McKinney………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………page

McKinney, Texas has a population of 200,000. McKinney is almost 68 square miles. The city received a perfect score for the park, trails, and public space visual tenet. McKinney has 3,000 acres of park between their 45 parks and 60 miles of trails. The city also has four recreation centers, including one for elders, four pools, and a municipal golf course. In addition, McKinney has a soccer complex with frisbee golf and cricket fields. The cricket fields are installed in place of some soccer fields during a part of the year. The decision to install cricket infrastructure was based on community input and the recent increase of the Indian population in McKinney.

McKinney does a great job of keeping residents updated and included in the planning process. The Park Development page on the McKinney city website is extremely resourceful: https://www.mckinneytexas.org/614/Parks-Development. They also provide an active GIS map that allows residents to easily locate a number of amenities including picnic shelters, restrooms, splash pads and playgrounds: https://mck.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8f0f46dee8a047d7af62308c239a8b30.

Image 10. Park amenities in McKinney

McKinney’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan has made acquiring and managing parkland possible in the city. The master plan included ordinance language that required developments to follow specific guidelines that are mindful of the green space system that exists in McKinney. The residents of McKinney are fully aware of the park system and the future of it. The number one requested amenity in McKinney is more hike and bike trails. Surveying and communicating with the community are very important to

McKinney. Hike and bike trails around McKinney are depicted below in Image 11. A video about McKinney’s hike and bike trails can be seen at: https://youtu.be/BSZk7Yy6x0g. The trail stretches 6 continuous miles at one point.

Image 11. Hike and bike trails in McKinney.

In accordance with the master plan and city ordinances, developments must either dedicate some land to park land or pay a fee that is later used by the local government to build larger parks in areas picked based on surveying and master planning. Developments are also required to install sidewalks or hike and bike trails depending on the location of the development.

McKinney experiences annual flooding in certain areas of the city. They have planned a park system that is designed to minimize damage and maximize mitigation. Much of the flooding occurs around the Wilson Creek. The city has used the creek line to create a connected system of parks that also serve as floodplain areas. The dual rule of the land allows the land to still be utilized by the community in ways that other mitigative strategies do not address. This mitigative strategy is also passive, which the City of McKinney prefers because of the sustainability. The trail shown in the top right of image 11 is an example of a trail that floods annually. It is one of the 12-foot-wide trails in McKinney. The standard width for the hike and bike trails is 10-feet, however McKinney is in the process of increasing the standard to 12-feet.

The McKinney local government had very extensive and well-staffed departments. In addition to a parks and recreation department, McKinney also has development, management, athletics, and aquatics departments. Depending on the stage and nature of a development in a point in time, a particular department will oversee planning, oversight, or maintenance. For example, when a park is in the planning stages Parks and Recreation is in charge. After the park is completed, the management department takes over. This helps keep old and new initiatives in McKinney operating in good condition.