How to Design a Park

Congratulations. Your community group has campaigned successfully to turn the vacant lot on the corner into a park. Eventually, you'll be meeting with an architect, an engineer and municipal safety regulators, but right now your committee has the opportunity to submit input on what your park will offer and how it should look. It's time to translate your ideas into a manageable plan. Follow the steps below to create a preliminary design for a park.

Instructions

Preparing a Design

1. Review your campaign goals and identify how many of them you can probably fit into your park. Your neighborhood may need a place for children to play. Elderly neighbors may want a place to stroll and sit. Community garden plots may be a priority. Review the knowledge of your neighborhood that made your campaign a success and identify what your park needs to offer.

2. Obtain maps and charts of your park lot from your municipality. You want to see both the surface area and what lies under the surface. A jungle gym's a great idea, but it shouldn't sit right over a water main; you'll lose your gym if the main springs a leak. And a shade tree needs deep soil, not the edge of a rock ledge, to flourish. Learn as much as you can about your property before you plan your design.

3. Assign research responsibilities and reporting schedules. For example, the person or group looking at park services for elderly residents needs to research good walking surfaces and benches. A slope may need steps, a ramp or railings. Perhaps permanent chess or checkers tables are a good idea. For each item being considered, you should find out the size, shape and cost.

4. List the questions only experts can answer. Is there a water line for gardens or a drinking fountain? How much maintenance will be provided? What lighting is available? Discuss these matters with the professionals responsible for creating the park.

5. Stay flexible to accommodate as many neighborhood wishes as possible. You may wish to create more than one possible design. Stay responsive to alternatives. The wading pool may be impossible, but you may be offered a creative climbing structure instead.

6. Sketch out the possibilities. Don't forget to measure. Invite interested neighbors to examine your design. Thank your hardworking committee. Raising funds for equipment, working to maintain your park and other hard work will lie ahead, but it's time to celebrate right now. You have created the design for your park.

Tips & Warnings

• Keeping your neighbors involved throughout the design process is especially important if fund-raising will be needed to turn your ideas into reality.

• Park design is a big project. A few obstacles are likely to occur. Staying positive and flexible is the best way to overcome them.