Denver Parks and Recreation 2017 Game Plan Update Existing Conditions Report March 2017 Executive Summary Environment • Climate change and the need to • The impacts of population and Climate adapt to drought, flooding and growth and increasing urban other extreme weather density on our system Positioned at the juncture between • Urban heat island issues and • Management/maintenance of The Existing Conditions Report culminates the the Great Plains and the Rocky stormwater runoff issues, natural areas and non-traditional Mountains, Denver boasts a rich first phase of the 2017 Game Plan Update for especially in the downtown area areas Denver Parks and Recreation. Its purpose is to geology, ecology and climate that both inform and affect the system. • Balancing conservation vs • Managing threats of invasive document the existing state of the system as a access (including education and species, like the Emerald Ash whole in order to uncover the key issues that the Key environmental and climate recreation) in both mountain Borer issues related to the plan include: Game Plan will want to address. parks and urban natural areas Denver's Park and Recreation system is incredibly diverse, spanning from the Equity and Access mountains to the prairie and encompassing • Denver's overall public health • Opportunity to improve is ailing with an obesity and programming to heighten more than 20,000 acres of parkland full of Denver’s population is growing and chronic disease epidemic customer usage and satisfaction diversifying. How can we ensure – highest priority on arts/ amenities and 27 recreation centers offering a • High public interest and priority that our parks, recreation centers culture, aquatics and fitness wide range of programming. The analysis falls on fitness trails, paths and and programming are welcoming programs suggested into three major categories: environment and and accessible to all Denverites? connectivity between parks climate, equity and access, and economic and • Increasing access to parks and Key issues related to the equity and recreation centers organizational health. Key findings in each of access include: the categories are summarized at right. Understanding the current state of the system provides a launchpoint to envision the future of Economic and the Denver Parks and Recreation. Organizational Health • The existing reliance on tax • Use of data in decision-making, dollars underlies a need to the value of meaningful metrics Denver’s resources are limited diversify revenues to measure progress to maintain and staff a large and dynamic system. • Improve training programs for • The need to renovate and renew all staff positions and levels an aging facility base Key issues related to economic and • Targeting water conservation • Balancing staffing levels, organizational health include: and energy efficiency program needs and business management Contents CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 Introduction Three Lenses to Assess the System Measuring Past Successes Project Overview ..............................................................2 Big Questions for our Future: and Challenges Introduction to the Lenses ..........................................30 2003 Game Plan Diagnostic Tool Introduction ... 104 The Game Plan in Context .............................................4 The Denveright Effort ......................................................4 Environment and Climate ............................................32 Diagnostic Categories................................................. 105 Denver’s Policy Level Planning Underlying Geologic Structure ..................................34 Green Neighborhoods and Beyond ......................105 at the Turn of the Century ..............................................4 Ecological Communities .............................................. 36 The Connected City ......................................................110 Support of Key Implementation Level Plans .........6 Mountain Parks Landscapes .......................................38 Natural and Sustainable Systems ........................... 116 Urban Park Landscapes ............................................... 40 Aspirational Goals .........................................................120 Parks and Recreation Planning Epochs .......................8 Urban Natural Areas....................................................... 42 Denver's Urban Forest ..................................................44 Lessons Learned ........................................................... 122 The Game Plan Analysis Process: Climate Change ...............................................................46 Means and Methods ...................................................... 12 Hydrology and Stormwater ........................................48 Phase 1 Overview: Understand and Analyze ........ 12 CHAPTER 4 Data and Numbers .......................................................... 12 Equity and Access ..........................................................52 Next Steps for Game Plan Comparing Denver to Peer Cities ..............................14 Park Density Relative to Peer Cities ........................54 Public Outreach: Denveright Workshops ...............16 Community “Demand” for Parks Next Steps for Game Plan ..........................................126 Public Outreach: Community Events ......................18 and Recreation ................................................................. 56 Public Outreach: Statistically-valid Survey ..........20 Access to Parks .................................................................58 Denveright Vision Elements ......................................128 The Game Plan Taskforce ............................................ 22 Overall Diversity of Amenities ................................. 60 Staff Outreach: Workshops + Groups ..................... 23 Relative Amenities per Capita ................................... 62 Playgrounds .......................................................................64 Appendices The Context of Denver ..................................................24 Dogparks ............................................................................68 Image Credits ............................................................... 130 Trails ......................................................................................70 Denver Parks and Recreation Today ..........................26 Aquatics ...............................................................................72 Acknowledgments ....................................................... 132 Golf ....................................................................................... 74 Recreation Centers: Facilities ..................................... 76 Recreation Programming .............................................78 Economic and Organizational Health .......................80 Spending ............................................................................82 Spending Compared to Peer Cities .........................84 Water and Irrigation .......................................................86 Safety ...................................................................................88 Maintenance .................................................................... 90 Historical Resources Parkway System .................... 92 Organizational Structure ..............................................94 Partnerships ......................................................................98 Introduction Project Overview Background Project Overview In a city as active and diverse as Denver, a great While the 2003 Game Plan has been considered “Denver can be made park and recreation system is essential to quality a successful plan, it is now almost 14 years old. of life. There is no question that Denverites In the last decade, Denver Parks and Recreation love their parks; and, they have one of the (DPR) has made significant strides towards one of the ordinary most diverse, expansive, and historic park and achieving the vision of the plan by implementing recreation systems in the West. The City and and putting into use many of the recommended County's urban park system encompasses over policies and goals. At the same time, Denver 250 urban parks totaling over 5,000 acres, as has experienced unprecedented growth and cities of the country, well as 5 designated natural areas. Highlights of redevelopment which, along with a changing the system include 24 lakes, 80,000 trees, more climate, have exerted new pressures and than 80 miles of trails, 34 designated parkways, challenges on the system. The plan needs to be or she can be the 10 off-leash dog parks, 29 pools, 27 recreation updated to provide DPR with sound guidance to centers, 150 playgrounds, 300 athletic fields, and move forward and grow in the coming decades. 8 public golf courses. Beyond the city and county The intent of the 2017 Game Plan Update is to: limits of Denver, residents also have access to Paris of America”. an extensive system of 22 accessible Mountain • Comprehensively evaluate the current state Parks. In addition to 24 less-accessible or of Denver's parks and recreation system; –Mayor Robert Speer, 1907 inaccessible conservation areas, these lands total • Reconfirm, refresh and rearticulate the more than 14,000 acres in Clear Creek, Douglas, vision, core values and guiding principles of Grand and Jefferson Counties. the Game Plan; • Provide updated quantitative and qualitative The mandate for a city-wide