SUBJECTS › PARKS AND RECREATION
› Park Planning, Design and Open Space
Updated 12/08
Park Planning, Design, and Open Space
Contents
- About the Comprehensive Plan Park & Recreation Element
- Benefits of Park and Recreation
- Park Design and Standards
- Programs
- Open Space and Comprehensive Park Plans
- Additional Information Resources
- MRSC Related Pages
About the Comprehensive Plan Park & Recreation Element
A mandatory requirement for a park and recreation element was added to the required GMA comprehensive plan elements during the 2002 legislative session. The new element must be consistent with the capital facilities plan element as it relates to park and recreation facilities. The element must include estimates of park and recreation demand for a ten-year period, an evaluation of facilities and service needs, and an evaluation of intergovernmental coordination opportunities to provide regional approaches for meeting park and recreational demand. (RCW 36.70A.070(8)). Although new or amended elements are to be adopted concurrent with the scheduled update provided in RCW 36.70A.130, that requirement is postponed until adequate state funding is available. The requirements to incorporate any such new or amended elements “shall be null and void until funds sufficient to cover applicable local government costs are appropriated and distributed by the state at least two years before local government must update comprehensive plans.” (RCW 36.70A.070(9)).
Benefits of Park and Recreation
- City Beautiful (
1 MB), by Gerald A. Carlino and Albert Saiz, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Working Paper No. 08-22, December 6, 2008 - The paper quantifies the importance of leisure amenities and provides evidence that spending public dollars on leisure and cultural activities may offer more long-range benefit than traditional economic development focused on job creation.
- For Modern Urban Growth, Don't Forget the Ballpark and River Walk, Knowledge Wharton, December 10, 2008 - Summary of City Beautiful Working Paper
- The Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space: How Land Conservation Helps Communities Grow Smart and Protect the Bottom Line, Trust for Public Lands Report
- Economic Impacts of Protecting Rivers, Trails and Greenway Corridors: A Resource Book. Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance, National Park Service, 1995.
- The Health Benefits of Parks: How Parks Help Keep Americans and Their Communities Fit and Healthy by Eric Gies, Trust for Public Lands, 2006
- Measuring the Impact of Parks on Property Values, by Sarah Nicholls, Parks & Recreation, March 2004. Library Loan
Park Design and Standards
General Reference
- Guidelines for Developing Public Recreation Facility Standards, Ministry of Culture and Recreation, Sports and Fitness Division, Ontario, Canada , 2004
- Parks/ Open Space/ Recreation Facilities Standards ( 9.1 MB) in Level of Service Standards - Measures for Maintaining the Quality of Community Life, by Sue Enger, Report No. 31. Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington, September 1994.
- Park, Recreation, Open Space and Greenway Guidelines, James D. Mertes and James R. Hall, National Recreation and Park Association, 1996. Library Loan
- Park Planning Guidelines, by George Fogg, 3rd ed. National Recreation and Park Association, 1990. Library Loan
- Planning for Parks and Open Space in Your Community ( 4.15 MB), by Susan C. Enger for CTED (Washington State Deptartment of Commerce) and Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation, 2005.
- State of Colorado Small Community Park and Recreation Standards ( 1.29 MB) prepared by RPI Consulting, 2003, via Colorado State Publications Library
Local Government Design Standards
- Seattle Parks Standards (Design)
- Vancouver-Clark County Park Standards and Performance
- Woodinville Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan - Chapter 04 - Demand Analysis ( 850 KB), 2005 - Uses various measurements to identify the strengths and weaknesses of park inventory based on current and future needs.
