Parks Planning

BERK’s Services

• Parks system and Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) plans

• White papers and case studies on park classifications, user fees, or other specific issues

• Financial analysis

• Capital project prioritization and alignment with financial resources

• Operations and maintenance planning and strategy

• Engagement planning and facilitation and online tools such as surveys and Story Maps

Key Considerations

Parks are key community infrastructure for health, resilience, and economic development. BERK understands that parks planning needs to address gaps, serve the populations with the greatest need, and respond to community feedback, while also balancing limited financial and staffing resources.

• Analyzing demands and needs through multiple lenses. Distance to parks is only part of the story. We consider the role of different park classifications, health and social factors, environmental conditions, current and future land use, and growth to determine gaps.

• Balancing maintenance resources with new park facilities. Many communities get funding for capital improvements without the maintenance resources to match. We use staff interviews, peer comparisons, and capital replacement best practices to understand gaps and clarify maintenance needs for new facilities.

• Responding to growth when land availability is limited. The acres per 1,000 level of service metric is outdated for communities where new parkland is hard to find. We bring a level of service approach that considers how updates to existing parks, partnerships, and improved user experience can serve a growing community.

• Building on past engagement efforts, bringing forward unheard voices, and creating easy ways to participate. We start by reviewing the input you already have from other recent efforts. Then, we focus on hearing from audiences that didn't participate. Our team also produces outreach materials for the general public in a range of formats from bite-sized to deep dive.

• Bridging high-level policy and implementation. Our parks planners are also land use planners. We ensure that your existing long-range plans inform parks planning for clear direction and smooth implementation.

• Prioritizing projects in the context of finite resources. We help local governments define  parks priorities and create project lists that reflect them. We make it clear how projects were chosen and help set local expectations of what can be funded and when.

• Summarizing analysis at the neighborhood or council district level. Different neighborhoods have different needs, and readers often want to see tailored information. Our community profiles provide decision makers and residents with easy to follow summaries.