Innovation in...Community Facilities (Recreation

COMMERCIAL STREET The parks of Manchester are one of the City’s best assets. Municipal parksand-recreation systems across the U.S. have evolved to include a wider variety of spaces to support a much broader range of activities. The composition of these newer systems has expanded the role of parks and recreation to address active living at any age, better environmental stewardship, and EXPAND THE PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM. Assess the condition of existing parks in terms of the following: • Quality, considering the level of maintenance and the potential need for replacement of structures. ◊ Continued and improved maintenance to existing parks and recreation facilities. • Accessibility 1Recreation improved community health and well- ◊ Expand the rail/trail signage being. and wayfinding that could grow into a full consistent parks signage and wayfinding program.

◊ Safe connections to nearby neighborhoods and schools, mainly via a connected network of trails that serve both recreation and transportation purposes. ◊ Internal walkways that meet ADA requirements. ◊ Consistent signage and wayfinding. • Safety, especially landscaping, to ensure visibility into and out of the parks.

Following the assessment, develop a facilities plan that identifies and prioritizes the range of potential projects. As part of this effort to upgrade existing parks and add parks to the systems, consider partnerships with private developers to provide publicly accessible open space. Such “privately-owned public open space” (POPOS) can help meet the demand for park space without substantially increasing the burden on the City to provide and maintain such facilities.

The Greening the City Master Plan from 2006 should be updated to further assess and provide recommendations for Manchester’s parks and recreation.

BEDFORD STREETopportunities. Creating programs that provide a variety of active recreation opportunities can draw people with different interests to the parks. These activities can include popular “adult recess” activities such as kickball and dodgeball, nighttime nature events, and races such as mud runs and obstacle races. Use parks and recreation locations as community wellness hubs. Manchester can capitalize on parks and recreation facilities already being community gathering places to expand them into community wellness hubs that offer a variety of services such as counseling, healthcare, food and nutrition assistance, and other public services. In this way the park and recreation facilities can also be used to address health and social equity.