Jason Kronsberg
Jason F. Kronsberg is the Director of Parks for the City of Charleston. The Parks Department is comprised of three specialized divisions; Capital Projects, Facilities Maintenance, and Grounds Maintenance. The portfolio of coverage managed by the Parks Department spreads from the Cainhoy Peninsula, through the Peninsula of Charleston, across West Ashley, and through James and Johns Island. With over 125 Parks, 4.4 million square feet of buildings, and a 5-year capital plan that revolves annually, his staff is comprised of Professional Project Managers, Skilled Tradesman, Arborists, Horticulturalists, Landscape Architects, and Grounds Maintenance staff that cover the entire city limits on a daily basis. Jason is Chair of the Design Review Committee that is charged with the review of design detailing of every City project ranging from new facility construction, historic park and building renovations in addition to any proposed modification to City Rights of Way. The DRC is charged with making sure that projects are designed and detailed to respect their context and are comprised of authentic materials such that they seamlessly integrate within the rich public realm that makes Charleston what it is.
Jason has lived in Charleston, SC since he can remember. He grew up in downtown Charleston and the surrounding rural areas of the Lowcountry. His psyche was groomed growing up in the garden of Charleston, spending the summers with his family on Sullivan’s Island and weekend father-son trips to what is now named the ACE Basin. From the gardens and parks of downtown to the saltwater of the beach and the black waters of the ACE Basin, his Lowcountry childhood all came together leading him on a path towards his study and practice of landscape architecture. A 1995 graduate of Colorado State University, Jason earned his Bachelors of Science in Landscape Architecture and refined his outdoor skills in the Rocky Mountains he then came home to Charleston where he spent 13 years in private practice landscape architecture and planning, designing landscapes across the eastern & northern United States. Jason is a licensed Landscape Architect, he has participated in projects ranging from resort & neighborhood master planning, commercial site design, golf course development, and park and residential landscape design. In 2010 he joined the team at the City of Charleston as a project manager in the Capital Projects division of the Parks Department where he managed projects for 2 years. In 2012, he was promoted to Deputy Director of Park Operations where he oversaw the Design and Maintenance of the City of Charleston’s Park and Open Space system. In 2016 he was appointed by Mayor John Tecklenburg to fill the open Director’s position for the City of Charleston Parks Department.
Jason continues to utilize the skills and knowledge he developed in the private sector as the Director of Parks; he takes great care in his stewardship of the City’s historic public realm while planning for the future areas of the city as the population continues to grow. Jason’s entire career has been centered around making places better for people to live work and play. He continues to evaluate the management practices of our park system looking for innovative ways to care for each location around the City, always working aside and fostering projects with the City’s non-profit partner the Charleston Parks Conservancy.
As the City continues to grow Jason has most recently spearheaded a new playground improvement initiative and has renovated 12 neighborhood park houses and replaced 8 aging playground structures over the past 24 months. Neighborhood Parks are one of the most important aspects of City Living, they are a civic gathering space that should foster neighborhood engagement and provide reliable and affordable recreation opportunities for everyone. Parks are the common denominator of society; they are owned by everyone.
