The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) just launched “Parks for All,” a new comprehensive planning process that will set its priorities and policy direction for the next decade. Parks for All will engage Minneapolis residents and park users, along with MPRB staff and commissioners, over the next two years to shape the future direction of Minneapolis’ park and recreation system. The Parks for All Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will have a big influence on the comprehensive plan process and policy directions, so if you are passionate about parks and recreation in Minneapolis, apply to serve on the CAC by June 7.
What is Parks for All? The last MPRB Comprehensive Plan was approved in 2007 and set a vision through 2020. Parks for All is the next MPRB Comprehensive Plan, which will guide the Minneapolis park and recreation system for the next decade. The MPRB Comprehensive Plan guides everything done by the MPRB. It articulates why the MPRB exists, identifies how the MPRB performs its work, and describes what the MPRB hopes to become.
Parks for All is separate from the recent City of Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan. It solely covers the Minneapolis park and recreation system. The plan will build off other recent MPRB plans including service area master plans for neighborhood parks, master plans for regional parks, RecQuest, the Urban Agriculture Activity Plan, the Skateboard Activity Plan, and other plans and policies that have been developed by MPRB in recent years with community input. The Comprehensive Plan is as much process as product.
Community engagement will be central to the development of the policy direction, but the process contains important opportunities to do community building around the park system. For info visit minneapolisparks.org.