Yahara River in Winter Courtesy of Scott B. Thornton

MNA provides support for plantings, maintenance and volunteers of landscaped areas and pocket parks within the neighborhood. This activity promotes and enhances the beauty and livability of the neighborhood. They are enjoyed by all residents and visitors. All spaces are public. The areas include the Willy Street Park, Blair Street Gardens and Stone Bench Landscaped areas. The parks are visited frequently by both residents and non-residents as all are along a major bike transportation corridor.

The association awards neighborhood enhancement grants to individuals and non-profit organizations that provide activities that benefit the neighborhood. We also support place making banners along our central business district which celebrate the culture, diversity and uniqueness of our neighborhood.

Yahara River Parkway and Environs Master Plan
From the the Master Plan:

"The Yahara River Parkway is a mile-long, community-wide resource situated on the easterly end of the isthmus that connects Lake Mendota to Lake Monona. This is the only segment of the Yahara River to traverse an urban setting in Madison. Few precious recreational resources provide so many unique opportunities for stewardship and transformation that are so close to so many people. The Parkway was created in the early 1900s under the sponsorship of the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association, with hopes to create open space with paths and carriage trails to enjoy views and vistas of the river and the lush plantings along its banks. The ideals of health, beauty and democracy of the 19th-century park movement were embodied in the goals of the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association. The Association's legacy is still shaping our ideas of the park though they have been translated into our 20th-century vocabulary. The Yahara River corridor will be planned with that legacy and spirit in mind."