For regular readers, this Sustainability issue might look a bit different than what we normally produce. But stick with me for a moment—it all makes sense.
The anchor of this month’s edition is the Project Portfolio, formerly a December feature that now has a new home in February. Why the change? We’re thinking differently about what the portfolio represents for the magazine and for all of you. We want it to be a true representation of all the incredible projects started or completed during the previous year. But when we’ve delivered this feature by year’s end, inevitably, we’ve had to leave some folks out.
This year’s installment gave entrants a longer window to submit, and voters had until January 5 to pick their favorites. By stretching the process throughout all of 2025, we feel the portfolio offers a more robust and representative compilation of the industry’s best work—46 projects across 8 categories, indoors and out, big and small, all impactful.
With the Project Portfolio occupying the bulk of this issue, it’s appropriate to wonder what happens to all the great sustainability content that typically runs. Fear not, there’s still a handful of excellent stories published alongside the portfolio, all of which work together to highlight the connections between conservation and future-minded community-building. Our annual sustainability supplement, which features longform reporting on the topic, will run in October. And, even better, most, if not all, of the projects included in the portfolio feature eco-friendly elements. Sustainability is baked in from the start, which represents a greater shift in parks, rec, and camp. The environment must be at the center of every project, be it a bold new build or a creative reimagining of an existing space.
So, the Project Portfolio and our Sustainability journalism meet in a single issue and combine forces to drive home an important lesson—protecting our planet takes many shapes but is ultimately embedded in everything we do.
It’s my hope that the mix of project showcases and original journalism inspires you to think green in your next big project as well as in your everyday operations. As the portfolio demonstrates, change takes diverse forms—and no matter the scope, it leaves us better off than before.
Jefferey Spivey
Editor