FAQs

What is a parks and recreation master plan?

A parks and recreation master plan looks at the current supply and demand for park space and recreation and assesses key trends and community priorities to lay out goals, strategies, and actions that will guide the future work and investments of DPR.

Why do we need one?

This plan will act as a blueprint for the agency’s future capital requests and programmatic priorities. It will also guide our future design of parks and rec centers as well as identify opportunities for expansion, diversification, and partnerships.

What is the timeline for completing this plan and when would it go into effect?

The goal is to have a new plan finalized by the end of September 2021. Implementation would begin in FY22.

How far in the future is this plan looking?

The plan will set a vision and overarching goals to achieve over the next 20 years. Implementation actions will be identified as short, intermediate, and long-term actions that will move us toward our vision. Most of the actions identified will be short and intermediate actions, to be completed in the next

How does this plan relate to the District’s Comprehensive Plan?

The Comprehensive Plan lays out general guidance related to parks, recreation, and open space in the element of that title. There are also a number of other citywide and neighborhood elements in the Comprehensive Plan that address parks. The Comprehensive Plan thus sets some very high-level and general goals that will be integrated into our thinking as we develop our vision and plan. A parks and recreation plan is more detailed and gets into specific elements of parks and recreation planning, design, and management.

Will this plan only assess and address DPR parks?

No. This plan will assess both DPR and National Park Service (NPS) parks as well as additional recreational space, such as school grounds, and other open spaces in the city. DPR will then work with NPS and its partner agencies and other relevant park and open space land holders, to identify the potential for collaboration on non-DPR land and develop policy language to meet the needs and desires expressed by the community.

How will the plan’s projects be funded?

Funding for the eventual projects identified in this master plan will come from a combination of District capital and operating dollars including local funds, city bond funds, and revenue raised through DPR programs, as well as potential partnerships with donors and non-government entities.

Is DPR working with other agencies on this effort?

Yes, DPR is working with a number of other DC agencies who will be impacted by the policies of this plan, in particular, DPR is working closely with the Deputy Mayor for Education, DC Office of Planning, Department of General Services, DC Public Schools, District Department of Transportation, Department of Energy and Environment, DC Health, and Metropolitan Police Department. There are plans to reach out to additional agencies as well throughout the process.

How do I stay more involved?

Register at the link on the top right of the page. Explore the other pages on the website and participate in the activities. Follow @dcdpr on twitter and instagram. We will make sure to notify everyone as soon as it is safe to move forward with in-person engagement.

Will there be other engagement opportunities?

Yes. There will be many more engagement opportunities through the next year and a half. We will be updating our website regularly with new information and engagement opportunities and will notify all registered participants when any new engagement opportunities are planned or posted.

How will my feedback on the plan be used?

Your feedback will be used to help identify the goals, strategies, actions, and priorities that make it into the plan. Our engagement process aims to be transparent, empowering, and inclusive and we will continue to share information with you as we go through every step in this planning process.

If you have any additional questions that were not answered above, please post them below. A staff member from the Ready2Play project team at DPR will respond.