How should Madison Parks grow? What should we improve? How do we prepare for future generations of parks enthusiast?
These are the questions we have been asking as part of the engagement process for the 2018-2022 Park and Open Space Plan which will guide the future of our park system. As part of this plan development, the City has been striving for an inclusive input process that captures the voices of Madison residents.
Phase I of this plan has been a year-long endeavor of input and engagement with Madison residents to create a long term vision that represents a broad section of the community. To date, our efforts in this process have captured the voices of more than 23,000 residents, including Community Visioning Sessions held throughout the city, an online survey, in-person data collection at events, Madison libraries and center, focus groups and three themed events.
For first time the City used a broad, inclusive, engagement strategy for the Park and Open Space Plan, and included some unique and fun events to engage people of all ages excited and interested in Madison Parks. One of these engagement events included a collaboration with Hip Hop Architect Michael Ford for an event called Hip Hop Parkitecture. Check out the video!
Sincerely,
Eric Knepp
Madison Parks Superintendent