Promoting Outdoor Activities in Your Community

By Yellowstone Landscape

Over the years, we’ve seen the community pool and clubhouse become expected amenities for new HOAs and master planned communities. But what about residents who want to enjoy the outdoors, and don’t feel quite ready to jump back into the community pool?

Many of our clients have come to us for ideas and suggestions on how to offer more unique and exciting outdoor amenities for their current and future residents. These outdoor activities and amenity spaces often make more interesting use of their community’s common areas and green spaces. And you’d be amazed at how positively residents have responded to them.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Neighborhood Parks

Cities and counties used to be the only ones that could create and maintain parks and playgrounds. Today HOAs and master planned developments are adding parks of all sizes to their grounds. From large parks, complete with pirate ships, playgrounds, gazebos and barbeques, to small pocket parks where residents sit and enjoy a morning coffee, neighborhood parks are a great outdoor amenity to add to your community.

Sports and Recreation Areas

Sports areas are always a popular destination within the community. They offer children in the neighborhood an alternative to playing ball in the street. (They also save you the hassle of arguments between residents about broken windows and dented car doors.) These spaces don’t have to be tournament quality fields, just well-maintained, open spaces designated for sports and active recreation.

Bird Watching Trails

Many of today’s community master plans include a preserve or natural area at the center of the community. Innovative property managers and boards are adding walking trails and designated bird watching stations along these paths for residents to appreciate the natural beauty of their community, and maybe pick up a healthy new pastime.

Event Lawns

Long reserved for golf clubs and resorts, the well-manicured event lawn has found its way into the landscape plans of several large communities. A grand event lawn can be used for so much more than hosting weddings, special events and celebrations. These lawns are also great for hosting a community picnic, or a night out under the stars for a neighborhood movie night.

If your residents are looking for some fun, outdoor activities that help bring the community together, talk to your landscape provider about adding one of these ideas into your community’s common areas.