News

Pocketparks and Yard team up

Pocketparks partners with YARD to facilitate tactical urbanism. Community engagement inspires beautification of public spaces.

Pocketparks Process

Spectrum News shares an interview with founder and President Samantha Lee Smugala that shines light on the details of the Pocketparks...

About Pocketparks

We invite you to learn more about what Pocketparks is and what we do. The founder and president Samantha Lee Smugala shares her vision...

City Wide Trash Pick Up to Unite Neighborhoods Around a Cleaner St. Louis

15+ Neighborhoods to Host Clean Up on June 18th St. Louis, MO (May 20, 2022) – Aaron Dohogne spends much of his free time volunteering...

Pocketparks’ Sunflowers for Ukraine Campaign Beautifies St. Louis While Helping Ukrainians in Need

Five Parks to Receive Sunflowers in Support of Ukraine St. Louis, MO (April 22, 2022) – In 2021, Pocketparks planted an Urban Sunflower...

Pocketparks Expands Network to Hyde Park,Pop-Up Event Invites Locals to Give Feedback

Public Invited to Enjoy Activities; Help Plan Future Hyde Park Pocketpark on March 5 St. Louis, MO (March 3, 2022) – Four vacant lots are...

Pocketparks Featured on City Corner

Host and producer, Sarah Thompson talks to Samantha Lee Smugala, founder and president of Pocketparks - a nonprofit that reimagines and...

HEC TV Features Pocketparks West End Park

Julie Tristan of HEC Media covers the West End Park coming to life. Pocketparks turns vacancy into vibrancy & creates beautiful spaces on...

St. Louis On The Air

Pocketparks Founder, Samantha Lee Smugala, was recently a guest of St. Louis Public Radio Show "St. Louis on the Air "with Sarah Fenske....

Fox 2 Features Pocketparks West End Park

Hear about the West End Park on Fox 2's Live Coverage! 6 small ‘Pocketparks’ are popping up in the St. Louis area ST. LOUIS – A nonprofit...

Pocketparks receives $10,000 from Downtown St. Louis Community Improvement District

Grant will further the development of the DUC Park St. Louis, MO (October 27, 2021) – Pocketparks receives a $10,000 grant from the...

Imagine a Place Podcast

A Sketch that Changed St. Louis Samantha Lee Smugala is doing important work in St. Louis. She’s the founder of Pocketparks, a non-profit...

West End Round Up

Transforming a Vacant Lot into a Pocket Park By: Robert Strikwerda The vacant lot at the corner of Hamilton and Clemens is fast turning...

STL Made Feature Pocketparks

Small Park, Big Impact. Through Pocketparks, Samantha Lee Smugala is bringing art, activation and opportunity to transform vacant lots...

Girls Inc Public Art Workshop

The Pocketparks team hosted a public art workshop in collaboration with UMSL for Girls Inc. St. Louis. Eighth grade girls from the St....

ReVitalize Changemakers 2021

In July of 2021, the first ever Changemakers Series was released by Jim Shelvy and Larry Cohn of The Jim and Larry Team to benefit...

5 On Your Side | Pocketparks aim to revitalize St. Louis neighborhoods

KSDK St. Louis, 5 On Your Side, Featured Pocketparks West End Pop-Up Activation. ST. LOUIS - A St. Louis organization is turning eyesore...

St. Louis Business Journal Features West End Pocketparks Project

Nathan Rubbelke of the St. Louis Business Journal writes about Pocketparks new project in the West End. Pocketparks, a St. Louis-based...

Pocketparks featured on the Charlie Brennan Show with Amy Marxkors

Featured on News Radio 1120am KMOX, Samantha Lee Smugala, President and Founder Pocketparks talks with Brennan and Marxkors about why she...

Local Organizations Collaborate to Develop Green Space in the West End

For Immediate Release Media Contact: Samantha Lee Smugala, Founder, Pocketparks, 618-334-4772 Local Organizations Collaborate to Develop...

St. Louis Magazine, The Big THINK

Samantha Lee wants to help activate St. Louis, one tiny park at a time This story is an excerpt from the June 16 edition of The Big Think...

Construction Forum Highlights Pocketparks

Nonprofit Startup Aims to Dot St. Louis With ‘Pocket Parks’ From St. Louis Business Journal: While jogging last year in downtown St....

St. Louis Business Journal Features Pocketparks

St. Louis Business Journal's Nathan Rubbelke wrote an article on Pocketparks that was posted the first week of June 2021. Titled " New...

KTRS 550am | Mark Mantovani mentions Pocketparks

Mark Mantovani mentions Pocketparks in his weekly segment KTRS 550am. "A livable environment is a real important park of the community."...

Photo News 247 | Pocketparks Brightens Up St. Louis

Pocketparks was recently featured in a blog by Photo News 247. This fun and captivating video show cases how the block is transformed...

KMOV4 Features Pocketparks

KMOV recently featured Pocketparks as a new push to "clean up St. Louis". Click the link below to read the story, view the video, and see...

Talk of the Town

Pocketparks President and Founder, Samantha Lee Smugala, was recently featured on Hubbard Radio's Talk of the Town. Click the link below...

Pocketparks Pop-Up Event Provides Glimpse At Reimagined Vacant LotPublic Invited to Enjoy Activities

Public Invited to Enjoy Activities; Help Plan Future Downtown Park May 14-16 St. Louis, MO (April 14, 2021) – A vacant lot at 923 Locust...

Woman reimagines empty St. Louis lots as 'pocket parks'

She started sketching out her plan after passing a vacate patch of land on the corner of Locust and 10th in downtown Author: Rene Knott...