Centennial Master Plan for Cincinnati Parks
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68@CDLA:9<:B:CIH 7dVgYD[EVg`8dbb^hh^dcZgh 6Yk^hdgn8dbb^iiZZ Marian J. Lindberg President Minette Cooper Ron Kull UC Architect Roscoe A. Fultz Vice President Grant S. Cowan Tony Brown Uptown Consortium Merri Gaither Smith Cathy T. Crain Robert Fitzpatrick Wilson Commons Adv. Otto M. Budig Jr. Amelia S. Crutcher Mary Margaret Rochford Robert D.H. Anning Andrew D. DeWitt Cincinnati Horticulture Society Francis P. Russell Former Member Eric L. Emerson Melody Sawyer Richardson Arts Sharon Williams Frisbie Morton Libby Business & Marketing EVg`7dVgYHiV[[ Dean Gregory Lydia Morgan Community Representative J. Joseph Hale, Jr. Murray Sinclaire Business & Finance Willie F. Carden, Jr. Director Renee Mahaffey Hattis Jack Rouse Business & Port Authority Marijane Klug Finance Administrator Helen K. Heekin Len Thomas UC Landscape Architect Steve Schuckman Superintendent Susan Hickenlooper Myrtis Powell Community Representative of Planning & Design—Project Manager Marty Humes Jinny Berten Community Representative Gerald Checco Superintendent Ron Joseph, Jr. Ann Zaring Parks Foundation of Operations & Land Management Stanley M. Kaplan, M.D. Tim Burke Attorney David R. Lofland, Jr. Lee Carter Finance 8^cX^ccVi^EVg`h;djcYVi^dc Kevin N. McMurray Heidi Jark Fifth Third Foundation Carter McNabb Jeff Weedman P&G Executive Committee Marjorie Motch Past President Ty Easley President Debra C. Oliver HiZZg^c\8dbb^iiZZ Patrick J. Ward Vice President Sean T. Parker Mary Jo Bazeley Rapid Run Advisory Council Lois Conyers Secretary John A. Parlin III, M.D. Peter Brumm Ault Park Advisory Council Valerie Newell Treasurer Robert J. Petrik Caryl Fullman Urban Forestry Board Judy S. Dalambakis C. Brewstet Rhoads Brenda Grier Friends of Fleischmann Park John E. Neyer Robert Richardson Skip Hickenlooper Business & Finance Paul G. Sittenfeld Ryan Rybolt Jim King Walnut Hills & Arts Advisory Panel Thomas R. Schiff Cathy Moon Friends of Krohn & Parks John Anning Eliazabeth A. Stone Tom Neyer, Jr. Developer Susan S. Anthony William F. Thiemann Brewster Rhoads Parks Foundation Kristine H. Barr Lynda A. Thomas Virginia Russell UC Landscape Architect Richard L. Betagole Marsha Thornton Donald Spencer Friends of Krohn & Parks Neil K. Bortz Darren Tolliver Beth Sullebarger Historic Preservation Susan F. Castellini Dick Williams Stephanie Sunderland Neighborhood Representative Phillip J. Castellini Alex C. Young Eric Russo Hillside Trust Philip K. Cone Anne M. Zaring ' I67A:D;8DCI:CIH 8dchjaiVciIZVb 6X`cdlaZY\ZbZcih Christopher Manning & Table of Contents Human Nature, Inc. Principal Nicole DiNovo '"( Letters Human Nature, Inc. Project Manager Jess Parrett Leisure Services Management ) Introduction Kelly Kolar Kolar Design * The Planning Process Catherine Cappel C.A. Cappel Associates + The Vision HeZX^VaI]Vc`h , Map Special thanks to all of the Park Board Staff, -". Key Strategies Volunteers and Citizens of Cincinnati who have attended meetings, answered question- &%"&( Action Plan naires, and provided input through the project web site. Your passion, knowledge and ideas &) Funding Matrix have helped make this plan better! &* Stabilizing City Park Revenue &+ Comparison with other Cities &, Capital Improvement Plan &-"&. Capital Funding and Strategy '%"'& The Urban Core '' Cincinnati Riverfront Park '( Mill Creek Valley ')"(% Uptown (&"(, Regional Parks (-"(. Neighborhood Parks )% Preserves & Community Greenspaces )& New & Expanded Parks )'")( Parkways ))")* Natural Systems & Greenways “The new Master Plan continues the =>HIDGN AdXViZYdci]ZZVhiaVlcd[Bi#Hidgb^hI]ZIZbeaZd[AdkZ! of >CCDK6I>K:EA6CC>C<#” VhigjXijgZYVi^c\idX#&-*%# & A:II:GH To the citizens of Cincinnati: It is with great enthusiasm and hope for the future that I endorse and support the Centennial Master Plan for Cincinnati Parks. Our city is blessed with many assets, and our beautiful park system is certainly one of our greatest achieve- ments. Our parks contribute to our quality of life, our vibrant economy, our sense of place, our social fabric and our environmental health. Parks play an important role in furthering City priorities and policy. Parks contribute to Neigh- borhood Investment since they help make for a livable community. Parks encourage Economic Development and are catalysts for new invest- ment all over the city. Cincinnati Parks are areas of Service Excellence, providing our citizens one of the top park systems in the country. And Parks contribute directly to Public Safety, not only as safe havens with low crime rates, but as places that make us feel good about ourselves and our community. This new Master Plan continues the history of in- novative planning for Cincinnati Parks and, as we follow it, will help guide us on to an even brighter, Green future. Sincerely: B6G@B6AADGN BVndgd[8^cX^ccVi^ ' I am very pleased to present the Cincinnati Parks I am pleased to present the Cincinnati Parks Centennial Master Plan as our vision for the Centennial Master Plan by the Cincinnati future of Cincinnati Parks. Park Board. Through in-depth study, exploration, discussion