Jeff Bezos commits $100 million to transform vacant urban sites into parks across eight U.S. cities

The Bezos Earth Fund’s Greening America’s Cities programme unveiled a $100 million grant package for eight U.S. municipalities, focusing on underused urban land. In Cleveland, the plan will convert 600 publicly owned parcels into a network of naturalized spaces and small parks for roughly 17,000 residents. Indianapolis will receive support for a 25-acre riverfront park featuring wetlands, trails, sports fields and a community farm.

Salt Lake City will add shade-providing trees and water-wise landscaping along a heavily used trail and at a downtown brownfield site. Los Angeles will expand green space around the Watts Towers Arts Center ahead of the 2028 Olympics, while Little Rock will transform a former highway ramp into a new park linking existing riverfront amenities. Smaller projects in Allentown, Atlanta and Sioux Falls will create neighborhood parks with playgrounds, gardens and water access. City leaders emphasize that the new green infrastructure will improve health, provide recreation and help mitigate rising summer temperatures.