Logan Voss
Most communities suffer from a lack of public spaces for safe gatherings. Places like parks and community centers aren’t in the communities that need them most. That’s why any community that takes on building a public space should really focus on getting it right the first time. Focusing specifically on public parks, this is a guide on how to design and build public parks that’ll help the community.
Find the Spot That Works for the Community
First, you should look for a spot in the community that isn’t competing with other popular areas or other parks in the community. At the same time, your park should be in a central location that everyone has access to. Find a place with open access and roads nearby so that people have an easy time getting to the park.
Get the Community Involved
The next big step is to involve the community in the design and planning process. Unless you’ve lived in the area for years, you aren’t going to fully understand what the community needs in this place. Hire or communicate your plans with leadership in the local area so that you can come up with the best park.
Develop a Goal for the Park
Every project should have a goal in mind, and a public park’s no different. Find out how you want to help the community with this park and use that to inform all your future decisions with the space.
Find Your Target Audience
Along with a goal, deciding who you want to attract to the park can greatly change your designs. A park that’s intended for full families and their small children is a lot different than one for grade school or high school kids.
Open for Everyone
The last step is to make sure your park can accommodate every kind of person, even if they aren’t your target audience. Creating space for people who use wheelchairs is very important for a community park and will serve the community at large.
Using this guide on how to design and build public parks will help you create the best parks for your town and can change a community for the better. You should implement the best practices for parks for the greatest results, which includes things like why you should install LED lights or what you should put in a park for one- to five-year-old children.
