Park planning and design will

• Connect people to community, nature and mankind.
• Create healing places for individuals, communities, cultures.
• Engage people of diverse cultures, ages and interests.
• Empower youth to be bold leaders and influence design in parks.
• Create stewards through active learning about a place and its meanings
• Lead and inspire by example.
• Accommodate, incorporate, and enhance emerging technologies to embrace visitor of all ages and backgrounds.
• Express physical (tangible) space and social (intangible) space.
• Create welcoming, accessible, and safe spaces
• Recognize the profoundly social dimension of enjoying parks.
• Design for a broad experiential range while remaining responsive to a specific park's purpose and mission.

This is important because

• Design can create opportunities to have a meaningful, transformative experience for all not just some.
• It can enhance multicultural and multigenerational parks of all types.
• There can be enhanced community inclusion and involvement.
• The public needs to feel that they own the park and belong in the park.
• Healthful, regenerating public spaces can be available and accessible to everyone.

Core design considerations

• Planning and designing "with" not "for".
• Picking right designer.
• Support, develop and include diverse design team.
• Communicate in clear language. Engage in an authentic sincere process. Convey honesty and transparency.
• Provide flexible, dynamic programming and create partnerships that offer a variety of experiences.
• Begin with civic engagement as a core part of the design process. Define audience clearly - know who's there and who's not there.
• Engage in active outreach.
• Start with core values. Find commonality. Values must be understood by all.
• Embrace new technologies to accomplish goals.
• Design with access and opportunity for all
• Engage in intergenerational mentorship and volunteer opportunities

Outstanding Examples

TBD