Atlanta’s west side celebrates the opening of a brand-new park—Cook Park with a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 7. according to a press release.

The 16-acre park is a gleaming expanse in Vine City where community members can play, exercise, and experience nature: Walking paths wind past new playground and exercise equipment, all centering on a two-acre pond.

The pond isn’t just a beautiful spot. It’s part of an engineered system that can store up to nine million gallons of stormwater from 160 surrounding acres. We helped create a park that addresses years of disastrous flooding that devastated the surrounding neighborhoods.

Working alongside the City of Atlanta, The Trust for Public Land led fundraising, community design, and managed construction to bring this new water-smart park to life.

More parks, for more people, in more places in the mission of The Trust for Public Land. There are 100 million people—including 28 million kids—in America who don’t have a park close to home.

Cook Park is just one part of The Trust for Public Lands vision for Atlanta. The organization is committed to:

  • Putting a great park within a 10-minute walk of every resident
  • Building a trail network connecting every neighborhood.
  • Completing a 100-mile greenway along the Chattahoochee River for camping, hiking, and paddling, connecting Atlanta to the Appalachian Trail.
  • Developing climate-smart public schoolyards that double as community parks.

About the Author

Keep Reading

A pedestrian walks by the Mall West End in Atlanta on Wednesday, September 10, 2025. Developers BRP Cos. and the Prusik Group are pursuing permits to begin work on the rundown shopping center, according to state paperwork filed Tuesday. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Featured

Delta employees are under investigation because of content “related to the recent murder of activist Charlie Kirk” that “went well beyond healthy, respectful debate,” CEO Ed Bastian wrote in a companywide memo Friday. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez