Transmittal - 3/30/2022Page 1 of 3 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84104
ERIN MENDENHALL
MAYOR
DEPARTMENT of PUBLIC LANDS
OFFICE of the DIRECTOR
CITY COUNCIL TRANSMITTAL
Date Received:
Lisa Shaffer, Chief Administrator Officer Date sent to Council:
TO: Salt Lake City Council DATE: March 24, 2022
Dan Dugan, Chair
FROM: Kristin Riker, Director, Public Lands Department
SUBJECT: Adoption of Reimagine Nature – SLC Public Lands 20-Year Master Plan
STAFF CONTACT: Kristin Riker
Director, Salt Lake City Public Lands
Kristin.Riker@slcgov.com
COUNCIL SPONSOR: Not Applicable
DOCUMENT TYPE: Ordinance
RECOMMENDATION: Adoption of Public Lands Reimagine Nature Master Plan
BUDGET IMPACT:
The Master Plan provides strategic direction, ‘transformative project’ priorities, policy
recommendations and strategies for action to be implemented by the Department of Public Lands
over the next 20 years. However, the scope, scale and form that implementation of these
strategies take will be determined through development of individual projects and initiatives; the
Master Plan itself does not have specific budgetary impacts.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
From 2020 through 2021, Salt Lake City Public Lands has worked to develop a new Public Lands
Master Plan, which has been given the name “Reimagine Nature.” The master plan will provide a
guiding vision for the City’s four Public Lands Divisions (Parks, Trails & Natural Lands, Urban
Forestry, and Golf) and will establish an inspirational framework to guide how Public Lands will
grow and prioritize investments for the next 10-20 years. Reimagine Nature uses comprehensive,
evidence-based analysis, coupled with community engagement, to address current challenges,
improve our public lands system, and prioritize and identify transformative projects for Salt Lake
City’s public lands.
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC LANDS
1965 WEST 500 SOUTH
WWW.SLCGOV.COM
TEL:801-972-7800
Lisa Shaffer 04/30/2022
04/30/2022
Page 2 of 3
Reimagine Nature proposes big ideas to transform and sustain quality outdoor spaces that are
safe, welcoming and walkable and ensure people, wildlife and ecosystems benefit from fair
investment of Salt Lake City resources over the next 20 years.
Three foundational values provide the basis for Reimagine Nature and its recommendations: a
culture of stewardship to protect wildlife, trees, mountains, lakes, rivers and scenic views;
improving livability in SLC in the face of the impacts of climate change and population growth;
and providing greater equity in the way the community has access to close-to-home, high-quality
green spaces.
Reimagine Nature is organized around five principal goals the Public Lands Department aims to
prioritize over the next 20 years: (1) Environmental Health and Sustainability; (2) Accessible and
Connected Green Spaces; (3) Active, Authentic and Inclusive Places; (4) A Commitment to
Stewardship; and (5) Expanding our Public Lands. The goals of the plan are further supported by
strategies, policies and tangible action steps to guide transformational change, as well as ten
proposed ‘transformative projects’ to implement the vision of Reimagine Nature.
PUBLIC PROCESS:
Community engagement for the master plan process used a multi-pronged approach that
included an online survey, focus groups, micro-engagement events and community partnerships
to reach typically underrepresented groups. Using COVID-19 protocols, the city’s framework for
equitable engagement best practices, and multiple types of tactics, the team connected with over
12,000 Salt Lake City community members, providing input during online focus groups,
University of Utah student-led intercept interviews and micro-engagement events, and through
an online survey. A detailed description of the engagement process, including a summary of who
provided feedback, and what they told the city, can be found in the Engagement Summaries at
www.ReimagineNatureSLC.com.
In brief, the engagement process consists of three engagement windows, the first two of which are
complete:
Engagement Window 1: Building a Foundation of Understanding
Engagement Window 1 was conducted from August through December of 2020. Results from this
first round of engagement identified concepts and ideas that most resonated with the community
to support Public Lands’ values of promoting equity, livability and sustainability. Engagement
window one also gathered community ideas for Reimagine Nature goals and projects and
measured community support for initial transformative projects identified from previous
community feedback and research gathered in the 2019 Public Lands Needs Assessment. The
Reimagine Nature framework, including refined goals and transformative projects, was developed
from feedback received in Engagement Window 1.
Engagement Window 2: Visioning Transformational Projects and Priority Actions
Engagement Window 2 was held from March through May of 2021. Engagement Window 2
gathered feedback on the Reimagine Nature framework to verify that the plan was developing in
the right direction and had community support. Engagement Window 2 served as a check point to
identify any important information that may have been missing from Reimagine Nature.
Engagement Window 3: Final Master Plan Adoption
This engagement period will occur as the City Council takes up consideration of
formally adopting Reimagine Nature as a city master plan for Public Lands , and is
expected to occur during February and March of 2022. Engagement during this phase will be led
primarily by City Council staff, with outreach support from Public Lands.
Page 3 of 3
NEXT STEP:
The City Council will lead the Master Plan adoption process for Reimagine Nature in the first
months of 2022. The Reimagine Nature project team, including Public Lands staff and the lead
consultant Design Workshop, are prepared to brief the City Council on Reimagine Nature and
support public engagement during the adoption process as requested by the City Council.
Following adoption of Reimagine Nature, Public Lands will work to organize its year -by-year
actions and project priorities around the recommendations of Reimagine Nature. Public Lands is
requesting support in the FY23 CIP process for development of a five-year strategic plan that will
identify the specific projects, initiatives, activities, and organizational focus areas that will
facilitate and accelerate plan implementation in the near-term.
EXHIBITS:
A. Salt Lake City Ordinance
B. Reimagine Nature Master Plan Draft
C. Reimagine Nature Public Engagement Summaries
cc:
Lisa Shaffer
Kristin Riker
Tyler Murdock
Nancy Monteith
Attachment A
Salt Lake City Ordinance
1
SALT LAKE CITY ORDINANCE
No. _____ of 2022
(Adopting the Salt Lake City Reimagine Nature Master Plan)
An ordinance adopting the Salt Lake City Reimagine Nature Master Plan.
WHEREAS, the Reimagine Nature Master Plan establishes a framework to guide how
Public Lands will care for, grow, and, prioritize investments for the next 10 to 20 years; and
WHEREAS, after a hearing before the city council, the City Council has determined that
adopting this ordinance is in the best interest of the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained by the City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah:
SECTION 1. Adopting the Salt Lake City Reimagine Nature Master Plan. That the “Salt
Lake City Reimagine Nature Master Plan” is hereby adopted to read and appear as provided in
Exhibit “A” attached hereto.
SECTION 2. Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective on the date of its
first publication.
Passed by the City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah, this ______ day of ______________,
2022.
______________________________
CHAIRPERSON
ATTEST AND COUNTERSIGN:
______________________________
CITY RECORDER
Transmitted to Mayor on _______________________.
Mayor's Action: _______Approved. _______Vetoed.
2
______________________________
MAYOR
______________________________
CITY RECORDER
(SEAL)
Bill No. ________ of 2022.
Published: ______________.
APPROVED AS TO FORM
Salt Lake City Attorney’s Office
Date:__________________________________
By: ___________________________________
Boyd Ferguson, Senior City Attorney
3-24-22
ATTACHMENT B
Reimagine Nature Master Plan Draft
FINAL DRAFT 01/2022
Prepared by
iii
SLC PUBLIC LANDS PROJECT TEAM
Kristin Riker, Director of Public Lands
Nancy Monteith, Senior Landscape Architect, Project Manager
Lewis Kogan, Public Lands Deputy Director
Lee Bollwinkel, Parks Division Director
Tony Gliot, Urban Forestry Division Director
Matt Kammeyer, Golf Division Director
Luke Allen, Community Outreach, Events, and Marketing Manager
Amy Nielson, Community Events Manager
Katie Riser, Volunteer, Outreach & Education Coordinator
Valerie Huitzil, Graphic Design Technician
Leah Smith, Special Events Permit Coordinator
Suzy Lee, Parks Usage Coordinator
Kezia Lopez, Office Facilitator
SALT LAKE CITY STAFF
Nick Norris, Planning Director
Allison Rowland, Public Policy Analyst II, City Council
Sarah Benj, Salt Lake City American Disability Act (ADA) Coordinator
Michael Guymon, Engineer, Public Utilities
Celina Milner, Policy Advisor for Diversity and Human Rights
Kyle Strayer, Civic Engagement Team
PARKS, NATURAL LANDS, URBAN FORESTRY AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD
Ginger Cannon, At-large
Polly Hart, At-large
Jenny Hewson, At-large
Elliot Mott, At-large former
Fred Fife, District 2 former
Melanie Pehrson, District 2
Phil Carrol, District 3
Gwen Springmeyer, District 3 former
Brianna Binnebose, District 5
Katie Davis, District 6 former
CJ Whittaker, District 6
Samantha Finch, District 7
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH COLLEGE OF CITY AND METROPOLITAN PLANNING
Dr. Ivis García, Assistant Professor
Elizabeth Arnold, Westside Studio
Teaching Assistant
Students of Community Engagement in
Planning
Students of West Side Studio
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
DESIGN WORKSHOP
Anna Laybourn
Amanda Jeter
Mary Oliver
Michael Stout
Ashton Breeding
Nino Pero
Renee Ludlam
ETM ASSOCIATES
Tim Marshall
Desiree Liu
v
PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I
Executive Letter ..................................................vii
Plan on a Page ..................................................viii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Background ......................................................3
Plan Horizon ................................................3
Planning Process ............................................4
How To Use This Plan .............................................5
Plan Framework Diagram .....................................6
Past and Present .................................................7
System Facts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Challenges ......................................................11
Plan Components & Relevant Plans .................................15
Needs Assessment Snapshot ......................................17
Community Engagement Summary .................................19
CHAPTER 2: FRAMEWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Master Plan Vision Statement ................................33
Plan Values ................................................33
Plan Goals .................................................35
Transformative Projects Overview .............................41
CHAPTER 3: SUSTAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Sustain: Environmental Health & Sustainability ......................45
Sustain: Strategies & Policies Overview .......................49
Transformative Project 1 - Put Environment First .................51
Transformative Project 2 - Grow Our Urban Forest ..............57
CHAPTER 4: CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Connect: Accessible & Connected Green Spaces ..................65
Connect: Strategies & Policies Overview .......................71
Transformative Project 3 - Connect Mountains To The Lake .....77
Transformative Project 4 - Just Five Minutes From Here .........83
CHAPTER 5: WELCOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Welcome: Active & Inclusive Places ...............................91
Welcome: Strategies & Policies Overview .....................95
Transformative Project 5 - Reimagine Neighborhood Parks ......97
Transformative Project 6 - Coming Soon To A Park Near You ...107
CHAPTER 6: PROTECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Protect: A Commitment To Stewardship .................................115
Protect: Strategies & Policies Overview .......................121
Transformative Project 7 - Revive Our River ...................123
Transformative Project 8 - Sustaining Our Stories ..............131
CHAPTER 7: GROW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Grow: Expand Our Park System ...................................141
Parks Classification Tables .................................145
Future Investments and Recommendations by Planning Area ...149
Grow: Strategies & Policies Overview ........................157
Transformative Project 9 – Downtown Comes Alive Outside ....160
Transformative Project 10 - Welcome To The Green ............165
CHAPTER 8: ACTION STRATEGIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Next Steps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Approaches For Action ......................................181
APPENDIX DOCUMENTS:
A. Public Engagement Reports
B. 2019 Needs Assessment
CONTENTS
ix
REIMAGINE NATURE Letter from Mayor Erin Mendenhall
Salt Lake City’s natural realm is a shared sanctuary for people, ecologies and wildlife -
a legacy landscape shaped by Native Americans, pioneers, flora and fauna including 72
mammal species of the Wasatch Front, and nearly 200,000 city residents represented
by 120 diverse spoken languages. While the mountains, plains, wetlands and Great
Salt Lake of the valley inspire humankind and provide wildlife habitat, impacts from
climate change, poor air quality, increasing population, historic drought and aging
infrastructure threaten the city’s ability to protect nature. Throughout the city there
are disparate levels of engagement in the outdoors, requiring attention to differing
interests, needs, access, and investments. We must intentionally correct for historic
racism and classism and providing people access to opportunities across the city
so as not to inherently perpetuate disparities. The state of the city’s extraordinary
public lands is at a crossroads and all these factors create a need for a bold and
transformational plan to guide us.
The first citywide public lands master plan in 29 years, Reimagine Nature delivers
a vision for the next 20 years and is informed by over 12,000 community members
who shared hopes and dreams for play, civic pride, nature, outdoor fitness, greening,
and more in the city. The public process elevated conversations of transitioning
Public Lands from a Division to a City Department that would allow for a more robust
planning arm focused on projects and ecological services. Salt Lake City’s Public
Lands Department will now include two collaborative groups to support the planning
and operations of the four divisions of parks, trails and natural lands, golf and urban
forestry. This move also supports the four objectives of my 2021 Plan: Recharge, Reset,
Rebound in keeping pace with the city’s growth, leading environmental stewardship,
listening equitably to our communities and supporting employee well-being.
Coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, public engagement required
adaptation, creativity, and support from the many community partners and advocates
that we thank for their immeasurable contributions as ambassadors. Through this
health crisis we witnessed increased visitation to public lands, learning that parks were
a refuge to many – a community asset for resilience and essential service.
Reimagine Nature reflects core community values for public lands: equity, stewardship
and livability. Conversations around equity in public lands reflect nationwide and
neighborhood trends to provide additional resources to public spaces and programs
serving low and middle-income households who often struggle to access quality natural
experiences as part of their daily lives. Calls for stewardship of public lands came across
emphatically with desires to take care of what we have and protect invaluable pieces of
our natural community. Concerns for the livability of Salt Lake City are also top of mind
in the midst of many environmental and climate challenges, rising cost of living, urgent
social issues of homelessness and keeping up with population growth.
With dedication, passion, and foresight to conserve Salt Lake City’s greatest natural
asset, it is our hope that this document directs us in responsibly managing the public’s
lands and waters in ways that honor community aspirations and support thriving plants
and wildlife. The next page provides a summary snapshot of the plan’s key elements.
Sincerely, Mayor Erin Mendenhall
Natural lands along the Jordan River
provide essential riparian habitat.
SLC Public Lands Master Plan vision proposes big
ideas to transform and sustain quality outdoor
spaces that are welcoming, safe and walkable;
ensuring people, wildlife and ecosystems benefit
from fair investment of Salt Lake City resources over
the next 20 years.
1) Put Environment First
2) Grow Our Urban Forest
3) Connect Mountains to the Lake
4) Just 5 Minutes From Here
5) Reimagine Neighborhood Parks
6) Coming Soon to a Park Near You
7) Revive Our River
8) Sustaining Our Stories
9) Downtown Comes Alive Outside
10) Welcome to the Green
VALUES: VISION:
Chapter One: Introduction xi
SUSTAIN
STEWARDSHIP
SUSTAIN CONNECT WELCOME PROTECT
EQUITY
GROW
GOALS & 10 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS: LIVABILITY
environmental health & sustainability
accessible & connected green spaces
active, authentic & inclusive places a commitment to stewardship expand our Public Lands system
2
1CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION
Reimagined nature in an urban setting is evident when taking in the treetop views of SLC and the surrounding mountains.
LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREENER HORIZON
We have a heightened awareness that
complex factors such as ecological systems,
historical influence, and social equity
impact planning for Salt Lake City’s Public
Lands. Reimagine Nature is an opportunity
to redefine approaches for the City’s parks,
trails, golf courses and natural lands as
environmental and social assets. It sets
forth a vision for Public Lands to champion
initiatives that improve air quality, address
public health disparities, make a more
resilient future in the face of climate change
and provide green space to balance rapid
urban development.
Chapter One: Introduction 4
Figure 1: Planning Process Timeline
PLAN HORiZON 2020-2040
Salt Lake City’s 88 parks, 86,500
urban forest trees, six golf courses
and thousands of acres of natural
landscapes are the culmination of
more than a century of committed
care and preservation. As Salt
Lake City welcomes another
30,000 residents over the next
20 years (by 2040) and as the
diversity and health of our city’s
nature is threatened by the
impacts of climate change, a
plan to grow and protect public
lands and the quality of life those
natural landscapes afford to all
living things is needed. This plan
provides a vision to aspire to for
the next two decades and outlines
specific direction for near-term
actions.
PLANNiNG PROCESS
Reimagine Nature is one
component of a larger planning
effort to direct the future of
SLC Public Lands. The planning
process includes the 2019 Needs
Assessment,1 an inventory of the
Public Lands system; Reimagine
Nature, which outlines goals and
strategies; and will be completed
with detailed Public Lands 5-Year
Strategic Plans, a series of 5-year
1 https://www.slcdocs.com/parks/
SLCPLNeedsAssessment.pdf
IT’S IN OUR NATURE
working plans updated annually by
Public Lands Staff.
A comprehensive community
engagement process informed
every step of the plan
development, including a
statistically valid resident survey
and other outreach to inform
the 2019 Needs Assessment.2
Community member, technical
expert, partner staff and
stakeholder input guided the
Reimagine Nature plan content
through the course of the planning
process. The timeline to the
right highlights the phases and
engagement activities.
2 Ibid
Public engagement at Allen Park.
REIMAGINE NATURE
PLANNING PROCESS
TIMELINE
REiMAGiNE
NATURE
ENGAGEMENT
NUMBERS:
12,159
PEOPLE
PROviDED
iNPUT
2018-2019 SLC PARK AND PUBLIC
LANDS NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Community Survey #1
Public Lands Staff Interviews
2022-2040 REIMAGINE NATURE:
SLC PUBLIC LANDS IMPLEMENTATION
PROCESS
Master plan goals and projects annual
assessment
Salt Lake City annual budgeting process
Public Lands 5-Year Strategic Plan
2030 and 2040 master plan updates
2020-2021 REIMAGINE NATURE: SLC
PUBLIC LANDS MASTER PLAN
Phase 1: Foundation of Understanding
Community Survey #2
University of Utah College of City
and Metropolitan Planning Intercept
Interviews and Outreach
Public Lands Pop-Up Events
Community Council Presentations
Phase 2: Draft Vision, Goals and
Transformational Projects
Community Survey #3
University of Utah College of City and
Metropolitan Planning Westside Studio
Neighborhood Park Outreach
Community Council Presentations
Public Lands Meet-and-Greets
City Departments Collaborative
Workshop
Online Town Halls & Facebook Live
Open House
Phase 3: Draft & Final Master Plan
City Leadership Groups Review
Online Draft Plan for Public Comment
City Council Adoption
Chapter One: Introduction 6 Evening walk at Monument Plaza.
Figure 2: Master Plan framework and definitions
Specific policies and actions
to realize the transformative
projects, plan goals, and direct
operations and maintenance
strategies .10 Transformational ProjectsElements of the master plan have
been refined by the public to
ensure the language reflects the
community’s hopes, concerns
and desires for the future of
public lands. Over the past year,
more than 12,000 community
members have helped direct a
vision and identify what needs to
be improved for our natural lands,
urban forests, city parks and city
golf courses.
The intention is to establish
collective aspirations for the future
that create strategic planning
and alignment. This is meant to
be flexible to adapt to changing
HOW TO USE THIS PLAN
circumstances and will require
significant additional effort,
resources, and funding to achieve
over a ten-year period or more,
with some of the actions already
underway.
The master plan is a compilation
of visions, values, goals, projects,
strategies and actions. These
elements are organized in a
hierarchy ranging from broad
ideals to detailed policies and are
highlighted in Figure 2 to the right.
Monument Plaza in Sugar House.
Salt Lake City Public Lands Department Vision & Mission
Statements that guide Public
Lands in their role and what
the department aspires to
achieve . Guides the master plan
and all other aspects of the
department’s operations and
planning efforts .
City-wide, long-range vision
for the next 20 years of Public
Lands’ work .
Guiding principles that align
with other city plans and
policies and focus the master
plan goals .
What the master plan aims to
achieve, supports values and
is supported by high-level
strategies and policy actions .
Specific, inspirational projects
identified by the community to
realize over the next 20 years .
List of 146 near-term possible action items to support this plan- updated annually.
Master Plan Vision
Stewardship
Livability
Equity
Welcome
Connect
Protect
Grow
Sustain
1) Put Environment First
2) Grow Our Urban Forest
3) Connect Mountains to Lake
4) Just 5 Minutes From Here
5) Reimagine Neighborhoods Parks
6) Coming Soon to a Park Near You
7) Revive Our River
8) Sustinaing Our Stories
9) Downtown Comes Alive
10) Welcome to the GreenSalt Lake City Public Lands Department Vision & Mission3 Value Lenses5 Big Goals10 Transformational ProjectsStrategies and Actions
Chapter One: Introduction 8
THE NATURE OF SALT LAKE CiTY
Ancient Lake Bonneville once
covered the present-day mountain
valley of Salt Lake City and beyond
into Utah, Nevada and Idaho. The
Great Salt Lake remains the last
remnant of Lake Bonneville in the
Intermountain West and frames
the northwest part of the city. The
Wasatch Mountains stand sentinel
to the east and north and the
Oquirrh Mountains (pronounced
“oaker”) to the west. This geologic
history gives shape and form to
the present-day landscapes of
the city’s Great Basin, marshlands,
mudflats, ancient lakebed benches,
drainages and cottonwood
galleries, foothills, narrow canyons
and mountain peaks, some of
which rise 6,000 feet from the
basin floor.
THE HiSTORY OF PEOPLE AND PLACE
Five tribes including the Shoshone,
Piute, Ute, Goshute and Navajo
inhabited the territory that later
became Utah. The lands where
desert meets lake and surrounding
wetlands adjacent to Salt Lake
City hosted American Indian
habitation beginning 10,000 years
ago through European settlement.
Explorers, Mormon settlers,
farmers and miners heading to the
California gold rush traveled to
present day Salt Lake City in the
Salt Lake City’s natural lands, urban forest, city parks and golf landscapes reflect the scenic beauty of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and are the culmination of more than a century of preservation and cultivation since the city’s founding in 1847 .
PAS T & PRESENT
SLC PUBLiC LANDS DEPARTMENT MiSSiON & viSiON
MISSION: What We Do
We enhance the livability of the
urban environment through a
diverse network of natural open
spaces, recreational opportunities,
park facilities, city golf landscapes,
the city cemetery and the urban
forest to ensure that the resources
under our management are
carefully stewarded for future
generations.
VISION: What We Aspire to Achieve
A vibrant system of connected
public landscapes and living
infrastructure that enhances the
community’s identity, sense of
place and quality of life.
mid-1800s. Settlers laid out tree-
lined city streets in a Jeffersonian-
grid originating on the southeast
corner of Temple Square and the
city’s earliest parks, including the
10-acre, square-shaped Pioneer
Park, follow this form. The city
acquired additional parks and
natural areas in the surrounding
foothills and along creeks and
rivers - within neighborhoods and
as larger regional and community
destination parks. The natural
and cultural histories of this place
are embedded in the parks, trails,
urban forest, natural areas and
bucolic golf landscapes which
remain today and enhance the
quality of life for current-day
residents.
Public Lands are integral and essential to life in Salt Lake City.
Fishing at Fairmont Pond.
Walking, jogging and hiking are top activities in
areas managed by the Trails and Natural Lands
Division such as the Fife Wetland Preserve and the
6,423-acres of Foothills Natural Area, canyons and
foothills bordering the northern and eastern limits of
SLC. More than 70 miles of off-street trails connect
residents to parks and natural lands.
The urban forest’s street trees are one of the
most accessible forms of nature, extending into
every neighborhood and business district in the
city, resulting in a literal canopy of shade, beauty,
socioeconomic, environment and health benefits.
Most residents live within a half mile or 10-minute
walk to a local park, and that’s important to 97% of
people polled. 75% of residents who live on the east
side visit parks at least once a month, while 60% of
west-siders visit parks once a month. Established in
1881 to be SLC’s “Central Park,” historic Liberty Park
is the most visited park in the system.
SLC Public Lands six municipal golf courses
are the newest addition to the public lands
management. These spaces create opportunities
for the community to exercise in nature, while also
providing critical open space within the City that
helps clean the air and reduce urban temperatures
and provides shelter for urban wildlife.
Chapter One: Introduction 10
SLC PUBLIC LANDS SYSTEM MAP
LEGEND
108 HOLES
PUBLIC GOLF COURSES
70.7 MILES
EXISTING TRAILS
129.4 MILES
PROPOSED TRAILS
19 NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS
3 SPECIAL EVENT,
15 COMMUNITY AND
2 REGIONAL PARKS
6,423 ACRES
FOOTHILLS
NATURAL AREA
121 ACRE CITY
CEMETERY
1,694 ACRES
NATURAL LANDS
42 MINI PARKS 86,500 TREES
URBAN FOREST
o l fg
70 .7
Miles of Existing Trails
129 .4
Miles of Proposed Trails
6,423
Acres Foothills Natural Area
Collaborative Management Zone
1,694
Acres Natural Lands
86,500
Urban Forest Trees
3 Special Event 15 Community and 2 Regional Parks
42 Mini Parks 19 Neighborhood Parks
108 Holes of City Public Golf
121 Acre City Cemetery
1 Regional Athletic Complex (16 Outdoor Sports Fields)
system facts
o l fg
PRESENT SYSTEM
Figure 3: Public Lands System Map. System facts are current as of 2020.
Chapter One: Introduction 12
CHALLENGES
COMPLEx iSSUES
Today Salt Lake City’s urban
nature faces many challenges:
rapid degradation to ecological
systems exacerbated by
climate change, lingering social
inequities from historic zoning
and planning decisions, unhealthy
environmental factors like poor
air quality fueled by expanding
population, competing priorities
for limited city funding, rapid
development downtown and
the urgent need to redefine
green space. The Reimagine
Nature master plan vision is
shaped by an understanding of
the environmental and social
challenges facing public lands.
Salt Lake City’s Public Lands are
increasingly under pressure from
the impacts of climate change
including record heat, volatile
weather, drought and some of
the worst air quality in the nation.
The environmental pressures
impact nature today and in the
future. A 2019 climate study
predicts Salt Lake City’s summers
could feel more like Las Vegas
by 2050, a change that would
drastically impact the city’s plants
and wildlife.3 The city has been
experiencing an extreme drought
of historic proportion, prompting a
state of emergency called in 2020
by Utah’s governor and creating
3 Crowther Lab, https://journals.plos.org/
plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.
pone.0217592
Air pollution inversion over the Salt Lake Valley.
a need for solutions that support
nature in the absence of water
resources. The September 2020
wind storm (derecho) blew down
1,300 trees in the city and over a
dozen parks shut down temporarily
for clean-up activities. Many of
these mature trees reflect decades
of care and provided valued shade.
Since their earliest establishment
more than a century ago, the
City’s parks, trails, and public
green space have been promoted
as places of refuge from the
nuisances of city life with goals
of addressing a host of social
woes. However, encampments of
unhoused people within public
properties and their removal have
often brought in to question this
premise. Throughout this process
the most common topic raised
was concern and a spectrum of
approaches suggested for public
lands and people experiencing
homelessness. It is clear that
housing dispersal of unhoused
individuals throughout the city
has caused more people to feel
discomfort, witness challenges
with social interactions and/or
environmental degradation of
spaces people are occupying
for their survival. The graphic
below is a past public relations
informational campaign that
was used to help build comfort
with interactions and expresses
that parks cannot solve for
homelessness alone, but must
take a compassionate approach
for collective response.
SALT LAKE CiTY
GROWTH
SLC is home to over 196,000
people representing a broad range
of socioeconomic backgrounds
and cultural heritages that include
over 80 spoken languages.
The 2019 Needs Assessment
estimates that this “population
Many of the city’s mature shade trees were lost in the 2020 wind storm.Figure 4: 2018 SLC Parks and Homelessness Public Relations Campaign.
Chapter One: Introduction 14
light-yellow areas in Figure 5
below) or areas where residents
are not within a half-mile walk of
a park or green space particularly
in the Central Community, Sugar
House and East Bench planning
communities.
The questions of who can walk
to public lands, who can afford
to travel to public lands, who has
the leisure time to enjoy public
lands and what languages and
social cues welcome different
groups to public lands have also
been asked during the 2019
Needs Assessment and the
Reimagine Nature community
process. Nationally, best practices
encourage reflecting on these
be required to meet future park
needs at the same level of service
as today. However, Utah is growing
faster than projections made
during the Needs Assessment and
it is likely that the city will need to
be innovative and do even more
than previously reported to meet
increasing demand.
PUBLiC LANDS SERviCE GAPS
The 2019 Needs Assessment
analyzed the public’s needs
and desires for public lands and
performed different types of
analysis mappings to understand
where gaps may exist. The
assessment found gaps (visible
doubles during the daytime, due
to individuals coming into the city
to work.”4 The City’s parks and
surrounding natural areas create
a desirable quality of life drawing
a projected future population
growth of an additional 30,000
people moving to Salt Lake City
by 2040. Additionally, Salt Lake
City’s population is aging and
becoming more diverse. The 2019
Needs Assessment found that
the majority of city residents live
within a half mile of a park, natural
land or trail and parks are well
distributed. The study also noted
that 94 acres of new park land will
4 2019 SLC Public Lands Needs Assessment
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HogleZoo
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2100 SRedwood Rd700 WWest Temple St1300 E11th Ave
500 S
Sunnyside Dr
1300 S
State StHigh
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Dr2100 E§¨¦80
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Salt LakeRegionalAthleticComplex
LibrarySquare
LibertyPark
Sugar HousePark
Jordan Park/Peace Gardens
RiversidePark
RosewoodPark
ConstitutionPark
SunnysidePark
MemoryGrove Park CityCemetery
Glendale Park
PioneerPark
11th AvenuePark
Donner TrailPark
Ensign PeakOpen Space
H Rock
Parley's HistoricNature Park
WestpointePark
Modelport
SherwoodPark
´0 21Miles
Parleys Canyon/Mountain Dell Golf Course Area Map
!T Trailhead
!A Trail Access
Existing Multipurpose Trail
Proposed Multipurpose Trail
Existing Hiking/Mountain Biking Trail
Proposed Hiking/Mountain Biking Trail
1/2 Mile Walk Distance Along Existing Trails & Streets
Zoning: Residential Uses AllowedExisting Hiking Only Trail
Developed Parks
Special Use Parks
Natural Lands
Cemetery
Public Golf Courses
County Parks
City Staff caring for gardens along the S-Line.
types of questions to assess the
equitable access of urban nature
to different communities. And if
there are gaps, to offer master
plan strategies that can help
those areas of the city that need
additional resources most.
OPERATiONS & MAiNTENANCE
Concurrently during the Reimagine
Nature community outreach, a
national consultant team, ETM
and Associates, analyzed
Public Lands level of staffing,
resources and responsibilities.
As Public Lands’ responsibilities
have expanded over time, a
youthful, diverse and energetic
staff has tackled increased
responsibilities. Compared to
other North American benchmark
cities, Public Lands is relatively
understaffed, particularly in the
area of long-term management of
environmental assets. For example,
Urban Forestry staff is stretched
at one staff member protecting
an average of 10,000 trees. The
public may not be highly aware
of this shortfall as a 2021 citizen
survey shows “parks” was one of
the highest rated city services,
after fire/paramedics, library,
garbage pickup, and airport.
However, 63% of Public Lands
assets have been evaluated to be
in poor or fair condition.
Throughout the master plan
development, it became clear
that elevating Public Lands from
a division to a City department
would allow for growth in
capacity to take better care of
the city’s urban nature while
also tackling vital adaptations
needed to address the impacts of
climate change and social issues.
Additional evidence for supporting
investment in current parks, trails
and open spaces can be seen in
the high rankings in the recent
2021 Salt Lake City Resident
Survey where participants ranked
investment in Public Lands as
the number four priority for the
city, just under investment in
affordable housing, supporting
local businesses and expanding
sustainability.
Figure 5: Needs Assessment Parks Gaps Map. Source: 2019 Needs Assessment.
Chapter One: Introduction 16
RELEVANT PLANSPLAN COMPONENTS
»1992 Open Space Plan
»2010 Salt Lake City Open Space Acquisition Strategy
»2012-2017 Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment
Survey
»2015 Salt Lake County East West Recreation Trails Master Plan Review
»2016 The Downtown Plan
»2015 Salt Lake City Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan
»2015 Plan Salt Lake
»2017 Salt Lake City Public Lands Strategic Plan
»2019 Salt Lake City Parks and Public Lands Needs Assessment
»2020 Geographic Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee
Recommendations
»Smaller subarea plans, specific property plans, and topical studies
also exist to provide targeted direct, such as the Integrated Pest
Management Plan and Cemetery Master Plan.
SLC PARK AND PUBLiC LANDS NEEDS ASSESSMENT (2019)
The SLC Park and Public Lands Needs Assessment provides a
measurement of the quantity and quality of existing parks and
natural lands.
REiMAGiNE NATURE: SLC PUBLiC LANDS MASTER PLAN (THiS DOCUMENT-2021)
This ambitious, community-driven master plan is composed of a plan
vision, values, goals and transformative projects that prepare us for
the enhancement and protection of our public lands over the next
20 years.
PUBLiC L ANDS 5-YEAR STRATEGiC PLANS (UPDATED ANNUALLY 2022-2040)
5-year Strategic Plans will outline and prioritize specific strategies
and actions to implement Reimagine Nature. These will be working
plans which are updated annually by Public Lands staff. 9 Line Bike Park.
The National Parks and Recreation Association (NRPA) defines a master plan as “a system-wide…comprehensive
document and process that include an internal assessment, community engagement, resources and data
collection, and development of an implementation plan.”5 In 2019, Public Lands commenced data collection and
analysis, research on international best practices and consultation with the public, staff, partners, stakeholders
and experts. The result of this work is presented in three parts listed below.
5 https://www.nrpa.org/publications-research/best-practice-resources/creating-equity-based-system-master-plans/
“IT IS THE
SET OF THE
SAILS, NOT THE
DIRECTION OF
THE WIND THAT
DETERMINES
WHICH WAY WE
WILL GO”.
- jim rohn
Reimagine Nature: Public Lands Master Plan sits within a larger planning
context of policies and city initiatives. The following list indicates the
purpose of these previous plans and their influence on the Public Lands
Master Plan and value alignment.
Chapter One: Introduction 18
Snapshot
SALT LAKE CITY PUBLIC LANDS SNAPSHOT
The following snapshot captures factors that currently influence the equity, livability and sustainability of Salt
Lake City and its Public Lands. It also takes stock of the current Public Lands system including an inventory of
urban forest trees, natural areas, trails, parks and city golf courses.
By 2050 our temps could rise10°
leading to poorer air quality .
EQUITY livability STEWARDSHIP
$85,000
per year to clean up nuisance graffiti .
are anticipated to move to SLC
by 2040 which will require an
additional park space roughly
equivalent to Liberty Park.
SLC IS HOME TO OVER 199,723
people who speak 80 languages
and represent a broad range
of socioeconomic backgrounds
and cultural heritages .
45%
of metro area renters are cost burdened .
The master
plan includes
community engagement windows .
The 2019 Needs Assessment will help identify priority areas .
Accessibility gaps and trail gaps
still exist in all SLC planning
areas, and east-west connections
across the city are limited .
Salt Lake City’s proposed
trails, including expansion
of the 9-line Trail, will add
another 129 .4 miles to the
system, the equivalent of
adding another Jordan River
Parkway (the longest paved urban trail in the US) .
SLC public lands have opportunity to increase biodiversity
by adding more natural habitat like
recent efforts at Fairmont Park Pond
and the Fife Wetland Preserve .
86%
Income barriers can limit the amount of
leisure time and transportation options
people have to enjoy public lands .
of SLC population is made up of
people who identify themselves
as Native American, African
American, Hispanic, Latinx,
Asian or Pacific Islander .
3 200
community
groups
have been
invited to
participate
in this
process .
30,000+
of public lands assets are in fair to poor condition .
of SLC residents who
responded to the 2019
Needs Assessment
prioritize investments to
improve existing parks,
trails and natural areas .
35%
Nearly 17% of the population is projected to be 65 or older by 2045 .
City Golf courses
maintain over 1,000
acres of open
space . As the city
grows, how can golf
grow as a community
partner, serving more
of the city population?
Over the last 20 years SLC’s urban forests have been in decline .
63%
Our 86,500 trees, including 7,000 trees in city golf courses, provide a cooling of summer temps by 6°
SLC urban forest hosts 260 species of trees that support biodiversity and improve air quality .
94 ACRES
>50%
of all global species are at
risk of extinction leading to
rapid biodiversity loss .
Activating underutilized spaces with
activities such as outdoor education,
guided nature walks, wildflowers
and birding would increase park
service as the city grows .
EW
Sources: Salt Lake City Public Lands Division, 2019 Salt Lake City Parks & Public Lands Needs Assessment, American Community Survey 2014-2018, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, "Understanding Climate
Change from a Global Analysis of City Analogues" by Thomas Crowther et. al., "Promoting and Preserving Biodiversity in the Urban Forest" by Alexis A. Alvey, "Utah Forest Facts: Trees and Climate Change" by
Megan Dettenmaier et. al., "Salt Lake City Confronts Its Growing Pains" by Trevor Bach, U.S. Census, 2020.
Chapter One: Introduction 20
Chapter Two: introduction
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY
The Reimagine Nature master plan process reached over 12,000 members of the community through digital and
socially distanced tactics (see figure 6 below). Engagement was conducted in two periods: Window #1, (2020)
and Window #2 (2021). Now more than ever, public lands contribute to the community’s personal health, identity
and civic ideals. The plan is a reflection of the community’s vision for a bright future of public lands.
HOW WE LiSTENED
The figure below shows one metric of how engagement was evaluated for how it was inclusive of representative
demographic populations that reflect the city’s current diversity. More information about the participation
demographics and engagement methods can be found in the document appendix. Partnerships with the
University of Utah College of City and Metropolitan Planning and on-the-ground, “intercept survey” efforts of
Salt Lake City staff members and volunteers supplemented digital tactics to target engagement of typically
underrepresented areas or populations of the city.
Community Member participating in a Paint the Pavement engagement event
at Poplar Grove Park.
Planning students from the University of
Utah provided support to make targeted community engagement possible.
Ice cream social distancing interviews.
Community feedback at an engagement event in Liberty Park.
FiNDiNGS
Targeted engagement improved the
diversity of survey respondents, with
multi-cultural participation in survey two
increasing an average of 232% from that
of survey one .
SURVEY DEMOGRAPHICS
ASIAN
AMERICAN INDIAN
BLACK / AFRICAN
AMERICAN
HISPANIC / LATINO
NATIVE HAWAIIAN / PACIFIC ISLANDER
WHITE
OTHER
PREFER NOT TO SAY
5.4%
1.4%
2.3%
21.6%
1.5%
73.1%
3.4%
1.5%
0.3%
0.5%
4.0%
0.3%
80.0%
1.2%
4.0%
COMMUNITY SURVEY 1 SALT LAKE CITY DEMOGRAPHICS
2.2%
1.3%
1.4%
8.2%
0.5%
76.3%76.3%
2.4%
7.7%
COMMUNITY SURVEY 2
ENGAGEMENT BY THE NUMBERS
ENGAGEMENT WINDOW #1
SURVEYS 4,455
Public Survey 3,735
City Staff Survey 85
intercept Surveys 635
POPUP EVENTS 2,320
ice Cream Social Distancing
Trailside Snacks
Trail intercepts
MICRO-ENGAGEMENT EVENTS 47
Focus Groups
17 COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS 260
Community Councils
Boards And Committees
ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH OVER 200+
COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS
ENGAGEMENT WINDOW #2
ONLINE PUBLIC SURVEY #2 3,318
4 STUDENT-LED PLACEMAKING EVENTS 69
16 INTERCEPT EVENTS 582
COMM. COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS 260
FACEBOOK OPEN HOUSE EVENTS 848
Spanish views 195
English views 653
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
43 Facebook + 39 Twitter + 29 instagram + 4 Next Door
= 115 Posts
3 EMAIL NEWSLETTERS To 7,907 People
Total Engagement Window 2 5,077
Total Engagement Window 1 7,082
To tal Directly Reached
Reimagine Nature Engagement 12,159
Figure 7: Summary of Engagement Activities and Community Reached.
Figure 6: Reimagine Nature Survey Demographics.
Chapter One: Introduction 22
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY
TARGETED COMMUNiTY ENGAGEMENT
In-person surveying occurred in 80 locations but was focused in Westside and Northwest neighborhoods.
These communities are the most ethnically diverse areas of the city and are cut off from downtown by
railroads and highways. Compared to their neighbors to the east, residents in these neighborhoods are in
“higher need” according to the 2019 SLC Public Lands Needs Assessment. Parks in westside communities
also have lower rates of visitation compared to parks in Salt Lake City’s east side, signaling a need to hear
community-led solutions from westside neighborhoods. The multi-level approach captured a more diverse
sample of the community.
Initial survey results led to preliminary plan ideas that were shared in a series of focus groups with
representative community stakeholders to refine master plan direction. The focus groups cultivated stronger
relationships resulting in new collaborations and solutions.
ENGAGEMENT WINDOW #1
STUDENT & STAFF OUTREACH LOCATIONS
ENGAGEMENT WINDOW #2
STUDENT OUTREACH LOCATIONS
ENGAGEMENT WINDOW #2
STAFF OUTREACH LOCATIONS
– Public Lands Master Plan Page 5
Students engaged the community at 38 different public space locations. This outreach
involved parks, libraries, open spaces, trails, and other areas. Students and staff
distributed a total of 467 flyers and 593 postcards. Figure 2 is a map of the locations
that were visited by students and staff.
Figure 2: Staff & Paired Outreach Locations to Parks and Other Areas
Figure 8: Engagmenet locations throughout SLC.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY
Chapter One: Introduction 24
WHAT WE HEARD
The focus of engagement was
to gather community feedback
and input on the Master Plan
framework, including refined goals
and transformative projects ideas.
It also served as a check point with
the community and stakeholders
to verify that the Master Plan
was developing in the right
direction, had community support,
and provided an opportunity to
contribute any important ideas
that may be missing from the
Master Plan.
The following pages show a
selection of some of the responses
received from the community
through the online survey, focus
groups and micro-engagement
events. The document appendix
includes detailed reports on the
public engagement windows and
their findings for more information.
Community members of all ages provide their thoughts during a student intercept
survey event.
Reach out and listen. Specific place-based responses for acts of restoration, maintenance, and development.
Recruit stewards, rangers/ambassadors, and volunteers from minority communities near the public lands.
STEWARDSHiP iDEAS
I would volunteer to clean up parks, paint bathrooms, help with trash and waste disposal I would also donate money to groups that contribute to stewardship of the parks.
Work with school districts on biodiversity education and curriculum including hands on projects to give our youngest citizenry a sense of ownership.
Encourage non-motorized visitation. Supply and timely service waste receptacles. Landscape with broad ecological goals, e.g. not just trees but flower and open areas that support birds and bees.
More trails closer to home so I and my neighbors don’t have to drive to other places (Millcreek, Draper, Herriman, etc.) for trail running and riding opportunities.
LivABiLiTY iDEAS
Source: 2020 Community Survey 1
Substantially improve tree cover in neighborhoods, parks and natural areas by 50% to compensate for human impacts.”
Add neighborhood opportunities to spend time in water. Salt Lake City is getting hotter summers and one of the key missing public land opportunities for residents is access to water for recreational opportunities.
Expand community gardens.
EQUiTY iDEAS
Source: 2020 Community Survey 1
Have signs displayed in 2-3 languages.
Increased accessibility for all members of society, along with native fauna that calls the space home. So more bike paths, ramps for wheelchairs, inclusive non-gendered bathrooms. For the wild life, creating more pockets of space not meant for human traffic or usage, and planting more native plants essential to their natural habitats.
A fully integrated trail system through the city so that folks can access trails regardless of where they are
Source: 2020 Community Survey 1
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY
Chapter One: Introduction 26
COMMUN iTY iNPUT iN THE PLAN
In addition to asking for ideas
around the values, respondents
from Community Survey 1 were
asked to choose their preferred
actions to increase livabiltiy and
sustainability in SLC. These actions
were integrated into goals and
helped to craft the transformative
projects found in the Reimagine
Nature Plan.
Sidewalk art survey advertisement.
Survey advertisement posted at a local laundromat.
Community member providing feedback during a student intercept survey.
With more than 4,455 surveys
completed and roughly 1,000
individual conversations, there
was abundant ideas and variety
of perspectives provided by the
community to reflect in crafting
this plan.
Q - What do
you think
would most
benefit the
livability of
Salt Lake City
and encourage
you to get
outside more
often?
(Pick your top 2)
LivABiLiTY TOP PRiORiTiES
A thriving urban forest, improving networks for active transportation
and investing in neighborhood public lands were seen as the top
actions that would improve livability in SLC.
• Grow our urban forests
• Improve the sidewalk and trail network in order to travel by bike and foot to public lands and everyday destinations like work and school
• Invest in neighborhood public lands and amenities that encourage everyday use
DIRECT ACTIONS
• Create wildflower meadows
• Incorporate more native, waterwise plants in landscaping
• Plant more trees
• Expand public access points to trails
• Add or renovate aged restrooms, playgrounds and other amenities
$FUNDING
• Acquire additional natural areas
• Acquire lands adjacent to water
• Invest in increased maintenance
• Improve the City’s donation process
• Develop adoption programs, i .e ., adopt-a-tree, adopt-a park, etc .
DAILY PRACTICES
• Support active modes of transportation
• Expand collaboration with non-profit organizations
• Host education events
• Improve capacity to respond to environmental emergencies
• Create a Biodiversity Advisory Committee
Q - What stewardship actions
would be most impactful to
public lands over the next 10-
20 years?
(Select all that apply)
SUSTAiNABiLiTY TOP PRiORiTiES
Biodiversity, the environment, trails & maintaining existing amenities
were themes that emerged among survey respondents. The most chosen
actions are highlighted below.
Source: 2020 Community Survey 1
46%
44%
42%
Figure 10: Sustainability top priorities, 2020 Community Survey 1.
Figure 9: Livability top priorities, 2020 Community Survey 1.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY
Chapter One: Introduction 28
Engagement event at 1700 South Park.
Trailside snack bike trailer advertisement.
“I think the vision statement should include explicit language on climate change.”
“Since more people are using the outdoors, education on how to treat and take care of it is essential.”
“safety for marginalized and over policed communities. for black and brown people public spaces are not always safe (RIP Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Darren Hunt and many more). part of access for these communities is assurance that they wont get shot or arrested just for existing in public spaces while being a person of color. some sort of police and emergency service outreach to ensure this message is heard would be appropriate.”
“More emphasis on making areas bike and bus friendly and reducing the need to drive to parks.”
JUST 5 MINUTES
FROM HERE
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
SOMEWHAT
SATISFIED
EXTREMELY
SATISFIED
CONNECT
MOUNTAINS TO
THE LAKE
SATISFACTION RATES FOR THE 10 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS
COMING SOON
TO A PARK NEAR
YOU
MEET ME AT THE
RIVER
37%
38%
26%
65%33%
54%31%
52%
27%
62%
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
TELL OUR
STORIES
DOWNTOWN
COMES ALIVE
OUTSIDE
GROW OUR
URBAN FOREST
WELCOME TO THE
GREEN
PUT
ENVIRONMENT
FIRST
30%
47%
26%
61%
21%
71%24%
57%
20%
70%
JUST 5 MINUTES
FROM HERE
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
SOMEWHAT
SATISFIED
EXTREMELY
SATISFIED
CONNECT
MOUNTAINS TO
THE LAKE
SATISFACTION RATES FOR THE 10 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS
COMING SOON
TO A PARK NEAR
YOU
MEET ME AT THE
RIVER
37%
38%
26%
65%33%
54%31%
52%
27%
62%
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
TELL OUR
STORIES
DOWNTOWN
COMES ALIVE
OUTSIDE
GROW OUR
URBAN FOREST
WELCOME TO THE
GREEN
PUT
ENVIRONMENT
FIRST
30%
47%
26%
61%
21%
71%24%
57%
20%
70%
JUST 5 MINUTES
FROM HERE
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
SOMEWHAT
SATISFIED
EXTREMELY
SATISFIED
CONNECT
MOUNTAINS TO
THE LAKE
SATISFACTION RATES FOR THE 10 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS
COMING SOON
TO A PARK NEAR
YOU
MEET ME AT THE
RIVER
37%
38%
26%
65%33%
54%31%
52%
27%
62%
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
TELL OUR
STORIES
DOWNTOWN
COMES ALIVE
OUTSIDE
GROW OUR
URBAN FOREST
WELCOME TO THE
GREEN
PUT
ENVIRONMENT
FIRST
30%
47%
26%
61%
21%
71%24%
57%
20%
70%
TRANSFORMATivE PROJECT SUPPORTNEW iDEAS AND FEEDBACK
Survey #2 yeilded responses from 3,318 community members rating their satisfaction with the plan vision
statement, plan goals, and transformative projects. All aspects of the plan had community support with 82% of
survey respondents saying they thought the vision plan was on the right track, and 87% agreeing with the plan
goals. Overall, all transformative projects had a combined satisfaction rate of between 75%-92% among survey
respondents. The community indicated they were most satisfied with projects centered on sustainability, with the
projects “Grow Our Urban Forest” and “Put Environment First” receiving the most selections for extremely and
somewhat satisfied. Note, some of the goals and projects have been revised in response to this input.
Source: 2020 Community Survey 1 Source: 2021 Community Survey 2
Figure 11: Graph of transformative project satisfaction ratings, Source: 2021 Community Survey 2.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY
Chapter One: Introduction 30
TOP CHOICES
FOR OVERALL
IMPORTANCE:
1 . GROW OUR URBAN
FOREST - 97%
2 . PUT ENVIRONMENT
FIRST - 95%
3 . REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS - 89%
TOP CHOICES FOR
OVERALL URGENCY:
1 . GROW OUR URBAN
FOREST - 95%
2 . PUT ENVIRONMENT
FIRST - 94%
3 . REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS - 87%
4 . MEET ME AT THE
RIVER - 83%
JUST 5 MINUTES
FROM HERE
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
CONNECT
MOUNTAINS TO
THE LAKE
URGENCY AND IMPORTANCE OF THE 10 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS
COMING SOON
TO A PARK NEAR
YOU
MEET ME AT THE
RIVER
42%
41%48%
39% 49%
23%
44%
40%
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
TELL OUR
STORIES
DOWNTOWN
COMES ALIVE
OUTSIDE
GROW OUR
URBAN FOREST
WELCOME TO THE
GREEN
PUT
ENVIRONMENT
FIRST
40%
19%
42%
39%
27%
68%
41%
35%
22%
72%
VERY
URGENT
VERY
IMPORTANT
MEDIUM
URGENCY
MEDIUM
IMPORTANCE
41%
15%
51%
19%
39%
49%46%
43%54%
25%
41%
45%
22%
73%
40%
40%
26%
71%
42%
44%
45%
25%
COMMUN iTY
PRiORiTiZiNG
TRANSFORMATivE
P ROJECTS
Survey respondents were
asked to rate both the urgency
and importance of the ten
transformative projects. These
questions were designed to gain
insight into community priorities
for each project, highlighting
which projects should happen
right away and which projects
should be prioritized because they
are the most impactful and provide
value.
When comparing urgency versus
importance, two projects stood out
significantly. Put environment first
was ranked the highest by survey
respondents in both categories,
with 73% ranking it as very
important 72% ranking it as very
urgent. The next highest-ranking
project was grow our urban
forest, with 71% ranking it as very
important and 68% ranking it as
very urgent. This again reinforces
the community’s desire for using
sustainable principles in managing
TRANSFORMATivE PROJECT URGENCY AND iMPORTANCE
Source: 2021 Community Survey 2
Public Lands and improving the
local environment with natural
amenities.
These projects also were
viewed as significant and held
high support with focus group
participants. Overall, the question
responses show that all projects
are valued by the community.
When combining the selections for
medium urgency and very urgent,
the 10 transformative projects
were selected by between 56%
and 94% of respondents as being
urgent. The combined selections
for project importance show that
the 10 transformative projects
were selected by between 70%
and 95% of respondents as
important.
Figure 12: Graph of transformative project urgency and importance, Source: 2021 Community Survey 2.
CHAPTER
Public Lands maintains some green spaces within public roadways and transit stops. 32
2 VISION
FRAMEWORK
FOR NATURE
REIMAGINE NATURE MASTER PLAN VISION
SLC Public Lands Master Plan vision proposes
big ideas to transform and sustain quality
outdoor spaces that are welcoming, safe,
and walkable; ensuring people, wildlife and
ecosystems benefit from fair investment of Salt
Lake City resources over the next 20 years.
LIVABILITY
EQUITYSTEWARDSHIP
Chapter Two: Framework 34
WHAT VALUES GUIDE THE PLAN? The VALUES that drive the way the Public Lands Department achieves plan goals is through a work ethic:
»that grows a culture of
STEWARDSHIP to protect
wildlife, trees, mountains,
lakes, rivers and scenic views;
»that improves LIVABILITY in
SLC in the face of impacts of
climate change and population
growth; and
»that provides greater EQUITY
in the way the community has
access to close-to-home, high-
quality green spaces.
The plan values are integrated
into each goal and transformative
project.
STEWARDSHIP, or taking
care of what we have, is
investing in the renewal of
our existing city parks, urban
forest, natural areas and
trails. Stewardship inspires
us to preserve habitat so
plants and wildlife can thrive
and be resilient to impacts
of climate change like rising
temperatures. Potential
actions could be planting
tree groves in city golf
courses or adding butterfly
gardens to city parks.
Figure 13: Value Lenses Relationship to Goals Diagram.
LIVABILITY, or maintaining
SLC’s quality of outdoor
life, inspires us to provide
more services to residents
as the city grows. We
can collectively identify
opportunities to use our
city’s parks, golf courses,
school yards, natural areas
and streetscapes to increase
public access to nature, trails,
sports fields, and public
gathering places.
EQUITY, or including diverse
voices in the master plan
process and priorities,
aligns as a citywide
value emerging from the
roundtable discussion on
“Geographic Equity, Inclusion,
PLANVALUES:
& Belonging.” We are
committed to listening to the
realities and perceptions of
access to public lands from
all sides of Salt Lake City to
help guide next steps for a
more equitable future.
Skating at Jordan Park.
Mountain biking on the Bonneville
Shoreline Trail.
VISION STATEMENT:
Reimagine Nature SLC Public
Lands Master Plan vision proposes
big ideas to transform and sustain
quality outdoor spaces that are
welcoming, safe, and walkable;
ensuring people, wildlife and
ecosystems benefit from fair
investment of Salt Lake City
resources over the next 20 years.
36
GOALS
GOAL STATEMENT:
Public Lands will continue to be on
the forefront of environmentalism,
employing sustainable operations
practices such as conserving
water resources for greater
resilience to climate change and
making significant contributions to
an equitable and healthier natural
environment such as increasing
tree cover that improves regional
air quality and provides bird
habitat.
SUSTAIN:
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
AND SUSTAINABILITY
TOP STRATEGIES:
S1 - Position Public Lands to
increase the ambition of Salt Lake
City’s climate resiliency goals.
S2 - Position Public Lands
as the City leader for driving
improvements in human and
ecosystem health.
PROGRESS METRICS:
S1 - Metric: Percent of occupied
tree planting sites.
Goal: 90% occupied by 2030.
S1 - Metric: Percent of urban forest
trees pruned annually.
Goal: 10% of trees pruned annually
by 2030.
S2 - Metric: Species biodiversity
by site.
Goal: Demonstrate a statistically-
significant increase (>0) in species
biodiversity on all Public Lands
(except mini parks and special use
parks) by 2030.
Reimagine Nature Master Plan
has five main GOALS of what the
Public Lands Department is aiming
to achieve over the next 10-20
years:
1. Sustain: Environmental Health
and Sustainability
2. Connect: Accessible and
Connected Green Spaces
3. Welcome: Active, Authentic
and Inclusive Places
4. Protect: A Commitment to
Stewardship
5. Grow: Expand our Public
Lands System
Mural in the Granary District.
People enjoying the spring water
pond at Liberty Park.
Chapter Two: Framework 38
GOAL STATEMENT:
Well-maintained, welcoming trails,
streets, public transportation, and
sidewalks are interconnected as
the city’s circulatory system. This
system connects pedestrians,
cyclists, and riders to the city’s
green spaces and outstanding
natural landscapes of Salt Lake
City’s Public Lands: mountains,
foothills, valley, wetlands, and
lakes. The City will continue
to enhance these systems and
increase connectors to include
everyday destinations ranging
from the daycare, library, grocery
store, pharmacy and museum.
This adds convenient connections
to walk or ride along a greenway,
adding steps to pedometers and
enriching health and wellbeing.
GOAL STATEMENT:
Ideal parks are actively used
by the community, inclusive for
all ages, abilities and cultures
and strive to be authentic, or
reflective of the neighborhood
and community’s culture. Parks
departments across the country
struggle with balancing limited
resources and many priorities with
achieving these ideals. For cities,
there is also a growing awareness
of how green space has historically
been provided and maintained for
different neighborhoods. Cities
are collecting data and stories to
document the historic inequities in
the quantity and quality of green
space (e.g., nationwide studies
have found that lower income
urban areas typically correlate with
less tree canopy, less accessible
green spaces and lower quality
amenities). The Public Lands
Department, in alignment with
the mayor’s 2021 citywide vision,
is committed to looking at top-
down and bottom-up community-
driven solutions to welcoming
more people. The department will
strive to reflect the diverse culture
and history of Salt Lake City
neighborhoods in the tapestry of
parks and open spaces.
WELCOME:
ACTIVE, AUTHENTIC AND
INCLUSIVE PLACES
CONNECT:
ACCESSIBLE AND CONNECTED
GREEN SPACES
TOP STRATEGIES:
C1 - Connect people to information
about their park system.
C2 - Increase the ease of access
to public lands, making it easier to
travel to, between and within them.
TOP STRATEGIES:
W1 - Design and program
Neighborhood Parks to highlight
the unique natural, historical,
cultural and economic identify
of the surrounding area and
community in which they are
located.
W2 - Support active programming
that brings people out to their
parks for art, events, programs,
recreation and community. This
programming should be diverse
and adapted to represent the
community culture and encourage
creation of social connections.
PROGRESS METRICS:
C1 - Metric: Percent increase in
social media followers across
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Goal: 500% increase from 2021
baseline by 2030.
C1 - Metric: Percent increase in
total email addresses in Constant
Contact (or equivalent) platform.
Goal: 500% increase from 2021
baseline by 2030.
C1 - Metric: Percent increase in
average monthly website visitors
per year.
Goal: 500% increase from 2021
baseline by 2030.
C1 - Metric: Percent increase
in average monthly attendance
to community events by PL
administrative team
Goal: 500% Increase in
community event attendance by
PL administrative team, for all
Planning Areas, from 2021 baseline
by 2030.
C1 - Metric: Percent of properties
with multi-lingual signage
Goal: Signage includes Spanish
language information at 90%
PROGRESS METRIC:
W1 - Metric: Annual total number
of community-led programs in
Neighborhood Parks, by planning
area.
Goal: At least 300 community-
led programs in Neighborhood
Parks in EACH SLC planning area,
annually, by 2030.
W2 - Metric: Percent of
respondents to annual SLC
Resident Survey who report
visiting a city park or natural land
at least weekly.
Goal: Increase percent of residents
who visit parks or natural lands at
least weekly by 2% per year, with
at least 60% of residents visiting a
park or natural land at least weekly
by 2030.
of parks, natural areas and golf
courses by 2030.
C2 - Metric: Percent of parks that
have received an accessibility
audit*.
*identifies accessibility barriers, a
means to remove the barrier, and
a transition plan for budgeting,
planning and implementing the
barrier removal.
Goal: 90% of SLC parks have
received an accessibility audit by
2030.
C2 - Metric: Percent of parks
that have fully implemented the
removal of accessibility barriers
identified in an accessibility audit.
Goal: 50% of SLC Regional,
Community, Neighborhood,
Special Event and Mini Parks have
fully implemented the removal of
identified accessibility barriers by
2040.
C2 Metric: Percent of residents
within ¼ mile of a park, multi-use
trail or natural land.
Goal: 95% of SLC Residents live
within ¼ mile of a park, multi-use
trail or natural land by 2040.
Chapter Two: Framework 40
GOAL STATEMENT:
Salt Lake City’s urban population
is growing. The Public Lands
Department will balance
providing safe green spaces for
the public while also protecting
iconic, irreplaceable natural
resources that keep the city
wild. Stewardship demands
are profound: diminishing
environmental health, increasing
need for visitor management,
increasing maintenance demands,
increasing numbers of unhoused
using open space as refuge,
and increasing costs to provide
infrastructure and services to a
growing city. In the Public Lands’
domain, the Department will lead
the stewardship and care of urban
green spaces. The Department will
seek out opportunities to partner
with advocacy groups and schools
to educate on how the public can
be stewards of the land and learn
its history.
GOAL STATEMENT:
As the Salt Lake City population
increases, our public lands receive
more visitation and work harder to
reduce negative impacts of more
“footprints” on our landscapes and
public amenities with increased
maintenance and renewal.
Providing the amount of public
properties in relation to population
growth needs is increasingly
challenging in a city reaching
maximum expansion build-out with
limited opportunities to aquire
large natural areas or small parks
in areas of dense development
with high land prices. City
departments and partners work
together to provide green space
and recreation opportunities in our
rapidly re-developing downtown.
We innovate and make smart use
of the public properties we have,
being strategic with our resources
and creating funding sources to
expand our urban forest, trails,
park system, and natural areas.
GROW:
EXPAND OUR PUBLIC LANDS SYSTEM
PROTECT:
A COMMITMENT TO STEWARDSHIP
TOP STRATEGIES:
P1 - Ensure iconic, irreplicable
assets are not lost or rendered
less valuable due to neglect,
destruction or development.
P2 - Leverage the power of the
community to help steward SLC’s
Public Lands.
TOP STRATEGIES:
G1 - Be proactive and strategic
about growth of the Public Lands
System.
G2 - Overcome difficult obstacles
to growth needs through creativity
and through leveraging external
assets and resources.
PROGRESS METRIC:
P1 - Metric: Acres per funded
grounds maintenance employee
full time equival (FTE) for parks by
park type.
Goal: No more than 15 acres per
funded grounds maintenance FTE
for Regional Parks, Special Event
Parks, and Urban Natural Areas,
and no more than 5 acres per
funded grounds maintenance FTE
for Neighborhood Parks and Mini
Parks, by 2030.
P1 - Metric: Park and natural land
acres acquired.
Goal: Acquire at least 94 acres of
parkland, 60 acres of urban natural
lands, and 150 acres of non-urban
natural lands, by 2040, to maintain
2017 level of service.
P2 - Metric: Number of volunteers
engaged & total number of
volunteer person-hours annually
Goal: Increase number of
volunteers engaged & total
number of volunteer person hours
by 10% annually, and by 250% by
2030.
PROGRESS METRIC:
G1 - Metric: Number of parks with
annual visitation estimates based
on data from automated visitation
counters and/or point-in-time
counts.
Goal: Annual visitation estimates
for 75 parks by 2030.
G1 - Metric: Number of
respondents to annual public
opinion survey for Public Lands.
Goal: Three-year running average
is equal to or greater than 2,000
respondents by 2030.
G2 - Metric: Number of active,
formal partner organizations*
*Organizations with active
partnerships agreements
(approved by attorneys office &
fully executed).
Goal: Thirty formal partnership
agreements are active by 2030.
Chapter Two: Framework 42
TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
Ten Transformative Projects were identified
through the engagement process to achieve
plan goals and heighten Public Lands’ impact
on the city’s livability, equity, and stewardship.
The projects are transformative as they
will require great effort and/or and shift in
Public Lands operations to achieve. The
Transformative Projects are organized by the
goals and chapters they are most emblematic
of, however each project supports multiple
plan goals.
Figure 14: Ten transformative projects for Reimagine Nature.
PUT ENVIRONMENT FIRST
Cultivate more biological diversity and
conservation in city parks, urban forests,
city golf lands and natural areas.
GROW OUR URBAN FOREST
Expand awareness of how to be a steward
of our urban forest in all publicly-owned
landscapes including city parks, street
medians, city golf courses, riparian areas
and natural areas.REGIONALLOCALCONNECT
MOUNTAINS
TO THE LAKE
COMING
SOON TO A
PARK NEAR
YOU
JUST FIVE
MINUTES
FROM HERE
GROW OUR
URBAN
FOREST
PUT
ENVIRONMENT
FIRST
SUSTAINING
OUR
STORIES
REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS
DOWNTOWN
COMES
ALIVE OUTSIDE
REVIVE
OUR
RIVER
WELCOME TO
THE GREEN
1
2SUSTAIN CONNECTWELCOMEREIMAGINE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS
Transform parks into vibrant community spaces
that empower residents to contribute to their
neighborhood identity.
COMING SOON TO A PARK NEAR
YOU
Help our parks, large and small, come alive with
activities and events throughout the year.
CONNECT MOUNTAINS TO THE
LAKE
Complete missing links in regional trails and
invest in greenways to enhance nature and
creeks within the city.
JUST FIVE MINUTES FROM HERE
Make it easier to find and explore nearby
parks, trails and public spaces to expand
the public’s experiences in nature and build
stewardship principles and practices.
4
3
PROTECTGROW6
5
8
7
10
9
REVIVE OUR RIVER
Invest in projects and maintenance along the
Jordan River Parkway that will promote equity,
access, scenic beauty, diverse recreation, and
healthy ecology along the parkway.
SUSTAINING OUR STORIES
Reveal past and present stories from our
diversity of experiences that have shaped
this valley, giving focus to underrepresented
and indigenous people. Express these stories
through landscapes, structure, placemaking and
art.
DOWNTOWN COMES ALIVE
OUTSIDE
Increase the provision of green and active
spaces downtown that will contribute to
livability, inclusiveness, and economic vitality.
WELCOME TO THE GREEN
Invite appropriate alternative use of our
public golf courses for greater benefit.
3 GOAL STATEMENT
Public Lands will continue to be on the
forefront of environmentalism, employing
sustainable operations practices such as
conserving water resources for greater
resilience to climate change and making
significant contributions to an equitable
and healthier natural environment such as
increasing tree cover that improves regional
air quality and provides bird habitat.
The urban forest is aging, requiring regeneration to keep SLC shaded and
cool while providing critical habitat.
CHAPTER
44
SUSTAIN:
ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH &
SUSTAINABILITY
“ENCOURAGE NON-MOTORIZED VISITATION
TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS.”
Beautiful parks don’t have to be the
color green. The future will be less
water. Xeriscape can be beautiful
and ecologically sound.”
“LANDSCAPE WITH
ECOLOGICAL GOALS
THAT SUPPORT BIRDS
AND BEES.”
-comments from the
2021 public survey
Chapter Three: Sustain 46
SUSTAIN:ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY
“In nature nothing exists alone.”- Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES FACING SLC’S PUBLIC LANDS
The idea of sustainability as we
know it today evolved out of the
environmental movement in the
mid-1900s. Implicitly, our ability
to sustain environmental health
relies on our understanding of
landscape ecology: relationships
between all life, great and small,
on our planet and the cultivation
of natural cycles that bind these
relationships. For Salt Lake City’s
Public Lands, the cycles that bind
us to the environment (landscape)
include our recreation activities
that provide physical and mental
wellness to our community: hiking
in the Foothills Natural Area,
enjoying the scenic views of our
city golf courses and natural lands,
or commuting to work under the
shade of the urban tree canopy.
The environmental health and
scenic qualities of these landscapes
are threatened with global and
local stressors. The rapid loss of
biodiversity (or richness of different
types of plants and animals) is a
global phenomenon. It is estimated
that possibly half or more of all
current species could be at risk
of extinction in the foreseeable
future worldwide.1 Locally, Water
Strategies for the Great Salt Lake2,
reported a historical decline in
lake water levels due to human
development, water use and
sustained drought. Maintaining
water in our creeks, the Jordan River
and the Great Salt Lake is essential
to protecting riparian habitat critical
to local wildlife and migratory
birds along the Central Flyway. At
a citywide scale, recent studies
aiming to project the impact of
climate change found that by 2050
Salt Lake City’s temperatures could
rise ten degrees and feel more like
Las Vegas today.3 Within Public
Land’s territories, Salt Lake City’s
urban forest has been in decline
over the last 20 years.4 With recent
studies citing our evolution into
an “indoor species,” spending only
minutes a day outside, the physical
and plant-based infrastructure
that welcomes us outdoors so
that we can connect with nature
1 Alvey, A.A. (2006). Promoting and preserving
biodiversity in the urban forest. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 5 195-201. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2006.09.003.
2 Clyde, S; DenBleyker, J; Harding, B; & Clyde, S; (2020). Water Strategies for Great Salt Lake.
3 Bastin JF, Clark E, Elliott T, Hart S, van den
Hoogen J, et al. (2019). Understanding climate change from a global analysis of
city analogues. PLOS ONE 14(10): e0224120.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0224120. 4 Dettenmaier,M; Kuhns, M; McAvoy, D; & Unger,
B. https://forestry.usu.edu/files/utah-forest-
facts/trees-and-climate-change.pdf
is essential (e.g., accessible trails,
community vegetable gardens,
playgrounds, urban forests, water-
efficient irrigation systems, etc.).
For the SLC Public Lands system,
the 2019 Needs Assessment5 found
that 63% of those types of assets
are in fair to poor condition.
DESIRES AND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
SUSTAIN
The opportunities to think globally
about climate change and act
locally at the scale of SLC’s Public
Lands is critically important to
the community. With over 12,000
participants in this master plan
effort, many provided suggestions
on how to sustain and enhance
Public Lands’ environmental
health. The project survey saw
90% of respondents ranking two
transformational projects that are
emblematic of the Sustain goal,
“Put Environment First” and “Grow
Our Urban Forest,” as their top
priorities in terms of urgency and
importance. Supporting ideas
that resonated with many in the
community are displayed in the
quotes on the following page.
5 https://www.slcdocs.com/parks/
SLCPLNeedsAssessment.pdf
Chapter Three: Sustain 48
EQUITY &
ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE
NRPA’s Story Map “Equity in Parks
and Recreation” highlights how
government policies “increased
local park access for some, while
significantly limiting it for others,
especially by income, education,
race and ethnicity.”6 Policies such
as segregation, racial covenants
and redlining have formed
marginalized and historically
underserved neighborhoods
which suffer greater environmental
inequities from industrial pollution
and lack of investment.
Today these communities
continue to experience inequities
formed by policies of the past.
Research demonstrates that
such neighborhoods have
less tree canopy, higher urban
temperatures, less permeable
ground to absorb stormwater, and
greater levels of air and noise
pollution. In Salt Lake City, park
and trail use during the pandemic
increased by most demographic
groups but decreased among older
adults, females, homeowners,
and low-income households
6 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5727e400
84614c559bf0440dc5a21f7f
according to research conducted
by University of Utah.7
Parks and open space create
an opportunity to address these
inequities through environmental
improvements that create more
equitable access to nature and
provide benefits which lead to
greater health outcomes. The 2019
Public Lands Needs Assessment8
took the first steps toward
understanding equity in access to
nature by identifying high needs
areas which mapped factors such
as gaps in park access, age, and
income. This assessment can
be expanded upon to highlight
communities that continue to
experience environmental inequity.
Figure 15 Equity Map was created
combining environmental and
demographic maps of equity
disparity indicators to identify
priority areas for provision and
improvement of parks, natural
areas, and trails. The indicators
can be weighted by importance to
prioritize investment in locations
that advance equity goals.
7 JAPA 2021 “Who visited parks and trails more
or less during COVID-19 pandemic, and why?
Garcia, Ivis; Park, Keunhyun; Keuntae, Kim.
8 https://www.slcdocs.com/parks/
SLCPLNeedsAssessment.pdf
SUSTAIN:ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY
Figure 15: Equity Analysis Map.
AVENUES
EAST
BENCH
SUGAR
HOUSE
NORTHWEST
CENTRAL
COMMUNITY
DOWNTOWN
WEST
SALT LAKE
CAPITOL
HILL
The Highest Equity Priority Areas
(darkest green shade) depict the
greatest number of these indicators
are concentrated in this location.
EQUITY ANALYSIS POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
LEGEND
GOLF COURSES
EXISTING TRAILS
PARKS AND NATURAL
LANDS
HIGHEST EQUITY PRIORITY
HIGH
EQUITY PRIORITY
LOWEQUITY PRIORITY
VERY HIGH EQUITY PRIORITY
MEDIUM EQUITY PRIORITY
VERY LOW EQUITY PRIORITY
UTA TRAX STATIONS
(COLOR SHADE INDICATES EQUITY
PRIORITY)
CEMETERY
Socio-Economic
EQUITY MAP INDICATORSCDC Social Vulnerability
Index• Below Poverty• Unemployed
• Household Income• No High School Diploma• Aged 65 or Older• Aged 17 or Younger• Civilian with a Disability• Single-Parent Households• Minority
EnvironmentPopulation
EPA Environmental Justice
Index • Air Toxins Respiratory Health Index
CDC Places Health Data
• Poor Mental Health • Lack of Physical Activity
NLCD Tree Canopy Cover • Low Percent Tree Canopy
US Census Bureau
(2020 Census
Redistricting Data)• Population Density
TAZ Population
Projections for 2050
(WFRC)• Areas of Population Growth Projection
• Aged 5 or Older who Speaks English “Less
than Well”• Multi-Unit Structures• Mobile Homes
• Crowding• No Vehicle• Group Quarters
Chapter Three: Sustain 50
CASE STUDIES SUPPORTIVE RESEARCH FINDINGS
Parks and public lands throughout
the country are increasingly
focused on “green/sustainable”
initiatives and practices and
are expanding their roles in
addressing ways to mitigate
climate change. The following are
some study findings and examples
for SLC to consider.
• The City of Reno, Nevada has
formed a pesticide-free parks
program, implementing best
practices in maintenance and
design to reduce the use of
pesticides. It has successfully
created ten pesticide free
neighborhood parks and two
pesticide free downtown parks.
City of Reno pesticide-free
parks program.
Photo: http://www.ourtownreno.com/keeping-reno-rad/2020/4/16/robb-
dunmore-renewing-a-charge-to-get-reno-
truly-pesticide-free
Xerces Society low-water
pollinator gardens on golf
courses.
Photo: https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/
article/habitat-for-humanity/
Pima County native plant program
and nursery.
https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/One.aspx?pageId=220052
The following recommended
strategies and policies are high-
level guidance for Public Lands
operations and maintenance
that direct how Public Lands
will achieve the plan goal of
sustain over the next decade.
The community identified two
SUSTAIN:STRATEGIES &POLICIES OVERVIEW
keystone, transformational
projects to support the overall goal
of sustain. Working in tandem with
the overall strategies and policies
in this table, these projects root
the 20-year vision with on-the-
ground improvements that will
contribute to the sustainability
• The Xerces Society published
design guidelines in their
report Making Room for Native
Pollinators on Golf Courses.9
Once established, xeric pollinator
plantings require less water than
turf or traditional horticultural
plantings.
• As part of an overarching
Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan,
Pima County, Arizona created a
native plant program to preserve
biological heritage and mitigate
damage to the local ecosystem
caused by urban development.
9 Shepard, M. (2002). https://xerces.org/sites/
default/files/2018-05/06-001_02_XercesSoc_
Making-Room-for-Native-Pollinators.pdf
of Salt Lake City’s quality of
life for humans, plants and
animals. Additional detail for
implementation is provided in
“Chapter 8 Action Strategies” of
this document.
The program’s nursery propagates
plant material for public projects,
serving multiple County
departments, while providing
volunteer and educational
opportunities for residents.
• The Gund Institute for Ecological
Economies at the University of
Vermont calculated that $1 of
investment in public lands returns
100-fold in natural benefits.
SUSTAIN: HIGH-LEVEL STRATEGIES AND POLICIES
Strategy S-1 Position Public Lands to improve Salt Lake City’s climate resiliency goals.
Supporting
Policy 1.1
Create a Climate-Resilience Plan which establishes environmental metrics combined
with robust data collection and monitoring to guide adaptive management that
benefits climate resiliency.
Supporting
Policy 1.2
Emphasize water conservation and stormwater management in Public Lands capital
projects and infrastructure upgrades.
Supporting
Policy 1.3
Develop an Operations Management Standards Plan which continues to reduce the
climate impact of Public Lands operations through efficient practices, equipment
upgrades, and staff training.
Strategy S-2 Position Public Lands as a City leader for driving improvements in environmental
health and environmental justice.
Supporting
Policy 2.1
Develop an Urban Forestry Master Plan that will increase tree canopy across the
city, with a focus on equitable distribution of tree cover.
Supporting
Policy 2.2
Increase the scope and capacity of the Native Plants & Biodiversity Program and
incorporate biodiversity and native plants into every compatible city project.
Supporting
Policy 2.3
Collaborate across jurisdictional boundaries to restore the quality of SLC’s land,
water and air.
Supporting
Policy 2.4
Prioritize investments to address equity and environmental justice as guided by
equity mapping, such as Figure 15 Equity Map.
Chapter Three: Sustain 52
Creating Parks &
Natural Lands
forNATIVE PLANTPOLLINATORS
& programming to cultivatecommunitySTEWARDSHIP
Projects Include:
• Increase landscape resiliency to climate change by reclaiming degraded landscapes with beneficial plants, adopting healthy soil-building practices, practicing water conservation best management, increasing habitat for birds and wildlife and
1. PUT ENVIRONMENT FIRST
CULTIVATE MORE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION IN CITY PARKS, URBAN FORESTS, CITY GOLF LANDS AND NATURAL AREAS
hosting education and engagement on environmental practices.
• Create a Public Lands native plant farm for plant propagation.
• Foster a robust native ecosystem program that improves habitat
through planting native and pollinator friendly plants and includes volunteer and educational opportunities operated out of Public Lands’ greenhouses and plant farms.
Transformative Project
Creating wetland habitat with native plants at Farimont Pond.
Chapter Three: Sustain 54
INCREASING
RESILIENCY AND
ECOSYSTEM HEALTH
Public Lands staff, the Parks,
Natural Lands, Urban Forestry
and Trails Advisory Board (PNUT),
and the Salt Lake City community
clearly called out for this master
plan to underline the importance
of protecting the environment.
Putting the environment first is
about assessing Public Lands
natural resources of water, air,
soil, plants and wildlife and
understanding the pressures
climate change and increasing
urbanization have on those
elements. This project is about
understanding the ecosystem
health of the thousands of acres
of natural lands, city parks, city
golf and over 86,500 urban forest
trees the City stewards.
SUSTAIN:PUT ENVIRONMENT FIRST
This project is at once grand,
looking at the city’s green space
as a regional ecosystem tied
to interdepartmental climate
measures laid out in the City’s
Climate Positive 2040 plan,
and precise, understanding the
perennial flower species that will
thrive in the arid environment
while supporting bird and bee
populations. It will increase
resiliency in the face of a changing
climate by conserving limited
water resources through Drought
Management, Water Budget and
Climate Resiliency Plans.
The transformative project “Put
Environment First” will need
support from staff, volunteers and
the community to leverage existing
partnerships, learn new ways
to partner together to steward
lands, and make prioritized
decisions on where to invest
limited resources that have the
greatest environmental return on
investment.
Red Butte Creek in Miller Park.
Chapter Three: Sustain 56
M u l t i -u s e J o r d a n R i v e r P a r k w a y
River access and
visibilty improvements
Canopy provides
shade for native
understory plantings
Understory plants
Multi-use path
Jordan River
Parkway
Cared for space
Water table
enhances irrigation
and establishment
of native plantings
Lack of native understory
of invasives such as Goat
Heads, Phragmities, and
Russian Olives
No river access
and no visibilty
Easy River Access
Goatheads create conflicts with recreation
Phragmites blocks views and access to river
Russian Olive outcompetes native plants Migratory birds in the Central flyway depend on Utah riparian habitat
Narrowleaf Cottonwoods thrive along riverbanks, increasing the urban forest
New tree canopy provides understory shade to establish plants such as Golden Currant
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Invasives overtaking local riparian
habitat
REIMAGINED
A cared for riparian habitat is
rehabilitated
Jordan River
Native trees create a canopy
of shade, providing cover for
understory plants and people
alike
A cleaner river creates a more
welcoming experience
Wildlife viewing opportunities
Colonies of invasive
plants block physical
and visual access to the
river
Overgrown vegetation is
unwelcoming
Non-native plants are
a lower-quality food for insects and animals
Figure 16: Reimagined Put Environment First Exhibit.
REHABILITATING WITH NATURAL ASSETS
Public Lands’ Natural Areas
are ideal locations to put the
environment first by restoring
native plants that benefit the local
ecosystem.
Establishing native plants along
the river helps to combat invasive
species, such as Phragmites,
which overtake local ecosystems.
Invasives accelerate the
disappearance of riparian habitat,
reducing food sources for species,
such as migrating neo-tropical
birds, that depend on the
Jordan River.
Hi gh water table helps n ew tr ee ro otsJordan Riv er Park way Create a balance between
manicured spaces for community activity and
improved habitat and natural
areas for our non-human friends, plants and people
alike
Interpretive signage enhances
visitor experience
Riparian corridors, such as the
Jordan River, are ideal locations
for planting new tree additions to
the urban forest. The surrounding
high water table helps supplement
irrigation needed to establish
tree root systems in the dry
western climate.
Shade from increased tree
canopy assists in restoring other
native riparian species such as
Wood’s Rose and Golden Currant,
providing cooler temperatures that
help plants absorb water efficiently.
Invasives often form crowded
colonies, blocking physical and
visual access to enjoyment of
our local rivers and creeks. A
well-cared for and established
natural environment provides
opportunities for more recreational
and visual access to the water’s
edge while also creating essential
habitat for birds and pollinators.
Chapter Three: Sustain 58
Projects Include:
• Launch a public awareness campaign to support new trees that are adapted to Salt Lake City’s arid climate and educate on waterwise and tree care best practices.
• As part of an Urban Forest Master Plan, implement projects that increase urban forest canopy and identify strategies to overcome equity barriers. Acknowledging the limited time and water resources on the westside, consolidate tree planting projects with supporting low-water irrigation improvements
EXPAND AWARENESS OF HOW TO BE A STEWARD OF OUR URBAN FOREST IN ALL PUBLICLY-OWNED LANDSCAPES INCLUDING CITY PARKS, STREET MEDIANS, CITY GOLF COURSES, RIPARIAN AREAS & NATURAL AREAS
FOLLOW STEWARDSHIP OF THE URBAN FOREST TO PROMOTE TREE HEALTH
AND CARE
Tree-shaded neighborhoods and the nearly 7,000 trees in public golf courses that make up 11% of SLC’s urban forest can cool temperatures up to
6° during the summer while helping to improve air quality.
By 2050 our temps could rise10°
leading to poorer air quality.
1 Bastin JF, Clark E, Elliott T, Hart S, van den Hoogen J, et al. (2019). Understanding climate change
from a global analysis of city analogues. PLOS ONE 14(10): e0224120. https://doi.org/10.1371/
journal.pone.0224120.
2 Dettenmaier,M; Kuhns, M; McAvoy, D; & Unger, B. https://forestry.usu.edu/files/utah-forest-facts/
trees-and-climate-change.pdf
1
2
2. GROW OUR URBAN FOREST
and regionally appropriate tree selection. This provides extra support to ensure both the trees and the neighborhood benefits from a large-scale, collective effort as well as supporting other goals within the Reimagine Nature master plan.
• Maximize planting of appropriate trees on all publicly owned landscapes such as golf courses, parks and street medians and leverage investment in tree
planting with Salt Lake transportation projects.
• Invest in the equipment and resources to responsibly reuse wood from trees removed from our urban forest to create usable wood products such as mulch for our park’s playgrounds and gardens.
• Identify successful specimen trees and explore cultivating new cultivars that are climate adaptive.
Transformative Project
Chapter Three: Sustain 60
Figure 17: Tree Canopy and Historic Homeowner’s Loan Corporation Redlining Grades. *Map adapted from upcoming SLC Urban Forest Action Plan research.
INCREASING NEIGHBORHOOD AND CITY-WIDE RESILIENCE
Areas with little to no tree canopy
are more common throughout
the City’s westside, downtown
and central neighborhoods,
contributing to hotter temperatures
and lower air quality. Some
reduced canopy is an effect of
historic inequities such as the
Home Owners’ Loan Corporation
1930’s redlining practices,
overlaid on the map in Figure 17.
The westside also has a smaller
residential area and larger
industrial area, both of which
contributes to overall lower tree
canopy on the westside of the city.
The westside industrial area will
see more housing development in
the future. There is an opportunity
to increase tree canopy in areas of
the city that don’t currently have
trees to make these places more
livable but there are challenges
to achieving that. Lower income
residents are more reluctant to
request a city tree over concerns of
the long-term water and tree care
costs. Developing an approach to
overcome these real cost barriers
in lower income neighborhoods is
an important factor in increasing
and sustaining healthy tree canopy.
Property owners and landlords may
not be focused on the long-term
benefits that trees provide to their
properties. In the downtown area,
many uses compete for the limited
public right-of-way allocated for
trees and pedestrians. Identifying
ways to prioritize trees in the
downtown will increase the
comfort of the public realm. This
can include focus on the role park
strips play as important spaces for
trees, in addition to providing city
resiliency by reducing heat and
absorbing storm water.
While the traditional focus of
forming tree-lined streets is
important, planting trees in
Public Land’ parks, golf courses
and natural areas creates
significant impacts to enhanced
neighborhood resiliency. In these
cared-for, often irrigated spaces,
trees can have higher survival
rates and mature, providing
increased environmental benefits.
These spaces also allow for trees
to be planted in dense groupings,
making them stronger and more
resilient to damaging wind storms
such as 2020’s derecho.
Critical to success is allocating
dedicated resources to the long-
term care of the urban forest
infrastructure that is installed. This
will rely on both public employees
and private property owners who
are committed to and educated
regarding the stewardship of these
trees.
SUSTAIN:GROW THE URBAN FOREST
REDLINING AND THE URBAN FOREST
LEGEND
2014 PERCENT TREE
COVER
6%
41%
1930’s HOMEOWNERS LOAN CORPORATION “REDLINING” GRADES
AA - BEST
BB - STILL DESIREABLE
CC - DECLINING
DD - HAZARDOUS
AA
BB
CC
DD
AA
AA
BB BB
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC CC
CC
BBBB
BB
AA
CC
DD
DDDD
DD
DD
DD
DD
DD
BB
I-15STATE ST.I-80
SLC INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
UNIVERSITY
OF UTAH
DOWNTOWN
data data
unavailableunavailable
data data
unavailableunavailable
CITY CREEK
CANYON
I-215BANGERTERFOO
TH
I
L
L
DR
.
I-80
data data unavailableunavailable
data data
unavailableunavailable
Chapter Three: Sustain 62
CASE STUDIES-SUPPORTIVE RESEARCH FINDINGS
The city of Denver works with the
Downtown Denver Partnership to
collaborate on supporting urban
tree health and new planting.
Like Salt Lake City, Denver
residents and business owners are
responsible for the maintenance
of trees near the sidewalks and
streets. While many programs
provided free or low-cost trees
to residents and businesses, the
average life of new tree plants was
only seven to twelve years due to
the dry and hot conditions created
by sun-warmed concrete and
asphalt and worn-down irrigation
infrastructure. In order to promote
tree longevity and the benefits of
a mature, shady tree canopy, the
city and partners embraced multi-
pronged efforts from awareness
campaigns to maintenance
support through the Urban Forest
Initiative. As part of this initiative,
city leaders formed a Downtown
Denver Business Improvement
District that funds the Tree Health
Program to support commercial
property owners in tree care
(fertilization, pest management,
watering) of over 1,800
downtown trees.
Low-water trees: Common Hackberry adds to the tree canopy while
conserving water in SLC’s dry climate.
Tree Recycling: Wood from downed trees can be reused as mulch
or urban artwork.
Tree Protection: Policy changes could better protect valuable
mature trees during construction.
CASE STUDIES-SUPPORTIVE RESEARCH FINDINGS
According to the Baltimore Wood
Reuse Project, “wood is an
abundant, renewable resource—
we should use it more.”1
The project has created a
successful model for recycling
wood waste from Urban Forest
operations, keeping it out of
limited landfills and creating
sustainable, locally sourced
products such as bark mulch that
can be reused in City parks and
open spaces. Program partners re-
purpose the wood as materials for
sustainable building, mulch, and
artisan furniture and art.
Other successful outcomes have
included creating jobs for those
with barriers to employment
and reducing operations and
maintenance costs. Applying the
model in Salt Lake City would
provide opportunities for Urban
Forestry to increase sustainable
operations practices and reduce
carbon footprints while creating
green, equitable job opportunities.
1 Baltimore Wood Project — Rethinking Wood in
the City Photo Source: (Above) http://baltimorewoodproject.org/ (Below) Wood
waste from the Urban Forestry can be reused for other purposes.
Chapter Four: Connect 64
4CONNECT:
ACCESSIBLE
& CONNECTED
GREEN SPACES
GOAL STATEMENT
Well-maintained, welcoming trails, streets,
public transportation, and sidewalks are
interconnected as the city’s circulatory
system. This system connects pedestrians,
cyclists, and riders to the city’s green
spaces and outstanding natural landscapes
of Salt Lake City’s Public Lands: mountains,
foothills, valley, wetlands, and lakes.
The City will continue to enhance these
systems and increase connectors to include
everyday destinations ranging from the
daycare, library, grocery store, pharmacy
and museum. This adds convenient access
to walk or ride along a greenway, adding
steps to pedometers and enriching health
and wellbeing.
CHAPTER
The goal of Connect seeks to link
SLC’s natural assets: the greenway corridors, natural areas, mountains
and the Great Salt Lake.
Chapter Four: Connect 66
CHALLENGES TO ACCESSINGGREEN SPACE
Salt Lake City’s Great Basin Valley,
Wasatch foothills and Great Salt
Lake shore uplands inspired the
1992 SALT LAKE CITY OPEN
SPACE PLAN that recognized how
disconnected these spaces were
to the urban park systems at the
time. Since 1992, progress has
been made to connect parks and
stormwater properties to natural
open spaces through a network
of green corridors. The Reimagine
Nature Master Plan goal of
“Connect” ties back to this earlier
planning effort and positions Public
Lands to continue to be the city’s
“back yard” of conserved mountains,
foothills, creeks and wetlands.
Work-in-progress that supports this
goal includes strategic open space
preservation, stream restoration,
park acquisition and partnerships
to maintain and connect wildlife
habitat corridors.
An overall sense of environmental
unease and costly recovery efforts
confronts Salt Lake City with record
hot weather, longer droughts,
increased wildfire frequency,
damaging storms, more poor
CONNECT:ACCESSIBLE &CONNECTED GREEN SPACES
air quality days and loss of the
diversity of plants and wildlife in
our landscapes.
Counter these depressing
stressors with findings on the
benefits of spending time outside:
blood pressure drops within
minutes of just seeing a tree. So
why aren’t more people spending
time outdoors? Over the last
decade of parks and open space
surveys, North American city
dwellers identified frequently
recurring barriers to accessing
green space: lack of leisure time,
lack of affordable transportation
(e.g., complete sidewalks, bus, etc.)
or inability to travel to a space, and
lack of knowledge about where to
go to enjoy the outdoors.
10-MINUTE WALK
Our time is precious; the modern
world’s busy demands of work,
learning and commuting consume
most of our waking hours and
impact our available time for
recreation outdoors. Children
in the U.S. spend only four to
seven minutes a day outside and
obesity levels in Salt Lake City
have risen since 2013. For cities
across North America, urban
dwellers, health care providers
and environmentalists consistently
advocate for visions of an equitable
network of city trails, sidewalks,
bike lanes and green streets,
providing all residents access to
parks, work, shopping, and culture
within a 5-to-10-minute safe walk
of their households. City Parks
Alliance and Trust for Public Land,
leaders in urban green space
research, endorse the 10-minute
walk distance as a baseline
standard for the United States
because studies have shown the
tremendous benefit of close-to-
home green space to counter
threats to our physical wellness
and mental well-being. For the
SLC Public Lands system, the
2019 NEEDS ASSESSMENT found
that most residents are within a
10-minute walk of green spaces,
with some areas (markedly on the
westside) that need more parks
and/or more investment in park
renewal.
AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE
TRANSPORTATION
The daytime population of
downtown Salt Lake City nearly
doubles during the week with the
average commute time of 20-25
minutes. Imagine if that commute
“[THE LAND] HOLDS SO MUCH OF OUR CULTURE,
OUR HISTORY AND OUR KNOWLEDGE…IN THE FACE
OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND EVERYTHING THAT’S
COMING, THESE LESSONS AND ANSWERS ON HOW
TO LIVE WITH THE LANDSCAPES THAT ALL OF OUR
TRIBES HAVE EVOLVED WITH, THOSE ANSWERS ARE
ALL EMBEDDED IN THIS LAND.”
― Ahjani Yepa, Utah Dine Bikeyah,
Inside Climate News, April 21, 2021
“IT IS ONE GREAT PURPOSE OF [CENTRAL] PARK TO SUPPLY
TO THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TIRED WORKERS, WHO
HAVE NO OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND THEIR SUMMERS IN THE
COUNTRY, A SPECIMEN OF GOD’S HANDIWORK THAT SHALL BE
TO THEM, INEXPENSIVELY, WHAT A MONTH OF TWO IN THE
WHITE MOUNTAINS OR THE ADIRONDACKS IS, AT GREAT COST,
TO THOSE IN EASIER CIRCUMSTANCES.”
―Frederick Law Olmstead, Letter to New York City Board of Commissioners, 1858.- Frederick Law Olmsted, letter to New York City Board of Commissioners, 1858
Chapter Four: Connect 68
changed from auto-driven to more
active ways to reach work and
school that also connect residents
to parks and green spaces. People
would add beneficial time outside
in nature to their daily lives. Utah’s
Unified Transportation Plan calls
for a third of the state’s future
transportation investments to
be invested in transit (defined as
mobility transportation including
bicycles, walking, vanpool, buses,
light rail, commuter rail, street cars,
etc.). Leveraging these investments
with the city’s growing green
network and ensuring that people
of all abilities (people with cognitive
disabilities, elders with declining
mobility, to parents schlepping
a 36”-wide stroller) can access
routes is critical for equity. Beyond
providing access, many forms of
active transportation are free to
low-cost-an important factor as 45%
of Salt Lake City metro renters are
cost burdened. Low-income and
subsequent burdens of housing
and transportation costs can limit
the amount of leisure time and
transportation options people
have to enjoy public lands. The
challenge is thus twofold: one of
connecting more ways of walking
and cycling for everyone in Salt
Lake City while prioritizing those
routes that provide access to urban
parks, natural areas, and trees
within the city that also connect to
the larger landscapes of mountains,
foothills, basins, wetlands and lakes.
