An Introduction to Park Master Planning

Bottom line: A park master plan turns community input, asset condition, recreation trends, funding paths, and staff capacity into a long-range action plan.

• For parks and public works teams: The process should assess existing facilities, gaps, ADA access, maintenance needs, land use, programming, and future capital projects.
• For city leaders: A master plan helps explain why some park investments rise ahead of others and how each phase supports the community.
• What to watch: Public involvement needs more than one meeting; surveys, workshops, and outreach should reach residents who may not attend a council session.
• F&V perspective: Fleis & VandenBrink brings planning, landscape architecture, engineering, and grant support to park master planning and implementation.

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Why You Need a Park Master Plan

Establishes a Long-Range Vision for Your Parks

This is a process that can help you assess your community’s current needs and anticipate those it may have in the future. Parks and recreation master planning helps your department prioritize and allocate resources for the most needed projects. It’s essential for fiscal responsibility and public trust.

Provides a Strategy for Filling Gaps and Addressing Needs

As a publicly accessible service, the need is greater than ever for your parks to be something everyone in your community can use. Developing a master parks plan makes it easier to identify gaps and areas for rehabilitation or remediation—and prioritize addressing them accordingly.

Prioritizes Budgeting and Capital Improvement Plans

As the demographics you serve change and grow, your park system’s budget and capital should reflect that. Developing long-term plans makes it easier to complete projects within budget parameters and more easily acquire the funds your department needs for each one.

Builds Community Support

Having a projected, long-term plan for renovating, updating, or building your parks shows your community that they can trust your expertise. Master plans are essential for transparency—they show residents that their tax dollars are going to projects that will benefit everyone in their community.

Builds Community Support

Collaboration is instrumental in master plan development. By establishing a long-term master plan for your parks, it will be easier to forge partnerships and gain sponsors for anything ranging from planting new trees to installing accessible playground equipment.

Who Is Involved in the Master Plan Process for Parks and Recreation

The master planning process involves multiple parties, no matter how large or small your department or system may be. These groups and individuals may include but are not limited to:

• Officials and staff: Having members of your parks department involved in the process makes this a truly collaborative effort. They also help you reflect the interests and priorities of the project in a way that’s realistic for your department.

• Community planners: The expertise and experience of your community planning team are essential for developing a comprehensive master plan.

• Specialized experts: Engineers, architects, landscape architects, and experienced project managers will help you understand what you need to make your master 

• Stakeholders: Community board members, emergency management departments, local business owners, and other groups directly affected by your future projects should all have opportunities to share their input during the master plan development process.

• Residents: Your community members need to be included early and often so you can learn about their preferences and needs. Involving them helps you prioritize your projects and allows you to serve your community directly. You can make them active participants in the master planning process by offering surveys, public meetings, and open workshops.

Master Plan Development & Execution for Parks in 5 Steps

1. Conduct Internal Assessments

Before you begin putting pen to paper, it’s important to assess your agency’s capacity and needs. This may involve working with your elected officials, members of your community, and other groups to understand their needs, wants, and capabilities.

During this step and throughout the process, you should also work closely with a designated project manager who can help you lay the groundwork for your agency’s mission and vision within the master plan.

2. Get Feedback from the Community

Listening to and collaborating with your community ensures that every part of your master plan is equitable and accessible. Give your community a voice and decision-making parity early in the planning process, especially for underrepresented and underserved groups in your community.

3. Collect Data & Gather Resources

Collecting and analyzing data makes it easier to allocate resources based on the level of need. It involves gathering both qualitative and quantitative data to help you understand where there may be gaps you need to fill.

Staying in constant communication with your project manager, even during the earliest phases of the master plan development process, makes this easier.

4. Implement the Plan

Working with your project manager is essential here, too. They can help you create a realistic timeline and action plan based on the needs and data. Your project manager will also help you identify potential resources and funding gaps, along with plans to close them. This makes it easier to close those gaps and prioritize resources throughout every phase of the master plan.

5. Assess Progress Frequently

Just because you’ve created and published your parks’ master plan doesn’t mean the work is done. You’ll need to check progress on a set schedule so you can ensure your project meets its goals when intended. Staying in communication with your project manager and other stakeholders after rollout makes it easier to track progress and take a proactive approach to potential obstacles.

How F&V Can Help with Your Parks Master Plan

The project managers and master plan experts at Fleis & VandenBrink have years of experience developing and implementing master plans. We’ll work with you through every step of the process from initial development to data collection and implementation so you can stay on track at every phase.

Connect with Us About Developing Your Master Park Plan

F&V’s staff of engineers, project managers, and planning experts are here to support you, no matter the size of your project. Connect with us today to start developing your next master plan.