2025-2030 Park and Open Space Plan
April 2, 2025 Update
Madison Parks has received an extension for completion of the Park and Open Space Plan from the DNR until the end of 2025. Since January 2025, the Long Range Planning Subcommittee (LRP) has reviewed and provided feedback on the Funding Mechanisms component of the plan, which pertains to the development and operating resources of the Parks Division. In addition, LRP spent significant time discussing recommended strategies for the 2025-2030 POSP. The recommended strategies of the plan are aligned with the 7 elements of a great city as identified in the Comprehensive Plan, and are currently drafted as follows:
- Increase Connectivity between parks to enhance access.
- Reduce parkland deficiencies and respond to increasing residential density.
- Create welcoming and inclusive park spaces and programming
- Foster meaningful connections with groups and organizations that advance the vision of the Parks Division.
- Improve public access to lakes and waterways.
- Protect and celebrate the community’s cultural richness.
- Protect and enhance natural resources.
- Improve the park system’s capacity to adapt to environmental challenges.
- Develop new parks and amenities in a fiscally sustainable manner.
- Secure sufficient resources to sustain service levels across the growing and changing system.
- Pursue regional solutions to regional issues.
- Promote the physical and social health of the diverse community.
The Long Range Planning Subcommittee will begin reviewing the full plan content in April 2025. Once the full content is finalized, staff will work with the MSA consultant team to begin publishing the document in its final format. Staff and LRP leadership anticipate that a final format version of the document will be available for public review and comment in June 2025.
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Project Information
The City of Madison is updating the Park and Open Space Plan!
The purpose of the City of Madison Park and Open Space Plan is to guide and inform public parks policy and park facility decisions. The planning document is used by City Boards & Commissions, City agencies and staff, other agencies and municipalities, and interested residents and volunteers. It is developed by staff, professional consultants and volunteers. The plan seeks to be evidence-based and, as such, utilizes extensive public input, census data, park use records, and other monitoring databases. It is subject to public review and hearings and is adopted by the Board of Park Commissioners and Madison Common Council.
The 2025-2030 POSP update will be in progress throughout 2024 and early 2025, with an anticipated completion date within the third quarter of 2025. Public input on the development of the plan will be available through surveys, open houses and focus group events. Comments may also be submitted directly to Parks using the contact information available on this page.
When available, a DRAFT of the 2025-2030 update will be available on this site.
BACKGROUND:
On October 30, 2018, the City of Madison Common Council adopted the 2018-2023 Park and Open Space Plan.
- The City of Madison owns over 280 parks totaling more than 5,700 acres of parkland and is responsible for maintenance of nearly 6,000 acres of public land. The Parks Division also plays a vital role in the development and policy making of over 1,000 acres of public land administered by the City of Madison Engineering for stormwater, bike paths and landfill purposes.
- The City of Madison parks are an integral component contributing to a quality living environment. Parks play a significant role in promoting community and contributing to the well-being and resilience of its residents.
- The Park and Open Space Plan (POSP) is updated periodically to adapt to and stay current with changing recreational trends, demographics, and park needs, as well as to reflect integration with the planning efforts of complementary City agencies, as well as, county and statewide efforts.
- The POSP satisfies DNR Chapter NR 50 and NR 51, Wisconsin administrative code requiring local municipalities to adopt a local comprehensive outdoor recreation plan to be eligible for several DNR administered funding programs.
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Project kick-off / open houses Completed
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Review and development of additional text Active
Parks staff, working together with MSA Professional Services, Inc. have been adding sections to the document to better align with the 2018-2023 POSP structure.
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Targeted outreach / focus groups by All Together Completed
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Survey development & mailing by UW Survey Center Completed
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Updates to maps, tables from previous POSP; review by Parks Long Range Planning Completed
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Revision of existing document structure and organization Active
Following the determination to move the Issue Papers to the appendix area of the document, staff have been incorporating some of the information from those documents into the greater text body.
Submit a Comment
That's a wrap! The Park and Open Space Plan Open Houses are now complete! We'll have a report-out from those sessions on our next update.
Miss the events or have a comment that you would like to submit anonymously? Please use the QR code to access or select the online comment area directly.
Our planning team will continue to seek community input through a series of focused outreach events hosted by All Together in late May and early June, and we hosting pop-up events this summer in conjunction with Parks Alive.