Public Spaces: Parks
Public Parks are those open space opportunities for active or passive recreation. Public Parks typically take the form of playgrounds or ballfields in most communities. While these provide needed spaces for children, Public Parks are vital spaces for people of all ages and for a variety of occasions — both passive and active. These spaces can be places for walking, biking, swimming, picnics, public gatherings, public art, public festivals, farmers markets or simple gathering.
Prescriptive steps towards implementation:
- Conduct a Public Park analysis to determine community needs in terms of maintenance of existing parks and the need for new parks
- Determine a funding mechanism for any additional costs associated with the Public Park analysis
- Develop Public Park standards that envision the varying types of Public Parks needed within the community and the associated design standards necessary for each respective type of Public Park facility
- Prioritize the list of projects identified in the Public Park analysis from immediate to long term projects
- Ensure adequate staffing to implement the first round of implementable Public Park projects
- Design and construct the first Public Park project(s) and leverage it as an opportunity to mobilize and engage the community
- Constantly update the Public Park project list to stay up to date with the ever-changing needs of the community
RATIONALE
Every community needs opportunities to recreate and to gather. These spaces should be as diverse as the occasions needed for them. There should be dedicated Public Park spaces for moments and occasions including active recreation, passive recreation and public gathering and celebrating. There should also be a Public Park opportunity for every type of place within a community. Neighborhoods, corridors, main streets, town centers, office districts and campuses should all have Public Parks that enable each of these districts to have its own appropriate public space.
- Greenspace: Public Parks provide the opportunity to preserve the natural landscape and thereby realize the environmental benefits of natural preservation and conservation.
- Diversity of Uses: For any community to be whole and complete, it must contain a full array of necessary uses. Public Parks are vital to providing a full range of uses to a community.
- Healthy Communities: Part of maintaining a healthy community is the opportunity to be physically fit. Great Public Parks ensure that opportunities for fitness and exercise are always in close proximity.
- Spaces for All: Designing Public Parks all ages, all stages of life and all places within the community ensures that these spaces will be actively used. When these spaces are actively used by as many people as possible, they are safer as well as more engaging and vibrant environments for recreation.
EFFORT REQUIRED
Implementation of Public Parks is the responsibility of the local jurisdiction but often Public Parks within a community are provided by several layers of city, county or state government. The maintenance of existing parks requires sustained funding and staffing to ensure that the Public Park spaces are kept clean, safe and usable. New Public Parks often require significant investment of both financing and time.
BENEFIT
- Improved quality of life for the residents of a community
- Opportunities for health and fitness for people of all ages
- Opportunities for the gathering of people of diverse ages, stages of life and incomes
- Tool for environmental conservation and preservation
- Tool for economic development, which can increase property values for adjacent properties
- Tool for improving community aesthetics
RISKS
- If not programmed correctly and actively used, can be unsafe at certain times of day
- Can be eyesores if not maintained
- Can be too big or too small - must be reflective of the size of the community and the true community needs
ACTION AGENTS
- Planning Department
- Economic Development Department
- Parks & Recreation Department
- Mayor and Council/Commission
- Community Organizations
COST
Both the maintenance of existing Public Parks and the construction of new Public Parks vary from project to project.
