![]() Equity & Diversity: Denver is home to many diverse neighborhoods that have varying levels of access to parks, trees, and recreation.Parks also face the threat of stormwater and river flooding, so the plan’s recommendations ensure landscapes will be resilient to conditions of both too much and too little water. The plan includes recommendations for expanding drought-tolerant landscapes, naturalizing some areas of parks to reduce irrigation demands, and reducing water use in recreation centers and park operations. Irrigation costs account for 11% of the department’s operating budget, and drought is an increasing risk. Resilience: Located in an arid climate, Denver is looking for ways to be a good steward of natural resources and water.Sasaki developed recommendations to make the city’s network of Mountain Parks more accessible and to grow nature-experiences close to home. Outdoor Recreation: Even though Denver as a city is known for its proximity to the mountains and outdoor lifestyle, many neighborhoods lack easy access nature-experiences and natural resources.Together, these recommendations help support a healthier, equitable, fiscally sustainable, and greener system. The Game Plan provides a roadmap for implementation, including strategies, policy guidance, metrics, and action steps. The two plans include complimentary policies and strategies that together position parks, open spaces, and recreation amenities as “quality of life infrastructure,” central to a complete city in the future. ![]() The Denver Game Plan was developed in coordination with Blueprint Denver, the city’s comprehensive land use plan. In addition the Game Plan reflects additional input from staff and stakeholders, shared through the Healthy City Roundtable, stakeholder meetings, staff focus and working groups, and the Game Plan Task Force. ![]() Nearly 6,000 community members came together to provide input and feedback that shaped the Game Plan through public forums, online surveys, a statistically valid survey, and participating at existing events. The plan views parks as key “infrastructure” for the city-as important to community health, economic development, and city function as road networks, water, and other kinds of urban infrastructure. The vision for the 2019 Game Plan for a Healthy City emphasizes the essential roles that parks and recreation services play in creating equitable, livable cities. RECOMMENDATIONS: TOWARDS A HEALTHY PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM In response, the Game Plan focuses on growing the system, meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse community, and expanding access through improved connections. In addition, many neighborhoods lack access to nature experiences and the outdoor lifestyle Denver is known for. Parks and green space are critical to quality of life, but recent development has outpaced the growth of green space. However, Denver’s parks and recreation system is facing unprecedented challenges environmentally and economically, and it is not fully meeting the needs of all neighborhoods. Beyond the city limits, Denver residents also have access to an extensive system of city-owned mountain parks and conservation areas totaling more than 14,000 acres. Highlights include 150 playgrounds, 28 recreation centers, 24 lakes, 80,000 trees, more than 80 miles of trails, 34 designated parkways, 10 off-leash dog parks, 29 pools, 300 athletic fields, and 8 public golf courses. Within the city limits, the system encompasses over 260 urban parks totaling over 6,000 acres, from urban plazas to natural areas. There is no question that Denverites love their parks and, they have one of the most diverse, expansive, and historic park and recreation systems in the West. In a city as active and diverse as Denver, a great park and recreation system is essential to quality of life. Over the next 20 years this strategic master plan will guide and inform the development of specific park improvement plans, new policies and regulations to protect and expand parks, and annual management actions and capital investments. Built from input from more than 6,000 residents, stakeholders, and staff members, the Game Plan provides a vision and a strategic roadmap for the future of Denver’s diverse parks and open space system. Sasaki worked with Denver Parks and Recreation on this citywide plan for parks, open space, and recreation. Game Plan for a Healthy City is a park and recreation plan for Denver’s urban and mountain park systems that proclaims safe and easy access to parks and open space, a healthy lifestyle, and a healthy environment are basic rights for every resident.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |