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Project update
Approved by Council in June 2022, this strategy creates a 10-year action plan that will prioritize how the city invests in parkland spaces.
Parks are one of the city's largest and most diverse assets, from neighbourhood parks, urban parks, cultural parks and athletic parks to woodlots, wetlands, natural corridors and linkages. This strategy establishes a plan based on existing service levels, and review park inventory and resource allocation.
The City of Waterloo has prepared a parkland strategy to help guide decisions for our growing inventory of parks for the next 10 to 15 years. The strategy recommends updates to policies, capital works and operations.
The city’s 134 parks include neighbourhood, community, urban, cultural and sports parks as well as natural areas. This impressive amount of parkland is a significant part of our city's assets and is highly valued by the community. The infrastructure in these parks is beginning to age and requires upgrades. As well, trends are changing what service delivery in parks looks like particularly in response to population growth and changing demographics, climate change, intensification and redevelopment and new trends in leisure.
The strategy is a first for Waterloo and builds on existing plans and policies (the City of Waterloo 2019 - 2022 Strategic Plan, Official Plan, Recreation and Leisure Master Plan 2008, Outdoor Sports Field Strategy 2012, Action Sports Strategy 2013, and the Neighbourhood Strategy 2018).
The goals for the parkland strategy include:
Ensuring equitable and inclusive access to parks
Ensuring parks and their associated facilities feel welcoming to Indigenous communities
Connecting people to natural areas
Providing amenities and programs that support activities throughout the seasons
Ensuring a safe environment for users
Providing for future adaptation to change, including climate change resiliency.
Ensuring effective communication, engagement, and ease of access to information about natural systems, parks, recreation services and amenities.
Project update
Approved by Council in June 2022, this strategy creates a 10-year action plan that will prioritize how the city invests in parkland spaces.
Parks are one of the city's largest and most diverse assets, from neighbourhood parks, urban parks, cultural parks and athletic parks to woodlots, wetlands, natural corridors and linkages. This strategy establishes a plan based on existing service levels, and review park inventory and resource allocation.
The City of Waterloo has prepared a parkland strategy to help guide decisions for our growing inventory of parks for the next 10 to 15 years. The strategy recommends updates to policies, capital works and operations.
The city’s 134 parks include neighbourhood, community, urban, cultural and sports parks as well as natural areas. This impressive amount of parkland is a significant part of our city's assets and is highly valued by the community. The infrastructure in these parks is beginning to age and requires upgrades. As well, trends are changing what service delivery in parks looks like particularly in response to population growth and changing demographics, climate change, intensification and redevelopment and new trends in leisure.
The strategy is a first for Waterloo and builds on existing plans and policies (the City of Waterloo 2019 - 2022 Strategic Plan, Official Plan, Recreation and Leisure Master Plan 2008, Outdoor Sports Field Strategy 2012, Action Sports Strategy 2013, and the Neighbourhood Strategy 2018).
The goals for the parkland strategy include:
Ensuring equitable and inclusive access to parks
Ensuring parks and their associated facilities feel welcoming to Indigenous communities
Connecting people to natural areas
Providing amenities and programs that support activities throughout the seasons
Ensuring a safe environment for users
Providing for future adaptation to change, including climate change resiliency.
Ensuring effective communication, engagement, and ease of access to information about natural systems, parks, recreation services and amenities.
Extensive consultation was conducted with community members, community groups and city staff to inform the preparation of the strategy.
Phase 2 - Research, analysis and visioning
Parkland strategy has finished this stage
Information gathered through background research and the community engagement phase were analyzed and compiled in the research, analysis and visioning report.
Phase 3 - Draft parkland strategy
Parkland strategy has finished this stage
The draft strategy was prepared based on the community engagement and the research, analysis and visioning reports. The draft strategy was presented to council and is now open for the community to provide feedback and comments.
Phase 4 - Final parkland strategy and implementation
Parkland strategy is currently at this stage
After incorporating council and community feedback to the draft strategy, the final strategy will be presented to council for approval and the implementation will begin.
