2015 Dallas Parks master plan

A 20-YEAR VISION

vISION & gOALS

Action items >>

Park System Improvements

Park System Expansion
What would Dallas residents like from their park system? 
And, how do we achieve those results?
Goals and action items provide guideposts for City staff, the Parks Board, and community members as they move forward with park system developments. 

The action items and recommendations below are organized by the corresponding goal. These action items are suggested activities to be preformed throughout the entire park system in order to realize the vision set forth in the 2015 Dallas Parks Master Plan.
ACTION ITEMS  FOR THE DALLAS PARK SYSTEM

GOAL 1 - FUTURE PARKLAND IDENTIFICATION 

To maintain the current Level of Service standard or to increase that standard, city staff will need to plan for future population increases and ensure parkland is allocated properly within the city limits. 
Action Items for Goal 1:
1.1    Establish a Level of Service standard of 6.25 acres/1000 residents.

1.2   Provide all Dallas residents with a park within a ten-minute walk (1/2 mile) of their residence which provides opportunities for use of sports fields, sports courts, playground equipment, restrooms, walking paths, picnic tables and other seating.  

1.3   Use the map of underserved areas and underutilized land provided in this plan for future expansion efforts.

1.4   Use park site development criteria established in this plan to assess sites proposed for future park system expansion..

1.5   Using the Level of Service standards established in Action Item 1.1, regularly re-evaluate the extent to which the City of Dallas is meeting current and projected needs (in terms of coverage and/or acreage).

1.6   Acquire land or partner with landowners to complete missing links in the Rickreall Creek Trail System (RCTS).

Goal 2 - bRANDING

To establish a recognizable identity across the Dallas Parks System the City will need to strategically coordinate the image of the parks system in print, web, and sign-based outreach.
Action Items for Goal 2:
2.1   Standardize signage and furnishings to create a recognizable look and feel throughout the Dallas park system.

2.2   Develop consistent entry signage at each park and immediate surroundings.

2.3   Develop a new parks brochure and map to reflect branding.

2.4   Create a slogan for the Dallas park system to be used on marketing materials and new signage.

2.5   Keep the park system website current and incorporate branding and graphics from Action Items 2.1-2.4.

Goal 3 - SECURITY

Parks should be welcoming and safe for people of all ages, ability levels and ethnicities.  Emphasis on universal design and using multi-lingual signage will make the parks accessible to a wide group of users.
Action Items for Goal 3:
3.1   Partner with police to create regular patrolling of all park facilities.

3.2   Establish site line requirements as a part of regular maintenance efforts.

3.3   Establish safety-focused pruning, fencing and lighting parameters in the system’s park design guidelines.

Goal 4 - mAINTENANCE

The city should uphold a level of maintenance that fosters safety and community pride in their park system.  Keeping the park system adequately staffed will help to ensure that a high standard for maintenance can be met.
Action Items for Goal 4:
4.1   Take inventory of existing conditions on an annual basis to find out what areas most need attention. Assess long-term maintenance and replacement needs.

4.2   Choose drought tolerant plantings in future park development or improvements.

4.3   Consider maintenance impacts in the design and planning processes for future park development and improvements.

4.4   Assess human resources needs when planning for future park development and improvements to ensure optimum management and maintenance of parks.
                        Additional recommendation for 4.4:
                               As parkland is added to the park system make sure that the staff to parkland ratio
                               (currently 1  full time employee or FTE: 33 acres) is maintained or increased.
4.5   Establish a preventive maintenance program for all parks and park system facilities.
                            Additional recommendation for 4.5:
                               Develop a seasonal maintenance checklist for each park to ensure systematic and regular  
                               maintenance is performed for each park.

Goal 5 - NATURAL AREAS

Dallas should preserve and provide access to green space and natural areas throughout the park system.
Action Items for Goal 5:
5.1   Increase awareness of Hunter Arboretum and Botanical Garden and its boundaries by improving signage and marketing.

5.2   Increase awareness of underutilized City-owned natural areas by improving access and signage.

5.3   Provide safe, well-maintained access to waterways for recreation.

5.4   Create trails in natural areas to concentrate user impacts and conserve sensitive areas.

5.5   Emphasize the views, interaction with, and protection of scenic and natural areas in park designs.

Goal 6 - PROGRAMMING

Dallas residents prefer parks and a park system with a variety of activities and elements.  Balancing active and passive park uses will provide a wide range of activities to create a park system that is attractive to the Dallas community and meets a variety of needs. Land conservation should be encouraged to ensure a diverse range of services for the Dallas community.
Action Items for Goal 6:
6.1   Regularly update each park facility inventory and the type of user group to which they appeal.

6.2   When renovating or redesigning an existing park or designing a new park, involve neighbors in the planning process through the use of workshops or surveys. Gather input from community members to determine their preferences for parks in their neighborhood.
                          Additional recommendation for 6.2:
                              Create a protocol for public engagement to be incorporated into the design process for new
                              parks and renovations to existing parks.

6.3   Consider including the following features in future park designs and renovations as appropriate to the park classification:
  • Restrooms
  • Picnic areas and covered seating areas
  • Shade
  • Paved trails
  • Splash play area (especially in parks located near downtown)
  • Universal Design for paved paths, water access points, and other facilities
  • Pedestrian scale lighting

6.4   Coordinate with recreation program providers to ensure park facilities meet the needs of community members and recreational programming. 

Goal 7 - CONNECTIVITY

Providing safe pedestrian and bicycling access to, between and within parks throughout the planning area will allow more residents to enjoy Dallas’s parks.  Future parks should be sited in locations that are convenient to neighborhoods, especially those in currently underserved areas.
Action Items for Goal 7:
7.1   Develop and install wayfinding signage along the Rickreall Creek Trail System (RCTS).

7.2   Incorporate the RCTS into a printed and web-based map of the City of Dallas’s bicycle and pedestrian network.

7.3   Develop and install signage for entrances and exits to and from the RCTS.

7.4   Provide clear access points along existing portions of the RCTS.

7.5   Create additional wayfinding signage or elements that incorporate existing portions of the RCTS in a bicycle and pedestrian-friendly route that serves as an east-west connector.

Goal 8 - COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Prioritizing transparency in decision making and inviting the public to take an active role in the direction of the park system procedures and improvements will help to enhance community support for Dallas's parks. Additionally, providing better and clearer communication about volunteer opportunities will also increase community engagement in the park system.
Action Items for Goal 8:
8.1   Facilitate the establishment of a non-profit “Friends of Dallas City Parks” organization to help care for the park system. Volunteers of the organization could potentially help with maintenance, advocacy, and fundraising efforts.

8.2   Create a decisively defined mission and scope for the organization to avoid conflicts due to unclear duties and expectations.

Goal 9 - FUNDING

Should additional improvements or acquisitions be made to the park system, city staff would need additional funding and personnel to continue to maintain the parks at their current level.
Action Items for Goal 9:
9.1  Preform an operations and funding analysis annually to assess existing park system revenues and expenditures.

9.2   Explore the concept of a city service fee for parks maintenance.

9.3   Work with the parks “stewardship” community group to establish a fundraising plan.