Project Overview

The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department is initiating the process of developing its next 10-year Master Plan. This update will provide a vision and roadmap for the future of recreation programming and services, parks, facilities, trails, waterways, and open space planning that scales the city’s recreation and parks system equitably to match Columbus’ place as the 15th largest city in the U.S. This plan will also serve as a guidebook for the department’s programming, development, and policies to drive quality-of-life improvements for all Columbus residents.

System Map

Columbus Recreation and Parks Department operates 410 parks throughout the Greater Columbus Region. This equates to 14,069 acres of parkland containing 230 miles of regional trails, 170 playgrounds and 25 nature preserves.

System Map

Project Schedule

This process is anticipated to take roughly one year. See all of the opportunities for you to get involved below!

Summer 2024

Establish a Foundation of Understanding

Engagement Window #1:
Awareness Building and Stakeholder Initiation

  • Community Navigators
  • Project Awareness Building

Summer-Fall

Assessment and Analysis

Engagement Window #2:
Identifying Opportunities and Challenges

  • Focus Groups
  • Community Survey
  • Pop-up Tabling
  • Outreach to Underrepresented Groups and Organizations

Winter-Spring

Plan Visioning

Engagement Window #3:
Needs and Values Discovery

  • Neighborhood Meetings in a Box
  • Virtual Community Meeting
  • Plan Framework Polling

Spring-Summer 2025

Final Plan

Engagement Window #4:
Plan Sharing

  • Draft Plan Presentation
  • Pop-Up Tabling and Neighborhood Meetings
 
Community engagement results met, resulting in robust input (~6,000 participants) to inform the plan.
Desire for more convenience of programs and increase catering to all abilities, ages, incomes, and underserved/high-needs neighborhoods.
Lots of love (76%) and use of Columbus Recreation and Parks offerings (92%). Strong appreciation for connectivity, beauty, social connections, nature, health and wellness, and service to all people.
Most prioritized near-term focus is on upgrading/renovating existing facilities and parks.
Strong desire to improve usability of parks and trails addressing safety, maintenance/cleanliness, accessibility, and comfort (restrooms, benches, shade, etc.).
High interest in preserving open space, enhancing natural resources, adding trees, encourage spending time outdoors, and providing access to water recreation.
High interest in expanding greenway trails and improving connectivity and safe routes for all modes of travel.

Community FAQ

  • This Playbook is a long-range, visionary planning tool that identifies community values and goals to achieve through extensive community outreach.

  • The project process will begin by looking at the existing conditions and identifying the challenges and opportunities of the current recreation and parks system. Then, through extensive community engagement and listening to a diverse range of voices, the project team will identify what the community wants and needs. Based on all of that, a plan is developed on how to reach united community goals.

  • The last adopted Master Plan was in 2014. Since then, conditions such as community demographics, national and regional trends in parks and recreation, and community desires have changed. This Playbook will assess and respond to such changes and provide a fresh guide for decision making.

Stay Involved

Community member feedback is critical to help guide the Playbook. Your input will support the City of Columbus in improving our current parks and recreation offerings and planning for the future with a big vision of what could be. Fill out the form to stay involved in this process and help shape the future of Columbus’ iconic park system.

How do you imagine Columbus to be 100 years from now? We’d love to hear from you. Write your response below, and we’ll post it for others to see!