As the city of Chicago grew in the 1800s, so did various park districts in Chicago. The first large park in the city was Lincoln Park, created in 1943. There were over 40 park districts in the city before the Great Depression hit. However, after the Great Depression in the early 1930s, the park districts suffered greatly. Through the New Deal by Franklin D. Roosevelt, voters agreed with the consolidation of the park districts into the creation of the Chicago Park District in 1934. The current park district today consists of over 570 parks, 31 beaches, and 2 conservatories in the city, in addition to 50 nature areas. The Chicago Park District lists many values for their communities, emphasizing bringing families together and creating safe places for children to play and enjoy the outdoors. The Chicago Park District is also the oldest park district in America, currently under the rule of CEO Michael P. Kelly. In 2014, the park district was awarded the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management, by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and the National Recreation and Park Association. The city of Chicago, additionally, is often labeled as being a city in a garden, given the immense amount of parks and the large park district.