Parks Legacy Plan

Parks Legacy Plan

Crafting a shared vision for the future of Seattle’s parks and recreation facilities and programs

Crafting a shared vision for the future of Seattle’s parks and recreation facilities and programs

Location:

Seattle, WA

Client:

City of Seattle

Services:

  • Event planning

  • Meeting facilitation

  • Reporting

Project description:

As part of a planning process to develop its strategic direction, Seattle Parks and Recreation drafted the Parks Legacy Plan, which identified what needed to be done to preserve Seattle parks long into the future. The Parks Legacy Citizens’ Advisory Committee then evaluated the need for and the composition of a potential ballot measure for funding operations, maintenance, development, and acquisition of parks and recreation facilities and programs. S&A was hired to help collect public feedback on funding options at six public meetings held in various locations throughout the city.

Results:

S&A developed a detailed facilitation plan for the six public meetings and worked with Seattle Parks to develop facilitator scripts, discussion topics, and key messaging, and to conduct facilitator trainings. We facilitated multiple small group discussions at each of the six meetings and drew up reports detailing participants’ feedback. Feedback gathered at the meetings informed the Parks Legacy Citizens’ Advisory Committee’s recommendations of a funding mechanism, funding amount, and investment priorities for a funding ballot measure. Seattle voters approved the measure, creating a metropolitan park district to provide stable, long-term funding for Seattle Parks.