Creating an Effective Community Engagement Plan: A Guide for Parks and Recreation Departments

Unlocking the full potential of parks and recreation requires vibrant community engagement. When parks and recreation departments prioritize connecting with their communities, they set the stage for thriving spaces and programs that capture hearts and enthusiasm. Remember: it’s not just about projects or initiatives — it’s about fostering and enhancing public trust.

At the same time, community engagement is important to parks and recreation departments because it:

• Provides valuable insights into the needs and preferences of communities
• Increases the use and enjoyment of parks and recreation facilities
• Builds public support for parks and recreation initiatives
• Helps secure funding for parks and recreation projects

To be successful, community engagement must encompass strategies and processes sensitive to the community-context in which it occurs. Ultimately, incorporating resident feedback into planning and decision-making enables parks and recreation departments to better serve their communities.

However, it is important to note that local governments cannot create a single plan for effective community engagement and simply check it off a to-do list. Every new parks and recreation project or initiative needs a dedicated plan to motivate community members to become engaged.

With that in mind, Creating an Effective Community Engagement Plan: A Guide for Parks and Recreation Departments, will provide parks and recreation department personnel with:

• A deeper understanding of community engagement
• A step-by-step process for creating a community engagement plan
• Practical tips for evaluating community engagement plan effectiveness

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