Santamonicaparks.org is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the City of Santa Monica is cancelling meetings, gatherings, and events. These preventative steps has affected the release of the 2020 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. We are working diligently to reschedule the release of this Plan and outreach opportunities to provide feedback. Please check back for updates as more information becomes available.
For more preventative steps and the latest Santa Monica-specific information about the novel coronavirus, visit santamonica.gov/coronavirus. As a reminder, please stay home when sick, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. To stay informed, sign up for Santa Monica news at santamonica.gov/newsletter and emergency alerts at www.santamonica.gov/alerts.
PROJECT SUMMARY
The City is updating the Parks and Recreation Master Plan (PRMP), originally adopted in 1997 by City Council, with the help of MIG, Inc. The Plan set forth strategies, goals, and a vision for Santa Monica’s park and recreation system over the next 20 years. Many of the 1997 PRMP’s strategies were accomplished, but the remaining initiatives in combination with the growing need for open space necessitate a broad analysis of parks and recreation facilities, programming usage, and innovative funding strategies.
Community Open House - March 2019
About 230 community members dropped by throughout the course of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update Community Open House on March 9, 2019 at Tongva Park, and 231 people participated in the online version following the event. The Open House hosted interactive stations that will help shape the Master Plan Update, live music by the Mad Alsacians, tasty treats, and giant lawn games. Stations included: (1) key findings from the Needs Assessment Report, (2) airport to park conversion case studies, (3) prioritizing development of different types of new parks and amenities at existing parks, (4) locating where new arts and programming should be added in the City. There were also opportunities to draw YOUR park and add general comments to the Think Tank.
The overall goal of the Plan update is to establish a framework for long-range guidance and planning of parks, open space, beach, and community recreation for the next 20 years. The Plan will aim to attract broad public outreach from Santa Monica’s diverse community to develop the vision, goals, and objectives. Opportunities for community engagement include pop-ups across the city, community workshops, and an online map-based survey. The updated PRMP will be a forward thinking document that builds upon the legacy of Santa Monica’s stewardship of its parks, beach, and recreational facilities. It will identify opportunities for preserving this legacy while directing the future creation of new opportunities to meet the needs of the community. It will provide the City and community with a road map for enhancing the City’s park system through best management practices, funding options, programmatic trends that support creative use of parks and responsive urban design.
