Dec 30, 2021

The City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced the Activate ATL: Recreation and Parks for All plan. Activate ATL is a high-level comprehensive master plan lays that out the departmental mission, vision, goals, and action plan following an intensive evaluation of the existing conditions of the parks and recreation system, population growth, and nationwide trends. The plan can be viewed online here.

“Our parks and recreation services play a key role in improving the overall health and quality of life for Atlantans,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “Thank you to our Parks and Recreation team for their commitment to equitable access to quality greenspaces and programming for all Atlanta communities.”

The Activate ATL Master Plan is unique and significant to the City’s parks and recreation operations for three key reasons.

First, the plan addresses inequities and geographic disparities within the parks and recreation system. It ensures that future investments will be prioritized to improve the existing parks and recreation system, especially in historically underserved parks.

Second, the plan identifies a new mission, vision and three major goals, which are to: Invest in Atlanta’s Parks and Recreation Assets; Connect Atlanta’s Parks and Recreation Resources; and Grow the Parks and Recreation System. DPR aims to achieve these goals and the action steps that follow over the next ten years.

Third, a new Parks and Recreation Equity Data Tool (a result of a two-year partnership between DPR and Bloomberg Associates) was developed and will use data-driven mapping to accurately identify disparities within the parks and recreation system and help pinpoint specific strategies to eliminate those disparities. The interactive tool evaluates community and park needs and identifies neighborhoods with the greatest need for park investment and capital improvements. Ultimately, it will track and evaluate the impact of DPR’s efforts over time.

The public engagement process to gather input on all aspects of the plan was the most inclusive and robust community outreach effort ever undertaken by DPR, in collaboration with Park Pride and funded through a generous grant from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation. More than 10,000 Atlantans across every zip code provided input on Activate ATL, sharing both their visions and concerns.

In addition to community engagement efforts and other research, the findings led to the understanding that as the City of Atlanta population grows to an estimated 700,000 over the next 10 years, DPR must address any challenges within the parks and recreation system to ensure quality programs and DPR’s structure accommodate that growth.

“Activate ATL brings the City of Atlanta a ‘high-level’ comprehensive parks and recreation master plan that will be utilized as the road map of where we want to see our system in 10 years,” said DPR Commissioner John Dargle. “Activate ATL is rooted in the belief that great parks and recreation systems make great cities. Therefore, the plan establishes DPR’s ambitious, long-range framework that aims to transform the City’s parks and recreation system into one of the most successful and dynamic systems in the nation!” The Commissioner further explained the need for the Plan saying, “Atlanta is growing, and our parks and recreation system must keep up with residents’ needs; from improving maintenance in existing facilities, offering exceptional recreational programming, connecting trails, greenways, and nature preserves, expanding biking and walking trails, and of course maintaining the incredible Atlanta BeltLine.”

Activate ATL provides DPR a blueprint for making strategic and equitable investments through the year 2030 and beyond, ensuring that Atlanta parks and recreation will continue to rank among the top systems in the nation.

Implementation of Activate ATL will officially begin in 2022.

From the onset of the pandemic, Atlanta’s parks and recreation centers served as social and cultural connectors, and as sources of personal health. DPR employees also served more than 100,000 residents with meals during the pandemic—most of whom were children and lower-income residents.

You can view the full report at the following link: Activate_ATL_FullDocument_FINAL_Pages_WEB.pdf (activate-atl.com).

Original post: https://www.atlantaga.gov/Home/Components/News/News/13973/1338

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