EQUITY Consider how restorative practices allow employees to build fellowship with colleagues outside of standard workplace procedures. Using Restorative Practices To Create Restorative Park Systems D By Iyana Titus uring the upheavals that rocked our country in 2020, I found myself struggling. As the leading diversity and equity profes-sional at New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks), I was charged with sitting in conflict — having it together when others didn’t. My role was both strategic planner and cheer-leader, but I often wondered who was cheering for me. I wasn’t the only one. Too often, we bring only our partial selves to work, leaving behind the parts of ourselves that carry emotional bur-dens. Though the goal is usually to create a more efficient, profes-sional workplace, the outcome is frequently the opposite: our isola-tion holds us back from effectively collaborating with our coworkers. That is where restorative prac-tices come in — and the potential they provide for our workplaces and parks is only more relevant today. Although organizations have pol-icies and procedures aimed at ad-dressing conflict and other issues, this does not necessarily equate to feeling heard. Restorative practices provide space for employees to air their concerns and frustrations in a way that most organizations’ pro-cedures do not allow. This, in turn, builds connection and community, restoring and deepening functions in the workplace. I was exposed to the concept by a colleague, Sethu Nair, from the Center for Creative Conflict Res-olution. A few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, she asked if I would be willing to participate in a circle with her and two of her col-leagues. She gave us a talking order and some prompts, and we simply Restorative Practices You may ask: What are restorative practices? In short, the term re-fers to a field within social scienc-es that focuses on strengthening relationships and building social connections between individuals and within communities, rooted in traditions of many Indigenous peo-ples of North America. My experience has convinced me that restorative practices are crucial for the workplace — and especially our park systems. 24 Parks & Recreation | APRIL 2026 | PARKSANDRECREATION.ORG
Parks Recreation Magazine April 2026: Page 24
