Hart Island in New York City's Bronx borough, home to the largest public cemetery in the US, became part of the city Parks and Recreation Department on Wednesday after being run by the Department of Correction. Families "can now tell others their children and family members are buried in a beautiful park, not in the direction of the penal system," said Elaine Joseph, whose daughter is buried on Hart Island.

Tacoma, Wash., is building 22 small structures designed to house 35 homeless people as part of a plan to relocate people camping in parks. The village will open Dec. 19 and will be run by the Low Income Housing Institute.

Denver will keep culling Canada geese in city parks after taking other control measures, officials said Tuesday. Roughly 5,000 geese live in Denver, and over 1,600 were killed during the summer, said Scott Gilmore of Denver Parks and Recreation.

A $14 million, 17,000-square-foot recreation center will open Friday in Palm Beach, Fla. The center is a replacement and includes a bigger playground, a revamped multipurpose field and a fitness center.

The magazine Storm Water Solutions gave its "Top Project" award to the Kitsap County Public Works Stormwater Division in Washington state for a project that converted a trailer park into a public park that uses green infrastructure to filter stormwater. The Whispering Firs Stormwater Park uses a hydraulic system, mature trees, underground cells and native plants to treat stormwater.

The government of Albuquerque, N.M., is using data and analytics to further equity among residents. Multiple city departments have turned to data mapping to ensure that resources are reaching the communities that need them the most.

The El Paso County, Texas, Parks and Recreation Division is building all-inclusive playgrounds for children with varying abilities at three parks. The group Moms on Board is helping with the projects.

Chuck Mraz, the new chairman of the joint parks and recreation board for Morehead and Rowan County, Ky., says he wants community parks to have more space for dogs as well as people. The board has also created a fund that people can contribute to.

A bill to ban smoking and vaping in Las Vegas parks was pulled by its sponsor, Ward 1 Councilman Brian Knudsen, who said it likely didn't have enough support. Knudsen said he and local health officials will work together to raise awareness of the dangers of vaping and secondhand smoke.

Managers can tame workplace frustrations around hygiene or whose turn it is to make coffee by setting clear policies around how to respond to violations, writes Jaimy Ford. "People are not to approach each other in anger or use sarcasm or condescension when a co-worker's lack of courtesy affects them," she writes.

NRPA, with funding from the Target Corporation, recently produced a series of animated videos that aim to help agencies and their staff successfully implement park improvement projects. This video series outlines the best practices to follow to ensure the long-term success of these projects, and provide helpful hints to create successful plans, develop partnerships, ensure funding, engage the community and share meaningful stories about your project. Watch the videos.