2022 Parks and Open Space Strategy

On October 15, 2013, City of Richmond Council adopted the City of Richmond 2022 Parks and Open Space Strategy as the guide for the delivery of services in the parks and open space system for the next decade. The parks and open space system in Richmond has evolved over the course of over 100 years to serve the needs of the community and encompasses the landscapes and special places that make Richmond unique. The City of Richmond 2022 Parks and Open Space Strategy traces the evolution of the system from the first playground to the current interconnected system of parks, trails and greenways, natural areas, waterfronts and the urban realm. It outlines the trends and challenges affecting the delivery of parks and open space services and it defines the desired outcomes and the priorities for sustaining and expanding the system over the next decade.

The complete 2022 Parks and Open Space Strategy is available for viewing by downloading the PDF documents below:

Executive Summary

Section 1: The Parks and Open Space Strategy: Planning for the Next Decade

Section 2: 1908 to 2013: Richmond's Parks and Open Space System

Section 3: Service Excellence

Section 4: Implementation Plan

Appendices

Appendix B: Parks and the Development Approval Process

Appendix C: Parks Division Lines of Business

Appendix D: Parks and Open Space System Inventory

Appendix E: Public Consultation Report

Purpose of the Strategy

Since the parks and open space system is central to community life and is interconnected with many other City services, the 2022 Parks and Open Space Strategy is intended to be used by multiple stakeholders: residents and community partners, City Council, developers and landowners as well as City staff. The purpose of the strategy is to:

Enable balanced decision making;
Explore innovation in resource management;
Explore integration of solutions to emerging urban issues;
Inspire community engagement and reflect community identity; and
Ensure the City is able to deliver great parks and a complete open space system.

The timing of this strategy coincides with a transformative period of Richmond’s history. Rapid growth and urbanization, an aging population, and increasing cultural diversity are just a few of the changes influencing the services provided by the parks and open space system.

Strategy Framework

The strategy has been organized around a framework of seven focus areas, each accompanied by outcome statements that will assist the City in setting priorities and allocating resources.

The framework was developed through public consultation with groups from across the city and of all ages, and through collaboration with multiple City departments. Through the consultation and collaboration process, insights regarding what people valued most about Richmond’s parks and open space system and important issues affecting parks services and open space were identified. These important insights are captured in the final chapter of the strategy, the Implementation Plan, which lists the priority actions that correspond to the outcome statements. A total of 146 priority actions have been identified.

Looking Forward to 2022

The Parks Division of the Community Services Department, as the stewards of the 2022 Parks and Open Space Strategy, will align its annual work plans with the outcomes and priority actions. Over the next decade the parks and open space system will:

Provide more opportunities for people to feel connected to their community and to be physically active;
Celebrate and showcase the city’s great places and offer vibrant urban parks, complemented by an engaging urban realm;
Provide an expanded trail and greenway system that significantly improves the walking, rolling and cycling network at the neighbourhood and city-wide levels;
Integrate ecosystem services across the system and develop eco-corridors along trails, greenways and streets;

POSS trail image

Build on our “Island City” heritage to develop more unique waterfront destinations, focus on increased recreational access to internal waterways (sloughs and canals), and celebrate water in innovative ways in the urban environment;
Incorporate a greater diversity of activities and function to both accommodate changing and diversifying community needs and to advance the City’s sustainability objectives; and,
Operate with increasing efficiency and effectiveness through the adoption of innovative practices and new technologies.

POSS innovation For more information, contact:

Parks Planning, Design and Construction, Community Services Division

Phone: 604-244-1208
Email: parks@richmond.ca

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