Historically, Cincinnati Parks have helped shape and input from people all over the community, we the development of our city. Parks that are well- have crafted a plan that builds upon the distin- distributed, accessible to all of our citizens and guished past, faces the challenges of the present, which are part of a network of greenspaces are key and projects a future of even greater achievements dimensions to a healthy and viable community. for our parks and our city. This latest Master Plan builds upon the excellence of the 1907 Kessler Plan and the momentum of the Sincerely: 1992 Park Master Plan. Most important, however, it provides a road map for the future of Cincinnati Parks in the 21st century, so that we can continue B 6 G > 6 C ? # A > C 9 7 : G < to provide for the needs and aspirations of those EgZh^YZci!7dVgYd[EVg`8dbb^hh^dcZgh who live, work and visit here. Sincerely: L>AA>:;#86G9:C!?G# 9^gZXidg!8^cX^ccVi^EVg`7dVgYVcYEVg`h;djcYVi^dc ( >CIGD9J8I>DC 6H=6G:98>K>86<:C96 One hundred years ago, in 1907, the Cincinnati As our city is challenged by the flight to the Park Board unveiled its first park system master suburbs, rising crime and social tensions, as plan, prepared by George Kessler, Landscape well as limited budgets and staff, we call upon Architect. Kessler’s plan, like those of other parks again as agents of transformation. We major cities during this era such as Boston, Min- imagine once again that our city can be great if neapolis, Chicago and Kansas City, proposed we celebrate our assets—our parks and natural a connected system of parks and parkways as resources; our arts, educational institutions and a way of lifting the city out of the unhealthy con- cultural resources; our wonderfully diverse and ditions created by the Industrial Revolution. This talented spectrum of citizens and businesses. was the age of the Garden City and City Beautiful These are our core assets, cornerstones of a Movements—an age of enlightenment in the shared civic agenda. planning of American cities. The Park Board’s Centennial Master Plan honors Kessler proposed to capitalize upon the scenic this rich legacy of park planning and design by views and the natural topography by creating a revisiting the transformative powers that parks series of crown jewels—parks along the ridge can have in shaping a city; by expanding the tops surrounding the city core, as well as a connective network that Kessler started; and by network of scenic parkways that would link the weaving in contemporary issues such as sustain- parks together throughout the city. We have been ability, crime prevention through environmental the beneficiaries of this visionary plan, and the design, and a re-engagement with our citizens Park Board has been the steward, systematically and partner institutions to provide services and implementing, expanding and celebrating this facilities that are current, relevant, responsible great legacy. and efficient. This is our plan for the 21st Century—one that will help bring our city back Today, standing on the shoulders of this seminal to greatness. work, we look forward into the future once again. “We call upon parks as 6<:CIH D; Ide/:c_dn^c\V8^cX^ccVi^EVg`#q7diidb/Ija^ehVi IG6CH;DGB6I>DC.” I]ZdYdgZB#7Zggn>ciZgcVi^dcVa;g^ZcYh]^eEVg` ) >CIGD9J8I>DC>CIGD9J8I>DC I=:EA6CC>C<EGD8:HH &EJGEDH: =dli]ZEaVclVh8gZViZY The Centennial Master Plan has been created The plan looks beyond our borders and our “Input from the 8DBBJC>IN through a methodical process of research, com- region for trends, innovations and successes munity input and testing. Many people have abroad, from other regional cities in the Mid- is the :C:G<N that has contributed to its making, from Park Board staff west to cities on the coasts and overseas; from driven the plan.” and administration to citizens, committees and academic and research institutions to non-profits surveys; from stakeholder and public meetings to and conservation organizations; from private park tours with Cincinnati Police; from advisory foundations to developers and community councils and friends/volunteers to commissioners investors. The Cincinnati Park System has been and Foundation trustees. Input from the commu- recognized as one of the top urban park systems nity is the energy that has driven the plan. in America, and maintaining a high standard of excellence is an over-arching goal of the plan. The Centennial Master Plan also comes at two important moments in the history of Cincinnati Finally, a lot of time was also invested in identi- Parks: 2006 is the centennial year for the Board fying and understanding the challenges that our of Park Commissioners and 2007 is the centen- city faces, from demographics and crime statistics nial year of the first park system master plan. At to tax revenues and city budgets; from patterns this historic moment, it is important to look back of revitalization to new partnership opportuni- and appreciate the legacy; to study and learn from ties; from restoration and linkage strategies to the masters; to honor and carry the tradition of the civic landscape as a laboratory for lifelong excellence forward.