Details
Our masterplan for the Albany Parks system unifies disparate and distinctive parks to inspire civic pride and build a more resilient city.
Groundworks Office worked with the City of Albany to update their Parks Master Plan. Their diverse 43 acres of parkland ranged from a wild waterfront park to a manicured neighborhood tot-lot. We defined a unique aspirational vision for each park that worked together to contribute toward a bigger picture for transforming Albany into a more beautiful and ecologically resilient community.
To do this, we followed a four-step plan: Learn, Workshop, Evaluate and Implement. Each step built on the previous one while building consensus among the community and transforming residents into passionate stewards of the Albany Parks. Community feedback was essential. Despite developing the plan during a global pandemic, we were able to meet diverse groups of stakeholders and solicit ideas using every means of communication possible during the eight-month process. The project culminated with a safe community meeting that used sharp and clear graphics to share the ideas we developed together.
Albany's previous parks master plan was a collection of policy nomenclature, need assessments, and black-and-white spreadsheets full of cold, hard data. We wanted to give the city a more inspiring, more human master plan. The final document presents our findings and suggestions using bold graphics and bright colors to convey the ideals and excitement we felt from the community. It's not a rigorous tactical plan, but an adaptable framework for ensuring that parks serve all residents — today, tomorrow, and long into the future.