AWARENESS
The third most common barrier
to getting outside is lack of
knowledge: where are places to
recreate, how to get there, what
to expect when they get there,
and who to recreate with. This
awareness also has implications for
long-term stewardship. The writer
Vladimir Nabokov muses, “Reality
is a very subjective affair. I can
only define it as a kind of gradual
accumulation of information; and
as specialization. If we take a lily,
for instance, or any other kind
of natural object, a lily is more
real to a naturalist than it is to
an ordinary person. But it is still
more real to a botanist.” Magical
landscapes of trees, rock, creeks,
marsh and salty lake where plants
and wildlife abound in the Salt
Lake City region. But if the public
doesn’t understand what is there
and how to leave no trace, they
will be unlikely to understand how
to be stewards of the land (how to
enhance the health of the urban
greenspaces and surrounding
wilderness through political
advocacy, financial support,
stewardship, land conservation and
reducing individual environmental
footprint). Or to put it simply, we
don’t know what we don’t know.
Public education strategies and
wayfinding can help cities connect
people to experiences in nature,
improving public health while
growing caring stewards of plants,
animals, and landscapes.
DESIRES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONNECT
Creating opportunities to connect
people to public lands resonated
strongly with participants in the
master plan process. During the
most recent community survey,
90% of respondents said they are
satisfied with the transformative
project “Connect Mountains to
Lakes” and 75% supported “Just 5
Minutes from Here,” a campaign to
share information on how people
can access and learn about public
lands. Enriching the discussion
about connecting people to place
are quotes from participants, listed
to the right.
CONNECT:ACCESSIBLE &CONNECTED GREEN SPACES
“MORE EMPHASIS ON
MAKING AREAS BIKE
AND BUS FRIENDLY
TO REDUCE THE
NEED TO DRIVE TO
PARKS.”
-comments from the
2021 public survey
“ACCESS IS AWESOME, AND
WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET
OUT INTO THESE SPACES BUT
HAVING HUMANS IN THESE
AREAS CAN IMPACT WHAT THE
HABITAT LOOKS LIKE, SO JUST
BALANCING THOSE NEEDS
AND BEING ABLE TO PROTECT
LAND IN CERTAIN WAYS FOR
WILDLIFE IS SOMETHING TO
THINK ABOUT.”
“UNCOVER AND
RESTORE THE
BURIED AND
IMPAIRED CREEKS
IN THE SALT LAKE
VALLEY.”
Chapter Four: Connect 70
Figure 18: Transit and Park Access Analysis Map.
”FOCUS ON ACCESSIBLE BY PUBLIC
TRANSPORT OR BIKE INSTEAD OF
MORE PARKING FOR CARS.”
“CAR FREE SUNDAYS IN LIBERTY PARK,
INCORPORATE PARKS AND TRAILS
INTO PUBLIC TRANSIT INITIATIVES
MAYBE A SPECIAL RECREATION LOOP.”
“NONE OF THIS WORKS WITHOUT
A PLAN FOR EQUITABLE PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION AND A BROADER
CITY/COUNTY/STATE FOCUS ON AIR
QUALITY AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL
SAFETY CONCERNS.”
-comments from the
2021 public survey
TRANSIT ACCESS TO PARKS IN SALT LAKE CITY
TRANSIT CONNECTING PARKS
Respondents to the Reimagine
Nature survey continually cited
the need for increased access by
public transit for equity of access,
low-carbon solutions, and to
resolve the issue of lack of parking.
According to the 2019 Needs
Assessment, The Central
Community has the lowest park
LOS and is expected to experience
the most future growth in the city.
The addition of Fleet Block as a
public green space could fill this
gap and increase options to access
parks by rail with proximity to the
nearby TRAX station. As the City
develops, consideration should
be given to the relationship of
parks and transit and affordable,
environmentally friendly options for
park accessibility.
Figure 18 Access Analysis Map
highlights existing parks within
walking distance to rail station
locations. Dark red areas are within
a five minute walk of TRAX stations
and dark green shows areas within
a five minute walk of a bus stop.
Adding or enhancing parks and
trails within these areas should
be prioritized for more equitable
access. Imagine being able to visit
a different park every week just by
stepping off a different bus or rail
stop.
LEGEND
GOLF COURSES
EXISTING TRAILS
TRAX/
FRONTRUNNER
TRAX/
FRONTRUNNERSTATIONS
UTA BUS ROUTES
UTA BUS STOPS
PARKS AND
NATURAL LANDS5 MINUTE WALK FROM TRAX STATIONS
5 MINUTE WALK FROM
BUS STOPS
PARKS WITHIN A 10
MINUTE WALK FROM TRAX STATIONS
MINI/NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS WITHIN A 10 MINUTE WALK FROM
TRAX STATIONS
10 MINUTE WALK FROM
TRAX STATIONS
10 MINUTE WALK FROM BUS STOPS
CEMETERY
UTA TRAXUTA TRAXUTA FRONTRUNNERUTA FRONTRUNNERWASHINGTON WASHINGTON
SQUARESQUARE
HERMAN FRANKS HERMAN FRANKS
PARKPARK
SUGARHOUSE PARKSUGARHOUSE PARK
FAIRMONT PARKFAIRMONT PARK
LIBERTY PARKLIBERTY PARK
PIONEER PIONEER
PARKPARK
COTTONWOOD COTTONWOOD
PARKPARK
FOREST DALE GOLF FOREST DALE GOLF
COURSECOURSE
Chapter Four: Connect 72
CASE STUDY:
TUJUNGA WASH GREENWAY AND
STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT
Completed in 2007, the 1.2-mile Tujunga
Wash Greenway and Stream Restoration
Project in Los Angeles, California annually
infiltrates up to 118 million gallons of
stormwater, increases park space per
person by 21% and used all native
plants during restoration (saving 70-80%
potential water use using conventional
methods). The Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority partnered with the
region’s flood control district and public
works to complete the 50 to 60-foot
wide greenway that includes 15 acres of
riparian habitat, 10-foot wide recreation
trails on both sides of the channel and 8
ecological areas with over 1,000 trees.
The Landscape Architecture Foundations’
Landscape Performance Series case
study on this project underlined the
following lessons learned from the
Tujunga Wash Greenway to keep in mind
for this transformational project:
•Ongoing public education on the
seasonal changes of the stream
and landscape is essential to build
environmental awareness;
•In man-made streambeds, efficient
sediment removal maintenance is key for
flow;
•Leverage smaller phases as a prototype
for establishing baseline measurement
and data collection regimes; and
•Establish real-time environmental
monitoring for habitat management and
hydrological performance.
The following recommended
strategies and policies are high-
level guidance for Public Lands
operations and maintenance
that direct how Public Lands
will achieve the plan goal of
“connect” over the next decade.
The community identified two
Plantings of native species improve biodiversity along the greenway.
The new greenway trail parallels a section of the Tsunga Wash.
Photo credits: https://rposd.lacounty.gov/portfolio/tujunga-wash-greenway/
A naturalized section of the Tsunga Wash increases riparian habitat while providing stormwater infrastructure.
CONNECT:STRATEGIES AND POLICIES OVERVIEW
transformational projects to
support the overall goal of
connect. Working in tandem with
the strategies and policies in this
table, these projects root the 20-
year vision with on-the-ground
improvements. Additional detail
for implementation is provided in
Chapter 8 Action Strategies.
CONNECT: HIGH-LEVEL STRATEGIES AND POLICIES
Strategy C-1 Connect people to information about their park system to increase visitation.
Supporting
Policy 1.1
Help the public navigate to and around their public lands system with intuitive
physical wayfinding and digital information.
Supporting
Policy 1.2
Provide information that helps the public interpret and appreciate their parks
and natural lands, with the use of diverse, interesting programming and activities,
education and messaging, physical and digital interpretive content, and park
ambassadors.
Supporting
Policy 1.3
Facilitate access to information about use of SLC’s public lands by people
experiencing homelessness, including available services and resources, hotlines,
community partners, and opportunities to engage in cross-community dialogue to
help make SLC parks welcoming and safe for sheltered and unsheltered alike.
Strategy C-2 Increase the ease of access to public lands, making it easier to travel to, between
and within them.
Supporting
Policy 2.1
Promote walking and active transportation by connecting our parks & natural spaces
to the City’s alternative transportation network, including bus, TRAX, SLC Green Bike,
and on-street / off-street trails.
Supporting
Policy 2.2
Invest in greening the urban trail network through tree plantings, stream daylighting,
and other methods to interconnect parks with park-like trails.
Supporting
Policy 2.3
Incorporate careful consideration of physical limitations, language barriers, and
other accessibility accommodations into all Public Lands projects.
Chapter Four: Connect 74
access to both experiences. An
enclosed walkway bridges the
creek between the two library
sections and connects to 8.8 miles
of trails to other key destinations.
Creekside Playground was added
adjacent to the library. These
places are made more accessible
with support from Child-Friendly
City Maps produced by youth
and activities databases on
growingupboulder.org.
Case Studies -
Portland, Oregon Golf
Courses with Public Trails
Three publicly owned golf courses
in Portland, Oregon offer miles of
walking trails to the public. The
trails range from neighborhood-
serving jogging trails to regional,
paved shared-use paths. At
Glendoveer Golf Course, 50,000
Case Studies -
Salt Lake City Children’s
Outdoor Bill of Rights
Public Lands worked with
diverse youth service providers
in SLC to create a CHILDREN’S
OUTDOOR BILL OF RIGHTS
(#slcoutdoorchildren) and list of
outdoor that every child growing
up in Salt Lake City should have
access to during their childhood
for the sake of their physical,
mental, social, and ecological
health. The Children & Nature
Network provides more resources.
Activities include:
- Seeing the Great Salt Lake
- Catching a bug
- Splash in a stream
- Identify a wild plant
- Reward stickers and journals for
documenting experiences.
rounds of golf are played annually,
and more than 100,000 walkers
concurrently use a 2-mile fitness
trail, in part due to the park
deficient adjacent neighborhood.
The American Trails organization
reports in their case study of
this course that no trail users
have been hit by errant golf balls.
Lessons learned include expanding
the 40-parking spot trailhead
used by hikers and pedestrians to
access the course and education
around golf-trail etiquette and
un-leashed dogs. Another good
example in Portland is Heron Lakes
Golf Course where a 200-yard
stretch of the course is used to
help fill a trail gap for a larger 40-
mile loop.
The “Just 5 Minutes from Here”
wayfinding and informational
campaign could leverage these
activities and identify destinations
to complete the outdoor activities
and learn more about stewardship
and ecologies of public lands.
Case Studies -
Boulder Public Library
and Boulder Creek Path
As the main branch of Boulder
Public Library became slated
for renewal, the City found that
building a new location adjacent
to the Boulder Creek Path and
greenway would be a more
cost-effective option. This also
co-located a cultural destination
(library) to the city’s downtown
greenway and provided the public
SALT LAKE CITY AND BOULDER, COLORADO OFFER TWO WAYS “JUST 5 MINUTES FROM HERE” COULD TAKE INSPIRATION.
IMPROVE POLLINATOR
HABITAT
ADDED
STORMWATER
RETENTION
BENEFITS
NATIVE TREE
CANOPY PROVIDES
HABITAT FOR
WILDLIFE
CREATE A
CONNECTION TO
JORDAN RIVER
JOINT-USE
SIGNAGE
PLANT TREE ROWS
TO VISUALLY
SEPARATE
ACTIVITIES
NATURE PLAY
AREA
PROTECTIVE
FENCING FOR
TRAIL WHERE
NEEDED
MULTI-USE TRAILS
ON EDGE OF GOLF
COURSE
Figure 19: Reimagined Golf Courses Exhibit. Design strategies can enhance compatibility between activities,
allowing single-use spaces, such as golf courses, to host additional trail and recreation opportunities and
provide comprehensive access for all.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Q
R
S
T
U
Q
R
S
T
U
THANK YOU! ¡GRACIAS!Map sponsors/ Patrocinadores del mapa
Map partners / Socios del mapa
Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau, Boulder County Head Start, Boulder Housing Partners, Boulder Jewish Community Center Preschool, Boulder Journey School, Boulder Public Library, Boulder Valley School District, City of Boulder, Dairy Arts Center, El Centro Amistad, I Have a Dream Foundation, Imagine Colorado, Moxie Moms, Museum of Boulder, Museum of Natural History CU Boulder and Walk2Connect Cooperative
GUB funders / Donantes de GUB
City of Boulder and University of Colorado Offi ce of Outreach and Engagement and Program in Environmental Design
Growing Up Boulder is a program of the CEDaR (Community Engagement, Design, and Research) Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. /
Growing Up Boulder es un programa del centro
CEDaR (Ofi cina de participación comunitaria,
diseño, e investigación) de la Universidad de
Colorado Boulder.
Greetings! Saludos!
Growing Up Boulder (GUB) is Boulder’s child and youth-friendly city initiative. Since 2009, we’ve partnered with CU, City of Boulder, BVSD, and local organizations to include 4,000 children and youth in 84 city projects. Our mission? To make Boulder a welcoming and engaging child-friendly city for
all. / Growing Up Boulder (GUB) es la iniciativa
de la ciudad de Boulder de crear una ciudad amigable para niños y jóvenes. Desde 2009, hemos
colaborado con CU, la ciudad de Boulder, BVSD,
y organizaciones locales para incluir 4,000 niños y
jóvenes en 84 proyectos de la ciudad. ¿Nuestra
misión? Hacer de Boulder una ciudad acogedora y
comprometida con los niños y con todos.
This 10 year anniversary map project celebrates children’s’ favorite locations in our great city. It’s a map made by and for children. Discover fun places to play and learn new things! Look for an expanded digital version of this map in September 2019. /
Este mapa creado por nuestro décimo aniversario
celebra los sitios favoritos de los niños en nuestra
gran ciudad. Es un mapa hecho por niños y para
niños. ¡Descubre lugares divertidos para jugar y
aprender cosas nuevas! Busca por una versión extendida de este mapa en Septiembre 2019.
growingupboulder.org/gubmap
Happy exploring!
Mara, Cathy, & the GUB Team
INTERACT AND LEARN / INTERACTUA Y APRENDE
Can You Find? / ¿Puedes Encontrar? Little Lending Libraries? /¿Una pequeña biblioteca
de préstamo? Art on utility boxes by “Smile?” / ¿Arte en cajas de
servicios públicos por “Smile?” Pearl Street sculptures? / ¿Esculturas de Pearl Street? Boulder Creek Path murals? / ¿Murales en el sendero
de Boulder Creek?
SHARE your photos at #gubmap / Comparte tus fotos
en #gubmap
growing_up_boulder
@GrowingUpBoulder
RESOURCES / RECURSOS
GUB’s digital map (available after 9/1/19) / Mapa
digital de GUB (disponible después de 9/1/19) Open space and mountain parks facilities / Instalaciones
de espacios abiertos y parques de montaña Bus and
biking options / Opciones de movilidad en buses y
bicicleta Parks and recreation facilities / parques e
instalaciones recreativas Calendar of area events /
Calendario de eventos en el área Lactation rooms /
Cuartos de lactancia
Please
Recycle!
SCAN HERE!amenities chart/ tabla de servicioskey/ leyendashade over play areasáreas de juegosombradas
map reference
referencia del mapa
cost / costo
handicap accessibleaccesible para
discapacitados
indoor spacesespacios interiores
transit*
(bus, bike, or parking)
transito*(autobús, bicicleta o estacionamiento)
play structure
zona de juegos
drinking wateragua potable
changing table
cambiador
hiking or multiuse pathsendero de uso múltiple
snacks nearbycomida cercana
grill / parrilla
restrooms / baños
lawn / césped
A1K7L8T4I4T6J9U3N5L7D3T6B8K1L3I5M8J2F4T6K4E2G3I8T1G3I2K3N3H2G3Q5G10J5J10O6I4H7E2Arapahoe Ridge "Rock" ParkBoulder Convention and Visitors BureauBobolink TrailBoulder Creek & Boulder Creek PathBoulder JCC: Tumble Room & Milk and Honey FarmBoulder Public Library, Main Library, Creekside Playground, & Canyon Theater and GalleryBoulder Public Library, George Reynolds BranchBoulder Public Library, Meadows BranchBoulder Public Library, NoBo Corner LibraryBoulder ReservoirFlagstaff: Summit Nature Center & Boyscout TrailChautauqua: Playground, Ranger Cottage, & Enchanted Mesa / McClintock TrailEast Boulder Recreation Center & ParkEben G. Fine ParkElks Park & Elks PoolFarmers Market/ Bandshell/ Central Park Fiske PlanetariumFoothills Community ParkGrowing Gardens: Children's Peace Garden Humane SocietyKids' Fishing PondMuseum of BoulderNational Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Visitor Center & TrailheadNorth Boulder ParkNorth Boulder Recreation CenterPearl Street MallSawhill PondsScott Carpenter "Rocketship" Park, Pool, & SkateparkSombrero Marsh Environmental Ed Center by ThorneSouth Boulder Recreation Center, Harlow Platts Community Park & Viele LakeSpruce Pool Museum of Natural History, CU BoulderValmont City Park & Valmont Bike ParkMountain Flower Goat DairyDairy Arts CenterWonderland Lake & ParkBoulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA)Boulder Dushanbe Tea HouseScan here for a complete list of parks & trails, bike & bus routes, & cold weather restroom & drinking fountain closures.
Escanee aquí para una lista completa de parques y senderos, bicicletas y buses, cierres de baños publicos y
bebederos de agua debido a climas fríos.
* “Bus” means bus route nearby; ”Bike” means accessible via protected bike paths; “parking” means parking lot available.
*“Bus” significa a ruta de buses cerca; “Bicicleta” significa acceso a una ciclovía protegida. “Parqueo” significa parqueadero disponible.
CIVIC AREA
PEARL STREET MALL
A city that is friendly to children is a city friendly to all!
Una ciudad amigable para los niños es una ciudad amigable para todos!
BOULDER MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Arts/ Culture
Water Play
Education
Nature/ Trails
Parks N Play
KEY/LEYENDA
(10 minutes)1/4 Mile
(5 minutes)1/8 Mile
Walking Times / Tiempo Caminando
*Approx. 7 year old pace**al paso de un niño de 7 años*
Artes y Cultura
Naturaleza y senderos
Educación
Juegos en el agua
Parques y Juegos infantiles
Growing Up Bo u l d e r ’s
a kid’s guide to exploring our gr ea t c i t y
Boulder’s C h il d -Friendly City Ma
p10th Annivers a r y
gran ciudad
una guia para que los niños exploren n u e s t r a 9th StreetBroadway AvenueCanyon Boulevard
Walnut Street
Pearl Street
11th Street13th Street14th Street15th StreetKids’ F is hing Po
n
dsT ubing
Boulder P u blic Lib
r
aryB a n dshell
Farm er s Mark
e
t Boulder Dush anbe T
e
a HouseB M oCAClimbing Rock
s Visito r Center
Wa t e r Jets Sculp ture P
a
r
kCreeksid e Playgr
o
undCanyon Thea ter and GalleryWate r Fall R
o
c
kSp lit Rock
Spit t ing M
a
n
Bou ld er Cree
k
Boulder Lib r a ry Fou
n
dationBoulder’s Child-Friendly City Map
Park-like features surround the City of Boulder, Colorado Main Library.