Misc Design Resources
- Accessible Recreation Facilities Guidelines - Access Board
- Handbook for Public Playground Safety ( 372 MB) - National Product Safety Commission
- US Soccer Foundation
- American Sports Builders Association (ASBA) - Formerly United States Tennis Court & Track Builders Association
Programs
- Clark County Conservation Futures Program
- King County Parks & Recreation - Regional Trails
- King County Greenprint Project - an open space and resource lands conservation and acquisition strategy
- Mountain to Sound Greenway
- Pierce County Conservation Futures Program
- San Juan County Land Bank
- Thurston County Trails
Open Space and Comprehensive Park Plans
- Bainbridge Island Code Ch. 16.24 Protection of Farmlands and Open Space
- Bellevue Parks and Open Space System Plan - Page contains link to Plan Document ( 26.4 MB), 202 p.
- Bellingham Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan 2008 Proposal ( 4.6 MB)
- Brier Parks and Recreation Element ( 733 KB) in Brier Comprehensive Plan, 2008 Update
- Buckley Park and Recreation Plan ( 2.24 MB), updated 2008
- Camas Comprehensive Plan, VIII. Parks, Recreation, Open Space & Trails ( 6.49 MB) updated 2004
- Clark County Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation
- Vancouver/Clark County Park Planning and Design
- Vancouver Urban Parks Open Space and Recreation Plan (1.03 MB), April 2002
- Clark County Comprehensive Plan Parks, Recreation and Open Space Element,( 527 KB) Chapter 7, Clark County Comprehensive Plan 2003-2023, Draft June 2004
- Clark County Regional Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan (
655 KB), June 2000
- Edgewood Parks, Open Space, and Recreation Element ( 224 KB) in City of Edgewood Comprehensive Plan, 2008
- Issaquah
- Issaquah Parks Recreation, Trails and Open Space ( 492 KB) in Issaquah Comprehensive Plan, 1995 as amended 2004
- Parks, Recreation, Trails and Open Space Plan (1.76 MB), December 2003 Amended November 2004
- Parks, Recreation, Trails and Open Space Element Background Report ( 2.58 MB), Issaquah Comprehensive Plan, 1995 as amended 2004, Volume 2
- Issaquah Parks Recreation, Trails and Open Space (
- Island County Park Plan, 1998
- Jefferson County Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan, September, 2002
- Kenmore Parks and Recreation Master Plan, 2003
- Kirkland Park Planning and Development See Listing for Comprehensive Park, Open Space, and Recreation Plan, 2001
- Kitsap County Parks, Recreation, & Open Space Element (129 KB) in Kitsap County Comprehensive Plan, August 2006
- Mukilteo 2007 Parks, Recreation, & Open Space Plan ( 8.10 MB)
- Newcastle Comprehensive Plan Update, December 2003
- Newcastle Parks, Trails and Recreation Element ( 32 KB)
-
Newcastle Parks, Trails, and Recreation Appendices ( 1.71 MB)
- Newcastle Parks, Trails and Recreation Element (
- Redmond Comprehensive Plan - Parks and Recreation
- Seattle Parks and Recreation City-Wide Planning Documents
- Sequim
- Sequim Parks Plan
- Sequim Parks and Recreation Element ( 45 KB), Chapter 11 Comprehensive Plan, 2005
- Snohomish County - Comprehensive Park Plan
- Spokane County Ch. 9 – Parks and Open Space, Spokane County Comprehensive Plan ( 140 KB)
- Sumner 2005 Comprehensive Plan - Parks and Open Space Element ( 95 KB)
- Tumwater Parks and Recreation Plan ( 4.15 MB), August 2007 Draft
- Woodinville Parks and Open Space Plans
- Yakima Under Construction: Blueprints for the Future - Parks and Recreation Five-Year Comprehensive Plan ( 1.50 MB), 2000 – 2005, June 2000
- Yelm Parks / Open Space, Section VII in Yelm Comprehensive Plan and Joint Plan with Thurston County ( 5.46 MB), 2006
Additional Information Resources
- APA City Parks Forum
- National Park Service Conservation Assistance for Rivers and Trails
- Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
- Trust for Public Land
- Municipal Research and Service Center Library [Note: Clicking on one of the links below will take you to a list of documents available on loan through the MRSC library.]