times
Parks & Equitable Community Development
Parks’ Roles in Healthy & Inclusive Communities

A variety of session formats offer different ways to engage in the subject matter, from moderated panel discussions to peer conversations to hands-on outdoor workshops.

The Full Conference Package includes:

Educational Content:

Full access to all educational sessions, with keynote and plenary sessions including the Mayors Forum, indoor breakout sessions, and peer conversations.

Mobile Workshops led by experts and leaders in their fields (no additional fees, space permitting)

Option to participate in Weekend Tours, fun explorations of Austin’s parks and greenspaces led by community members and local experts (additional fees apply, space permitting)

Exhibition Hall

Networking & Meals:

Opening and Closing Receptions, each include food (passed hors d’oeuvres and stations) and beverages. Some attendees may desire a light meal afterward.

Exhibitor Happy Hour with light hors d’oeuvres

Ice Cream Social (Monday)

Breakfast is offered on Monday and Tuesday mornings

Lunch is “on your own” on Monday and Tuesday, offering an opportunity to experience local Austin cuisine.

Full-conference registrants have access to all the programming above. Day passes are also available. Visit our Pricing Page for rates and additional information.

The full conference schedule will be posted in early 2026 when conference registration opens. Additionally, a conference app will be available to conference attendees, making it easy to navigate the conference agenda.

The Greater & Greener 2026 conference is organized into four themes:

Parks as Resilient Infrastructure
Sustaining Park Funding in Turbulent Times
Parks & Equitable Community Development
Parks’ Roles in Healthy & Inclusive Communities

A variety of session formats offer different ways to engage in the subject matter, from moderated panel discussions to peer conversations to outdoor workshops.

The dress code for Greater & Greener is casual. You are encouraged to dress appropriately for any outdoor activity you are participating in, particularly Weekend Tours and Mobile Workshops.

It is important to bring appropriate clothing for the weather. Austin can be hot or temperate in June. We suggest you also pack an umbrella or rain poncho.

Greater & Greener 2026 offers breakfast on both Monday and Tuesday mornings of the conference. Lunch is “on your own” both days, and there are many great food options in and around the conference hotel. Light snacks will be offered during some of the networking breaks.

Food and beverages are also served at the Opening Reception (Sunday, June 14, 2026), the Exhibition Hall Happy Hour (Monday, June 15, 2026), and the Closing Reception (Tuesday, June 25, 2026). Please note that these are receptions and, for some, the passed hors d'oeuvres and stations are sufficient, while others may desire a light meal afterward.

For those attending Weekend Tours, you are advised to eat a meal before participation unless otherwise noted in the description.

Learn more about pricing details on our Greater & Greener Pricing page.

To save on conference registration fees, become a member of City Parks Alliance and register as early as possible. The best value is to register early to receive Early Bird pricing. Day rates are available if you can’t attend the full conference.

We anticipate that the conference will sell out again, so register as soon as possible.

The full conference base registration fee includes all indoor educational programming (panels, peer conversations, general sessions (keynotes, plenary sessions, and the Mayors Forum)), the Opening and Closing receptions, the Exhibition Hall Happy Hour, and snacks during some networking breaks. There are additional fees for Weekend Tours, Mobile Workshops, and some Sunday workshops. Breakfast on Monday and Tuesday is also included, but note that lunch on both days is “on your own.”

Day rates only include educational offerings on the day selected. Mobile Workshops are an additional fee. The Opening and Closing receptions are not included in the day rate but may be added to your registration for an additional fee.

Find full details on the Greater & Greener Pricing webpage.

More than 60% of the conference costs are subsidized by our sponsors. City Parks Alliance seeks to offer the highest quality conference at the lowest possible rate. 

To save on registration fees, take advantage of early bird registration and membership discounts. Speakers also receive a significantly reduced rate, but speakers have been chosen for the conference.

While we are able to provide some scholarship support for attendees, we primarily work with community funders to administer scholarship programs for their local park practitioners and advocates. We rarely have discretionary scholarships available.

We encourage you to reach out to your local supporters for assistance, including your local community foundation. Visit Funding Your Way to Greater & Greener to learn more and to find resources to help make the case to your local funders or organizational leadership. 

We anticipate that the conference will sell out. We strongly recommend that you pre-register to take advantage of early registration discounts and to ensure a spot at the conference. 

Greater & Greener staff will accommodate walk-in registrants to the best of their ability, but cannot guarantee space will be available. Additionally, many activities fill up, and late registration will limit your participation in desired sessions and activities. 

Yes. You may transfer your registration before the conference. Please email registration@greatergreener.org for assistance.

If you are unable to find a substitute, your registration is subject to our cancellation policy.

No, conference ID badge sharing is not permitted. Badges will be used to confirm identity as well as admission to sessions. Day rates are available if you are unable to sign up for the entire conference.

Yes! Greater & Greener encourages you to bring a spouse, partner, or family to Austin. Guests may be added to an attendee’s registration when signing up for the Full Conference package. 

Guests will have access to weekend tours (at the additional published fees) and the opening and closing receptions. Guests are not permitted to attend breakout sessions, mobile workshops, keynote, and plenary sessions, the Mayors Forum, or the Exhibitor Happy Hour, nor are they permitted to attend breakfast. Some weekend tour activities have ability-oriented or age prerequisites. Keep these restrictions in mind when registering guests.

Please note: Other members from your organization who wish to fully participate in Greater & Greener are not considered guests. These individuals must register separately for the conference.

City Parks Alliance recently updated its policy on payments, cancellations, and onsite changes. Visit the Cancellation, Refunds, and Change Fees page in the About section of our website. Review of these policies is required to complete conference registration.

If you registered for Greater & Greener and can no longer attend, you have two options:

TRANSFER YOUR REGISTRATION: You can arrange to transfer your registration to another person within your organization at no charge. In taking your place, the individual will follow your schedule, including Mobile Workshops and Weekend Tours. If they change your Workshop and Tour options, change fees apply. Please contact the Registration Coordinator at registration@greatergreener.org.

CANCEL YOUR REGISTRATION: If you are unable to find a replacement, visit our updated Cancellations, Refund, and Change Fees page.

Registration questions may be submitted by email to registration@greatergreener.org. You may also call conference staff at (914) 294-5039, Monday through Friday, 11 am to 5 pm CT, with messages returned as promptly as possible. 

If you are a scholarship recipient, please contact Theresa Gang at tgang@cityparksalliance.org.

If you are a conference speaker, please contact Camly Tram at ctram@cityparksalliance.org.

If you are a conference sponsor, please contact Hilary Dick at dickhilary@cityparksalliance.org.

If you are a conference exhibitor, please contact Colleen Walsh at exhibitors@greatergreener.org