Photo credits: https://atlaslab.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/4_AtlasLab_BoulderCivicArea.01.01.jpg
Chapter Four: Connect 76
CONNECTION TO
JORDAN RIVER
PARKWAY TRAIL
INCLUDE SAFE RAILROAD
CROSSINGS
INCREASE TREE CANOPY IN
GOLF COURSES TO CLEAN AIR
AND COMBAT URBAN HEAT
ISLAND TEMPERATURES
IMPROVE WATER
QUALITYMULTI-USE TRAIL
ALONG THE SURPLUS
CANAL
PATHWAYS AND
CROSSWALKS
CONNECTING CITY
PARKS
GLENDALE REGIONAL PARK
GLENDALE GOLF COURSE
SURPLUS CANAL
1700 S PARK
IMPROVE CONNECTIONS TO ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Utilize all of public lands parks,
golf courses and natural spaces to
connect the city’s human powered
transportation network.
ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENT
Utilize spaces such as golf courses
to increase the urban forest and
restore native habitat.
UTILIZE SPACE
Find environmental and
recreational uses for underutilized
public spaces including wide
medians, public utility lands and
where appropriate, spaces on golf
courses.
Figure 20: Connecting Green Spaces Concept Illustration
INCREASE NATIVE
REVEGETATION TO
ENHANCE WILDLIFE
HABITAT
BEFORE IMPROVEMENTS
AFTER IMPROVEMENTS
NEED FOR INVASIVE WEED MANAGEMENT
SERVICE ROAD, NO ESTABLISHED TRAIL
UNSAFE CROSSING AT RAILNO PEDESTRIAN CROSSING
BIG
MOVES &
STRATEGIES
Chapter Four: Connect 78
Projects Include:
• Connect trails from the Eastern side of the Wasatch Mountains to the Foothills Natural Area, The 9 Line Trail to the Jordan River Parkway trail and West to the Salt Lake Marina and mountains.
CONNECT OUR
PARKS AND NATURAL
SPACES TO THE CITY’S HUMAN POWERED TRANSPORTATION
NETWORK
The Jordan River Water Trail....QUICKFACTCOMPLETE MISSING LINKS IN REGIONAL TRAILS AND INVEST IN GREENWAYS TO ENHANCE NATURE AND CREEKS WITHIN THE CITY.
3. CONNECT MOUNTAINS TO THE LAKE
• Begin to implement the Seven Greenways Vision, creating a regional system of high-quality greenways along Red Butte, Parleys, Emigration and City Creeks, including locations to uncover creeks, add trails, improve natural habitat, and provide for recreation.
• Implement all remaining proposed trails including the McClelland Trail, Folsom Trail, Surplus Canal Trails, and Foothills Trail.
Transformative Project
CONNECT SLC’S
TRAILS & PARKS TO
THE CITY’S BACKYARD NATURAL ASSETS
Chapter Four: Connect 80
Salt Lake City became a city
in large part due to the scenic
beauty of the mountains and lake
embracing the valley. The 70.7
miles of existing Public Lands trails
and 129 miles of planned trails
enable many to enjoy walking
and cycling access to shady
natural areas and parks. But for
many areas of the city, access to
waterways, the lake and mountains
is limited. To address this, “Connect
Mountains to the Lake” envisions
a vast network of running and
walking paths, cycling routes and
green corridors.
Imagine being able to connect from
the downtown core to the Great
Salt Lake or Wasatch Mountain
trails. Or, for daily commutes,
imagine having safe and welcoming
trails that provide opportunities to
integrate exercise into the daily
commute, making pulses race
and filling senses with scenic
beauty. “Connect Mountains
to the Lake” would promote
enhanced connections between
neighborhoods and natural lands,
particularly to the Foothills Natural
Area. This project also supports
protection and greater access of
the Foothills Natural Area, a recent
plan calls for 65 miles of new
trails to help connect this natural
treasure to more pedestrians,
hikers and cyclists. Protecting
the foothills with sustainable,
well-connected trails that direct
visitation to concentrated areas
has an added benefit of protecting
undisturbed wildlife habitat.
Beyond the benefit to health
and wellness, these connected
corridors provide pathways for
the movement of birds, mammals
and fish and create opportunity
for rainwater management that
supports ecosystem health.
Building and expanding greenways
helps increase pervious surfaces
that can help clean and manage
storm water runoff all the while
supporting mature tree canopy that
provides shade and habitat.
CONNECT:CONNECT MOUNTAINS TO THE LAKE
Views out to the Great Salt Lake
from the Foothills.
Chapter Four: Connect 82
NOTES:
Show connections to Jordan RT and Bonneville Shoreline Trail
Existing and Proposed show graphically? Call out proposed trails
Potentially have icons describing foothills rec and wetlands
Do we mention the 7 greenways?
Show greenway corridors
Foothills Trails
(Proposed Improvements)
McClelland Trail
(Portions Completed)
9-Line Trail
(In Progress)
Folsom Trail
(In Progress)
Surplus Canal Trail
(Proposed)
IMPLEMENT & COMPLETE PROPOSED TRAILS
Figure 21: Reimagine Mountains to Lake Connectivity Exhibit.
Bonneville Shoreline
(Existing Regional Trail)
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
2 3 4 5 6
EXISTING AND PROPOSED TRAIL CONNECTIONS IN SALT LAKE CITY
A NATURAL CITY:
VISION OF THE 1992
OPEN SPACE PLAN
The Salt Lake City 1992 Open
Space Plan paints a picture of the
City through its natural assets. The
plan seeks to better connect the
City’s park system to the natural
environment, overcoming manmade
barriers and unifying the City by
connecting the Wastach foothills,
benches, valley floor, creeks, Jordan
River and Great Salt Lake wetlands.
SLC Public Lands has come a
long way to achieving the 1992
goals, with many trails underway
or completed, enhancing access to
nature and joining natural features.
The goal “connect” seeks to further
these objectives, completing
proposed trails throughout the City
while emphasizing opportunities for
enhanced natural areas, greenways
and connections to the Jordan River.
JORDAN RIVER PARKWAY
Future Connection to Great Salt Lake
Future Connection to Great Salt Lake Wetlands
Future Connection to Oquirrh Mtns.
PROPOSED FOLSOM TRAIL
PROPOSED SURPLUS CANAL TRAIL
PROPOSED 9 LINE TRAIL
MCCLELLAND TRAIL
BONNEVILLE SHORELINE TRAIL
FOOTHILLS TRAL SYSTEM
PARLEYS TRAIL
7
LEGEND
EXISTING TRAILS
PROPOSED TRAILS
DESIRED CONNECTION
POINTS
Chapter Four: Connect 84
Projects Include:
• Initiate an information campaign and tools for learning about parks, tree-care, public activities in green spaces and city golf courses, environmental education, and recreation opportunities.
UTILIZING ALL COMMUNITY
OUTDOOR PUBLIC SPACES
MAKE IT EASIER TO FIND AND EXPLORE NEARBY PARKS, TRAILS AND PUBLIC SPACES TO EXPAND THE PUBLIC’S EXPERIENCES IN NATURE AND BUILD STEWARDSHIP PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES.
• Promote other public green space use like libraries, school grounds and the City cemetery as part of a connected system.
• Establish a multi-lingual signage and wayfinding program that reflects Salt Lake City’s diversity.
4. JUST FIVE MINUTES FROM HERE
Transformative Project
Chapter Four: Connect 86
Navigating Salt Lake City’s roads
is fairly straightforward using
the north, south, east and west
grid system and 660’ x 660’
blocks. The 70.7-miles of Public
Lands trails interface with these
roads at trailheads and within
green destinations of parks and
natural areas. Within this network,
hundreds of cultural destinations
and stories await hikers, cyclists
and pedestrians. Lessons of natural
history, environmental stewardship
and origin stories of parks are
waiting to be told in the 120
languages currently spoken in Utah
(Source: U.S. Census).
National best practices also
point to the advantage of linking
cultural destinations of libraries,
safe routes to schools and active
recreational destinations to a city’s
trail network. In Salt Lake City,
many of these connections exist,
just five minutes from people’s day
to day lives and can be highlighted
through signage, outreach
education and digital campaigns.
Co-locating cultural, natural and
recreational destinations makes it
easier for us to combine the trip
to the library with a healthy family
walk, enriching our day-to-day
lives.
Conversations with Salt Lake
City residents who speak English
as a second language reveal
that including multi-lingual
communications in signage and
digitally helps make public lands
feel more welcoming and inclusive.
An added benefit to increased
awareness of what is in public
lands, is the opportunity to share
how to take care of public lands
and support tree canopy health,
clean water and fresh air.
CONNECT:JUST FIVE MINUTES FROM HERE
Signage along the Jordan River Trail points toward city nodes.
Chapter Four: Connect
Regional Athletic Complex
Foothills Natural Area & Trail System
Warm Springs Park
City Creek ParkI-15I-215SLC Cemetery
Regional Athletic Complex
Public Lands Nursery (Proposed)Guadalupe School Warm Springs Park Foothills Natural Area
Rose Park Golf Course
Day-Riverside Library
Jordan Valley Parkway
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE USING ALL PUBLIC SPACES:
2 POSSIBLE ADVENTURES FROM THE REGIONAL ATHLETIC
COMPLEX
START AT
THE RAC
PLAY 9
HOLES OR
SIT BY THE
RIVER
WATCH A
SOCCER
GAME
ENJOY A
BIKE RIDE
ALONG THE
RIVER
ADVENTURE A ADVENTURE B
UNWIND
READING
A BOOK
OUTSIDE
IN THE
LIBRARY
GARDENS
DECIDE YOU
WANT TO GO
ON A HIKE
STAY
ALONG THE
RIVER
OR
ON YOUR WAY, STOP BY TO
VOLUNTEER AT THE NATIVE
PLANTS NURSERY
VISIT A FRIEND AT THE
SCHOOL PLAYGROUND
LEARN ABOUT THE
HISTORIC WARM
SPRINGS
ENJOY THE SUNSET AND
VIEWS OF THE CITY ON
YOUR HIKE
START AT THE RAC
Figure 22: Reimagine System Connectivity Exhibit.
3A
4A
3B 3C 3D 3E
2
1
1
2
3A
4A
3B
3C
3D
3EAdventure
A Adventure BJordan Ri
ver Parkway“Just 5 Minues from Here” seeks to connect and utilize all publicly-accessible lands including those managed by others such as Public Utilities’ City Creek Canyon and the Foothills Natural Area, a jointly-managed space.
City Creek Canyon
Rose ParkGolf Course
Public Lands Nursery
SPLIT HERE
Educational Sewer Treatment Plan
Guadalupe School
Day-River Side Library
Chapter Five: Welcome 90
5 GOAL STATEMENT
Ideal parks are actively used by the
community, inclusive for all ages, abilities
and cultures and strive to be authentic,
or reflective of the neighborhood and
community’s culture. Parks departments
across the country struggle with balancing
limited resources and many priorities with
achieving these ideals. For cities, there is
also a growing awareness of how green
space has historically been provided and
maintained for different neighborhoods.
Cities are collecting data and stories to
document the historic inequities in the
quantity and quality of green space (e.g.,
nationwide studies have found that lower
income urban areas typically correlate with
less tree canopy, less accessible green
spaces and lower quality amenities). The
Public Lands Department, in alignment
with the mayor’s 2021 citywide vision, is
committed to looking at top-down and
bottom-up community-driven solutions to
welcoming more people. The department
will strive to reflect the diverse culture and
history of Salt Lake City neighborhoods in
the tapestry of parks and open spaces.
WELCOME:
ACTIVE, AUTHENTIC,
AND INCLUSIVE
SPACES
CHAPTER
Cultures of SLC are brought to life at park events like the Living
Traditions Festival.
Chapter Five: Welcome 92
CHALLENGES TO CREATING WELCOMING SPACES
An increased awareness of the
health and social benefits of living
near park spaces has prompted
cities across the country to close
gaps in park access and attempt
to provide all residents a park
within walking distance of their
home. Another traditional metric
used to define Level of Service
(LOS) for parks is to calculate
the park acreage per population
and try to maintain or improve on
that baseline as the population
grows. However, parks provide
many different functions that do
not always relate to their size,
requiring more factors to be
assessed to understand parks
performance and establish targets.
The 2019 Needs Assessment
survey revealed that Westside
parks receive significantly less
visitation than other parks
throughout the city. (12-13% vs.
29-56%). One contributing factor
could be the lack of city-wide
festivals held on the Westside.
Additionally, Westside residents
are more likely to visit east-side
parks than east-side residents are
likely to visit Westside parks. Equal
investment in parks throughout
Salt Lake City’s neighborhoods
does not always translate to
parks that equally serve each
community, nor does it make
up for any historic inequities. It
takes a combination of factors to
succeed in the creation of thriving,
active spaces, where all feel
safe and welcome. Some factors
of creating a welcoming park
include providing park amenities
that are appealing to all ages
and inclusive playgrounds and
spaces for all abilities that are ADA
accessible. While park proximity
and amenities are some ways to
measure park quality, they are not
a singular solution for ensuring
parks are meeting the needs of
the community. Salt Lake’s various
neighborhoods, communities,
and cultures each have their
own unique recipes for park
success that need to be shared
and generated through robust
community engagement.
Ensuring that all local community
members are involved in the
park planning process, with extra
efforts to reach underrepresented
or underserved populations,
is essential to gleaning local
knowledge for the right park
ingredients and understanding
factors that contribute to
parks’ use and enjoyment. The
NRPA Community Engagement
Resource Guide defines equitable
engagement stating “An inclusive
and meaningful engagement
process ensures that our parks
and public spaces are created by
the people they are intended to
serve.”1 NRPA has also published
reports, such as “Design, Place
and Indigenous Ways: Working
with Local Communities”2 and
“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in
Parks and Recreation,”3 that serve
as guides to learning from specific
communities.
1 Community Engagement Resource Guide | Best Practice Resources | Publications and
Research | NRPA
2 Design, Place and Indigenous Ways: Working with Local Communities | Social Equity | Parks
and Recreation Magazine | NRPA
3 2021deireport.pdf (nrpa.org)
WELCOME:ACTIVE, AUTHENTIC AND INCLUSIVE SPACES
“PLEASE PRIORITIZE THE
SAFETY OF OUTDOOR
SPACES FOR ALL.”
“CREATE BEER GARDENS SUPPORTING
LOCAL BREWERIES, CONCESSIONS
SUPPORTING LOCAL CAFES AND
RESTAURANTS WITH HEALTHY AND
DIVERSE FOOD.”
“MAKE PARKS ACCESSIBLE: TO
ALL CULTURES, ABILITIES, &
AGES.”
-comments from the
2021 public survey
Chapter Five: Welcome 94
“I’d like to see the homeless
needs be addressed as part of
improving the public lands. Are
there areas they could camp
where they could have access
to health care and bathrooms
to make it safer for them and
also keep the parks clean and
safe?”
“Make sure that community
gardens are part of the re-
imagined green public spaces.”
WELCOME:ACTIVE, AUTHENTIC AND INCLUSIVE SPACES “I’D LIKE TO SEE
THE HOMELESS
NEEDS BE
ADDRESSED
AS PART OF
IMPROVING THE
PUBLIC LANDS.”
“ADD PUBLIC ART
FEATURES WHEN
POSSIBLE.”
-comments from
the 2021 public
survey
“EQUITY: A COMMUNITY THAT
PRIORITIZES EQUITY WORKS TO
ENSURE THAT ALL COMMUNITY
MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO WHAT
THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.”
-NRPA COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
RESOURCE GUIDE
“CONSIDER HAVING LOCAL ACTS
IN PARKS AS WELL AS MORE
FREE MOVIES. ADD FOOD VENUES
OR TRUCKS. PLAN EVENTS THAT
ARE BOTH FREE AND OPEN TO
EVERYONE, INCLUDING DISABLED
FOLKS IN CHAIRS AND USING
WALKERS/CANES.”
Partnering with local organizations
provides opportunities for
community-led art, education and
recreation programs that integrate
the character and cultures of the
city’s neighborhoods into park
spaces. Such programs, activities
and events also contribute to
active spaces that increase park
use and enhance safety.
Encouraging and providing
support for youth grassroots
movements is another way to
let the community lead park
advocacy and stewardship. Youth
can become strong leaders who
represent parks through youth city
councils and youth parks boards.
Creating city youth engagement
plans to reach all ages can foster
early appreciation for nature, civic
involvement and lend a sense of
belonging.
Raising kids from a young age to
be future stewards requires early
exposure to positive experiences
in nature that fills them with
wonder, curiosity, and that feeling
of being part of something larger
than yourself. Youth engagement
can include environmental
education programming and
finding locations for nature
exploration and play instead of the
typical playground.
DESIRES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR WELCOME
Creating active, welcoming spaces
was valued by the community.
During the most recent survey,
86% of respondents were satisfied
with the transformative project
“Reimagine Neighborhood Parks”
and 83% supported “Coming to
a Park Near You.” Among survey
participants in the west-side
planning areas, which have the
lowest park visitation in the city,
Reimagine Neighborhood Parks
was prioritized as a top urgent
project that should happen right
away. Enriching the discussion
about creating welcoming spaces
are select quotes from participants
displayed to the right and on the
previous page.
Chapter Five: Welcome 96
CASE STUDIES
New York City Parks formed the
Community Parks Initiative (CPI)
to advance equitable distribution
in park investments. The program
identifies underinvested parks and
incorporated community-led solutions
for park redevelopment through
local partnerships, park volunteer
opportunities, and extended outreach
efforts to engage diverse and
vulnerable populations from high-needs
neighborhoods. With support from the
CPI, community partners are empowered
to sustain ongoing park contributions,
leading activities ranging from
beautification projects to basketball days.
Philadelphia Parks has a concessions
program providing amenities such
as a pop-up beer garden and café, a
permanent waterfront café on the
Schuylkill River, and recreational bike
rentals that rent tandem, deuce coup and
surrey bikes at park locations throughout
the city. The concessions program
generates revenue while providing
services that allow park visitors to stay
and enjoy activities throughout the day.
The City of San Jose formed a program
to help address homelessness in parks.
Non-profits will send teams to pick up
litter, maintain the park landscaping
and trails, and provide outreach to
unsheltered populations in the parks.
The pilot program is considering other
additions, such as constructing prefab
modular housing nearby provided to
unhoused people in exchange for park
cleanup and maintenance services.
NYC Community Parks Initiative
Photo Source: https://www.thehighline.org
Guadalupe Riverfront Park, San Jose CA
Photo Source: https://www.sanjoseinside.com
Philadelphia Parks Concessions
Photo Source: https://wheelfunrentals.com/pa/philadelphia/boathouse-row/
The following recommended
strategies and policies are high-
level guidance for Public Lands
operations and maintenance
that direct how Public Lands
will achieve the plan goal of
sustain over the next decade.
