Newsletter: Parks & Recreation Master Plans: Start Planning Your Future Today

Creating parks and recreational facilities takes time, public involvement, and money. And it requires a five-year parks and recreation master plan. Timing is critical, and depending on the complexity, a master plan can take up to six months to complete.

Parks are an integral part of a community’s identity as a place to live, work, and play. The City of Royal Oak recently set its sights on creating three beautiful gathering places for their residents and visitors: Centennial Commons, Franklin Park, and Lawson Park.

“The improvements are important to our community. With the increasing trend for outdoor recreation, providing updated infrastructure and diverse amenities throughout our community offers access to everyone,” said John Fedele, superintendent of recreation for the City of Royal Oak.

A good first step toward new recreational developments in Michigan is to adopt a five-year master plan. It is also a prerequisite for many state funding programs.

Engagement is crucial for any park and recreation plan. It can be encouraged through public meetings, online surveys, social media, newspapers, and flyers.

“We like to reach a wide range of demographics, and one of the toughest challenges is finding ways to reach and engage those stakeholders,” Fedele said.

Read the full newsletter.