October 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 22

Who, What, Where & hoW around the Parks

parks are more important than ever, considering the obesity epidemic and other
health problems.
This article provides a case study of
how the City of Missoula examined its
regulatory framework and community
planning strategies to facilitate the acquisition of better and more functional parks
and trails.

adopt a master Parks Plan
The adoption of the MPP was a critical
and necessary step that provided the

20 Parks & Recreation O C T O B E R

foundation for amending and improving city ordinances related to parks and
trails in addition to providing the documented support for numerous future park
and trail projects. For Missoula's MPP, the
planning boundaries included the entire
city and the surrounding semi-urban area
(approximately a three-mile donut area),
thus the plan needed to be adopted by
both the city council and county commissioners as an amendment to the Growth
Policy. The city/county partnership was
and is an important part of planning and

2 0 1 1 w w w . N R P A . O R G

preserving opportunities for future parks
as the city grows outward.
The main elements of the MPP are:
■■ ■Comprehensive parkland inventory and
recreation survey to determine citizens'
needs-this plan provides a baseline
inventory of parks and services and a
blueprint for what the community desires
for the future.
■■ ■Maps that show the level of parkland service for each neighborhood (acres of developed parkland/per 1,000 people) and
recommended locations for future parks
based upon current and projected population data. (Map 3)
■■ ■Standards for dedication of neighborhood
parks-these standards were later incorporated into the subdivision regulations.
■■ ■Goals, policies, and implementation actions that aim to increase the quality and
quantity of urban parks and trails.
■■ ■Example Goal: " Provide 2.5 acres of
Neighborhood Parks and 4.5 acres
of Community Parks for every 1,000
residents. " " Neighborhood Parks "
are defi ned as parks that are about
two to five acres in size intended to
serve residents in the surrounding
neighborhood-generally within a
half-mile radius. Community parks
are larger multi-purpose parks that
serve the entire community.
For smaller towns without the resources to hire a consultant to help draft a MPP,
there are many available towns across
the United States that can serve as good
templates. These two Montana towns
(population ~ 35,000) are good examples: Bozeman (http://www.bozeman.net/
Departments-(1)/Park--Rec-Cemetery/
Parks/Home) and Kalispell (http://www.
kalispell.com/parks_and_recreation/).
An important element of preparing a
MPP is conducting a survey of residents
to determine their current and desired
recreational needs. Missoula employed
the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research for this purpose. I recommend that any university
town (or a city near one) fi rst check for
such affordable resources.

October 2011 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2011 - Parks & Recreation