Spokane Parks Asks For Community Input On Park Planning Survey

Spokane WA

14 July, 2021

9:17 AM

Description

Press release from the City of Spokane: July 13, 2021 SPOKANE – Spokane Parks & Recreation is creating a roadmap for the next 10 years, and wants to hear from the community through a survey that opened today. The survey will seek to find out what the community wants from their parks and natural lands, where they see gaps, and how their neighborhood parks can be improved. The Survey The survey is open to the public for one month, Tuesday, July 13 – Monday, August 9 at www.SpokaneParksMasterPlan.org. The planning process seeks to be inclusive and engage the entire community, providing a variety of opportunities for people to share their desires and ideas. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Marshallese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, and Russian. The survey is open online for all, and available via mail to about 4,000 randomly-selected residents as part of a separate, statistically valid survey. Parks & Recreation has several volunteer ambassadors who will help with community outreach, hosting booths at community events over the next month where people can take the survey. A few workshops will also be held, starting this fall. "Looking back, we invested in our aquatic centers in 2008, then Riverfront Park over the past few years; this master plan will tell us where to focus our energy and investment over the next 10 years," said Garrett Jones, director of Parks & Recreation at the City of Spokane. "This gives us an opportunity to hear from our community what they want next. How can your neighborhood park be improved, what are the gaps, what do you want to see more of? We want the public to drive this plan, and we'd love to hear from everyone." The Park & Natural Lands Master Plan Survey feedback will shape Parks & Recreation's Master Plan. The plan will identify and address gaps in our park system, and guide development of park programming to enhance recreational offerings. The final plan document will guide the Parks & Recreation Division's focus, direction, and spending over the next ten years. It builds on the incredible foundation laid by the Olmstead Brothers and founding members of the Park Board, and the work done over the many years since. The plan takes a fresh look at our parks and natural lands, to ensure our urban playgrounds are suited to meet current and future needs of our community. The plan is also key to qualifying for many grants. Though a Request for Proposals, Spokane Parks & Recreation hired Design Workshop to facilitate the master planning process and survey. Design Workshop is a design studio integrating landscape architecture, urban design, economics and engagement. To take the survey and learn more, visit www.SpokaneParksMasterPlan.org. Parks & Recreation Month in Spokane At last night's City Council meeting, Mayor Nadine Woodward proclaimed July Parks & Recreation Month for the City of Spokane. The month is nationally recognized to honor the important role parks and recreation programs play in the lives of all community members. This press release was produced by the City of Spokane. The views expressed here are the author's own.