The community identified two
keystone, transformational
projects to support the overall
goal of welcome. Working in
tandem with the overall strategies
and policies in this table, these
projects root the 20-year vision
with on-the-ground improvements
that will contribute to the
sustainability of Salt Lake City’s
quality of life for humans, plants
and animals. Additional detail for
implementation is provided in
Chapter 8 Action Strategies.
WELCOME:STRATEGIES AND POLICIES OVERVIEW
WELCOME: HIGH-LEVEL STRATEGIES AND POLICIES
Strategy W-1 Design and program Neighborhood Parks to highlight the unique natural,
historical, cultural and economic identity of the surrounding area and community
in which they are located.
Supporting
Policy 1.1
Study and collect data on system-wide park use, answering questions about who,
where, when, what and how park users are engaging with the neighborhood parks.
Supporting
Policy 1.2
Engage the community in the visioning of our public spaces and work especially to
foster engagement with under-represented groups.
Supporting
Policy 1.3
Enhance sense of place and community pride within parks.
Strategy W-2 Support active programming that brings people out to their parks for art, events,
programs, recreation and community. This programming should be diverse and
adapted to represent the community culture and encourage creation of social
connections.
Supporting
Policy 2.1
Remove barriers to park activation, addressing aspects such as physical assets,
public safety, and laws and ordinances.
Supporting
Policy 2.2
Creative and strategic installation of diverse park amenities supports active park use
by many different user groups.
Supporting
Policy 2.3
Generate proactive, targeted activation of citywide parks to leverage staff resources
and external partnerships and to make parks the community focal points for every
neighborhood.
Chapter Five: Welcome 98
TRANSFORM PARKS INTO VIBRANT COMMUNITY SPACES THAT EMPOWER RESIDENTS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY
Projects Include:
• Identify priorities for equitable
park redevelopment.
• Promote volunteerism,
donation, and adopt-a-park/
friends groups.
• Engage neighbors in
redesigning and adding
activities to parks that reflect
their interest, culture and the
character and history of
the area.
• Formalize Neighborhood
Park planning processes,
design guidelines for standard
features, and methods for
developing tailored design.
Transformative Project
ENGAGING
THE
COMMUNITY
THROUGH
PLACEMAKING
DEFINING FLEXIBLE
OPEN SPACES FOR INCLUSIVE
PARK DESIGN
PROGRAMMING TO
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY PRIDE
CELEBRATE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER IN PARKS
(Top) Artesian Well Park. (Bottom) 337 Garden. Photo Credit: Logan Sorenson
5. REIMAGINE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS
Chapter Five: Welcome 100
WELCOME:REIMAGINE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS
During the Reimagine Nature
public process, the community
provided ideas to make
neighborhood parks more safe
and also more fun, reflecting
the diverse communities that
use each park. To address the
lower visitation in Westside
parks documented by the
2019 Needs Assessment, this
transformative project envisions
a community-driven approach
to park improvements. The
community can help guide
physical improvements that tell
the story of an historic spring or
celebrate a neighborhood’s artistic
style in a decorative community
garden gate. The construction of
these physical improvements in
neighborhood parks create spaces
that feel authentic, genuinely
representing the style, history
and recreation desires of the
neighborhood.
In tandem with community
input, Public Lands will carefully
look at the way department
resources are prioritized. Creating
a framework for equitable
investment will involve identifying
the communities most in need
of park improvements through
tools such as the equity mapping
on page 48. It will also entail
targeted investments in historically
underserved neighborhoods, such
as the recently passed City capital
improvement plans and bond
initiatives that include:
• Investing in the Jordan River
Parkway to match dollar for
dollar investments in east side
parks such as Liberty Park. The
parkway includes over 158.3
acres of managed natural
lands and is directly connected
to 11 parks totaling over 440
acres.
• Improvements to three
west side parks to improve
the amenities and add
placemaking features and
community character.
• Creating the Glendale Regional
Park, a destination park with
event area and other unique
recreational opportunities.
Community members reimagined their
neighborhood park at a “Paint the Pavement” event in Poplar Grove Park.
Chapter Five: Welcome 102
WHAT IS A
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARK?
A neighborhood park’s primary
function is to serve the
surrounding community and
respond to the need for basic
recreational amenities close to
peoples’ homes. Ideally, these
parks are geographically centered
within a half mile of homes and
are connected by pathways
and sidewalks that provide safe
walking and bicycle access.
Neighborhood parks are typically
smaller in size, ranging from about
two to 15-acres, and have fewer
purposes than larger community
parks. They are intended to
provide both active and passive
recreation for residents for short
daily leisure periods, and should
be accessible for intensive use
by children, family groups, small
neighborhood gatherings, and
senior citizens.
Neighborhood parks typically have
a mix of large and small amenities,
such as open lawns and grass
play areas, pavilions, playgrounds,
sports courts and/or fields.
On-street parking is typically
adequate. As there are not enough
resources to encourage extended
periods of use- neighborhood
parks do not usually have facilities
such as lighting and restrooms.
WHAT MAKES
A GREAT
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARK?
The answer to the question, “what
makes a great neighborhood
park” varies from one park to
another. Local community values,
in excellent physical
condition
well-maintained, amenities in
good conditions
accessible to all potential
users
all ages & abilities, people know
about the facility and what they
can do, free/affordable to use
provide positive
experiences
diverse range of amenities
and activities, all community
members feel welcome and
safe, comfortable place to spend
time in
are relevant to the
communities they serve
park design and programming
reflects the culture and interest
of the community members,
surrounding community
actively uses the park, user
demographics reflect the
community-based organizations
are involved in park decisions
and operations
flexible and adaptable to
changing circumstances
park accommodates a variety of
uses, features adapt to evolving
circumstances, park enhances
environmental sustainability/
resilience
WELCOME:REIMAGINE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS
URBAN LAND
INSTITUTE’S
5 CHARACTERISTICS
OF HIGH-QUALITY
PARKS
Integrating input from the youth of the community is one strategy to ensure neighborhood parks serve all ages. Youth engagement can include environmental education
programming or finding locations for nature exploration and play instead of the typical playground.
1
2
3
4
5
park purpose and size, and
environmental conditions can
lead to different sets of criteria for
evaluating park quality. The variety
of park settings and community
needs makes it difficult to
establish baseline standards each
park should achieve based on
quantitative considerations such
as number of amenities.
Yet a successful neighborhood
park is apparent. It is full of activity
and diverse people, well-loved
by the community and frequently
visited. Through research and
engagement with parks and
communities across the country,
the Urban Land Institute, (ULI) has
identified qualities that contribute
to great parks which can be
broadly applied to different park
settings.1 The graphic on the right
outlines these qualities.
1 uli-fivecharacteristics_high-qualityparks_fin.pdf
Nature Playground, Story Mill Community Park - Bozeman, MT
Youth Engagement Bailey Drive Gateway - Raleigh, NC
Youth Engagment, West Gunnison Park - Gunnison CO
Chapter Five: Welcome 104
PARKS BY THE
COMMUNITY
High-quality neighborhood parks
are reflective of neighborhood
character by being culturally
relevant to the communities they
serve and providing a diversity
of activities that represent the
neighborhood. Parks can best
achieve neighborhood character
when they are planned and
implemented with the imagination
and effort of the local community.
The Reimagine Nature
engagement process
successfully harnessed the
power of neighborhood park
investment. Public Lands Staff
and students from the University
of Utah’s Department of City and
Metropolitan Planning invited
neighbors of Poplar Grove Park
to join Earth Day and Paint
the Pavement events in which
CASE STUDY: A
CITIZEN’S GUIDE TO
IMPROVING PARKS
Livable Memphis, in partnership
with The City of Memphis,
created a comprehensive guide
to help citizens get involved
with their neighborhood park.
The guide “shares ideas and
practical information for park
improvement projects, provides
tools and resources to be a park
advocate and demystifies the
process of navigating government
agencies.”1 It includes worksheets
for conducting park assessments
and neighborhood surveys, and
provides how-to guidance on the
logistics of leading park events,
hosting volunteer cleanups and
starting a “Friends of the Park”
group to name just a few.
1 https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2075/
guidetoimprovingyourpark_2018.
pdf?1537377320428
“75% OF SALT LAKE CITY’S PARKS & PUBLIC LANDS ARE NEIGHBORHOOD OR MINI PARKS AND PLAY A KEY ROLE IN ESTABLISHING COMMUNITY IDENTITY AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.”– 2019 public lands Needs Assessment
STEPS TO MAKING A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD PARK: (A COMMUNITY TOOLKIT)
1. Assess needs
o Identify what services, activities or amenities may be missing from the community that the neighbor-
hood park could provide.
o Consult published research by organizations such as TPL, NRPA and ULI to understand successful
elements of a great neighborhood park. Engage neighbors to understand which park criteria is most
important and assess if your park is meeting needs or could use improvements.
2. Create community-led park strategies.
o Create a process to enable ground-up, community park planning, advocacy and stewardship.
3. Identify opportunities for community-led programming and park activation
o Are there local businesses, non-profits, cultural groups, religious organizations, clubs or community
volunteer groups that could contribute to park educational programs, events, activities or classes?
4. Create passive and active recreation opportunities to activate the park and encourage com-
munity presence.
o Do park amenities and recreation opportunities serve a wide variety people and cater to all ages and
abilities?
o Are there comfortable spaces where neighbors can linger to relax and enjoy nature?
o Are there a variety of spaces that facilitate gathering and group activities?
5. Create culturally relevant amenities.
o What amenities would best serve the culture and trends of the community?
6. Identify elements to create place-based park design.
o Are there unique characteristics of the environment, neighborhood or community that should be
reflected in the park design?
o Do natural features create possibilities for unique programming or recreation such as environmental
education, water recreation, hiking, or winter sports?
7. Foster community stewardship
o Are there community partners with an interest in volunteerism and stewardship?
o Is there neighborhood interest in forming Friends of the Park groups to steward and advocate for the
park?
o Are there elements of park maintenance or research that could support educational, vocational train-
ing, or internship opportunities?
8. Identify local environmental considerations.
o Are there natural features that are important to maintain or restore?
o Are there opportunities for the park design to improve local environmental conditions such as noise
pollution, air quality, urban heat, etc.?
STEPS TO MAKING A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD PARK
neighbors helped design spaces
for park improvements, planted
trees and painted a mural. These
events resulted in a park reflective
of community expression and
generated input for Reimagine
Nature plan efforts from a typically
under-represented neighborhood.
Formalizing a process for inviting
the community to shape their own
neighborhood parks has helped
parks staff across the country
make neighborhood investment
a fundamental element of park
planning. The toolkit example
shown in Figure 23 provides a
framework outlining steps both
the Public Lands Department
and community members can
take to engage the community
holistically as long-term partners
for the planning and stewardship of
neighborhood parks.
WELCOME:REIMAGINE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS
Figure 23: Community Park Planning Framework Toolkit.
Chapter Five: Welcome 106
WELCOME:REIMAGINE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS
HOW ARE PUBLIC
LANDS’ RESOURCES
PRIORITIZED?
Long-term plans, like Reimagine
Nature, and annual plans by City
staff work in concert to determine
how time and money is spent on
Public Lands. Long-term plans
inform annual work. Each ring of
planning is informed by community
and stakeholder input. City
Council and Boards contribute to
prioritization decisions.
WHAT INPUTS
INFORMED THE
REIMAGINE NATURE
PRIORITIZATION
TOOLS?
Figure 24 communicates how
a combination of inputs such
as feedback and findings from
the 2019 Needs Assessment,
community input from Reimagine
Nature engagement focus groups
and survey responses, and
research on existing needs and
desires are all inputs guiding
the prioritization of master plan
recommendations, such as the 10
transformative projects.
CREATING
EQUITABLE
PRIORITIZATION AND
INVESTMENT
Providing equitable parks requires
evaluating park quality not just at
the site scale, but at the system
scale as well. System-wide
prioritization of park investment
begins by establishing baseline
criteria and taking stock of
existing conditions. Inputs such
as the 2019 Needs Assessment,
equity and environmental
mapping, community feedback,
and park amenity and conditions
assessments identify gaps in the
system and can help establish
standards for park quality and
identify areas most in need of
investment. An example of local
equity mapping is found on page
48.
In addition to understanding where
resources are most needed, it is
also important to consider how
funding decisions affect equitable
investment. Strategies that are
beneficial to some communities,
such as “Friend’s of the Parks”
groups, can put communities who
do not have the time or money
to spend at a disadvantage.
According to the Urban Institute’s
report Investing in Equitable
Urban Park Systems, “All funding
models have equity implications:
some are explicitly designed to
address equity and meaningfully
engage all residents, some risk
deepening inequities and fueling
displacement, and most depend
on how they are used.” The
report examines different funding
models and their implications for
equity. It provides strategies for
equitable investment practices
such as redistributing funds
from “Friends of the Parks”
groups into city-wide systems,
engaging community advisory
committees in funding processes,
and coordinating park and City
planning efforts to discover cross-
departmental alignment in both
goals and funding.
Figure 24: Plan Inputs and Prioritization Tools Graphic.
Existing
Conditions
&
Future
Trends
Community
Input
Gap
Analysis
Needs
Assessment
- Equity Mapping- Community-Identified 10
Transformative Projects- Public Lands Master Plan
- Strategies and Actions
Chapter Five: Welcome 108
Projects Include:
• Promote partnerships for arts,
music, performance, fitness,
urban agriculture, and games
in parks.
HELP OUR PARKS, LARGE AND SMALL, COME ALIVE WITH ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
ACTIVATE PARKS BY INCREASING THE
USE OF PARK
SPACE USING ART, MUSIC,
AND POP-UP ACTIVITIES
• Provide programming for
nature-based education,
volunteerism, outdoor
recreation, and horticulture.
• Reenergize city parks and
neighborhoods by adding
concession operations that will
generate revenues to reinvest.
Transformative Project
PROMOTE PARTNERSHIPS
FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS IN PARKS
6. COMING SOON TO A PARK NEAR YOU
Chapter Five: Welcome 110
SUPPORT ACTIVITY
To take advantage of the beautiful
spaces and green destinations
Salt Lake City already has, this
transformative project aims to
increase use of public lands
through events, programs,
recreation and concessions.
National parks and recreation
organizations call this type of
improvement “activating” parks
and green spaces or creating
vitality in parks through providing
programs or physical features that
invite activity.
SUPPORT EVENTS
One of the unexpected outcomes
of the 2020-2021 COVID-19
pandemic safety protocols
included a dramatic increase
in the public visiting outdoor
parks and green spaces. Events
that typically happened indoors
including concerts, conferences,
classes and meetings transitioned
to the outside. Building upon this
rediscovery of outdoor venues, this
transformative project welcomes
partnerships with community
arts, music and performance
groups to look for ways to use Salt
Lake City outdoor public spaces
as places for events. Everyday
activities like outdoor yoga, a
quinceañera (celebration of a girl’s
15th birthday) or picnicking under
the shade of a park tree are also
important activities that can be
supported through investment
in infrastructure (e.g., shade,
picnic tables), event policy and
staff services and higher levels of
maintenance in city parks.
ENVIRONMENTAL ED
Keeping environmental education
in mind, this transformative
project welcomes opportunities
to expand nature-based and
volunteer programs. With training
in horticulture, cultivation and
nature stewardship, more public
participants could volunteer and
support the great need to take
care of what we have in Salt Lake
City parks, urban tree canopy and
greenspaces.
YEAR-ROUND
PROGRAMMING
Parks see the most visitation
during the warmer months.
Offering a diversity of activities
as shown in Figure 25 can extend
park-use to all four seasons,
increasing opportunities for
winter outdoor activity and the
associated benefits that come with
adequate sunlight exposure during
the dark winter months.
Kids learn about relationships
between soil and bugs at an environmental education event.
WELCOME:COMING SOON TO A PARK NEAR YOU
Chapter Five: Welcome 112
Culture & Entertainment
Winter Events (Festival of Trees)
Ice Sculptors
Holiday Market
Fall Harvest Festival
Movie Nights
Food Trucks
Craft Market
Yoga in the Park
Music/Concerts
Pop-up Events
Public art shows, installations,
competitions
Art Walks
Fire Pits/Warming Huts
Sledding
Skating Rink
Cross Country Skiing
Historic Signage
Community &
Recreation
Biking/Walking Trails
Outdoor Dining
Paddling
Farmer’s Market
Outdoor Education
Kid’s Play Fountain
Community Gardens
Climbing Wall
Urban Farming
Figure 25: Seasonal Activities GraphEXPAND PROGRAMMING TO PROVIDE SMALL-SCALE SEASONAL PARK AMENITIES TO ACTIVATE PARKS, INCREASE RECREATION AND ART OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL AGES
Examples of park activities.
114
6 GOAL STATEMENT
Salt Lake City’s urban population is
growing. The Public Lands Department
will balance providing safe green spaces
for the public while also protecting iconic,
irreplaceable natural resources that keep
the city wild. Stewardship demands are
profound: diminishing environmental health,
increasing need for visitor management,
increasing maintenance demands,
increasing numbers of unhoused using
open space as refuge, and increasing costs
to provide infrastructure and services to a
growing city. In the Public Lands’ domain,
the Department will lead the stewardship
and care of urban green spaces. The
Department will seek out opportunities to
partner with advocacy groups and schools
to educate on how the public can be
stewards of the land and learn its history.
PROTECT:
A COMMITMENT
TO STEWARDSHIPCHAPTER
Public Lands Staff creating wetland habitat at Fairmont Pond.
Chapter Six: Protect
FACTORS IMPACTING STEWARDSHIP
Stewardship can be defined as
taking care of public lands now
and managing resources to protect
public lands for future communities
of people, plants and wildlife.
Taking this a step further, a 2018
literature review of environmental
stewardship concepts synthesized
a more nuanced definition
focused on local actions: “Local
environmental stewardship is
actions taken by individuals,
groups or networks of actors, with
various motivations and levels of
capacity, to protect, care for or
responsibly use the environment
in pursuit of environmental and/or
social outcomes in diverse social-
ecological contexts.”1
From this research group’s
extensive review of existing
management and governance
practices, they identified key
factors to local environmental
stewardship capacity that also
1 Bennett, N.J., Whitty, T.S., Finkbeiner, E. et al.
Environmental Stewardship: A Conceptual
Review and Analytical Framework. Environmental Management 61, 597–614
(2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-
0993-2
PROTECT:A COMMITMENT TO STEWARDSHIP
resonated with findings from the
Reimagine Nature community
outreach. Firstly, local community
assets including “social capital,” or
trust in local government agencies
and the ability to feel safe and
welcome in public spaces is critical.
Stakeholders and members of
the Salt Lake City community
cited “cultural capital” including
a community’s understanding of
place, history and practices as
important to building motivation
for stewardship. Additional factors
supported by best practices and
community feedback include
“financial capital” of both the
government and individuals that
affords stewardship actions plus
“human capital” of stewardship
actors (community, volunteers, staff,
etc.) and their degree of training,
skill level and available time.
SOCIAL CAPITAL &
HOMELESSNESS
What social capital (e.g., cues to
care, stewardship actions, etc.)
make Salt Lake City residents feel
safe and welcome in public lands?
From engagement feedback,
the public expressed a deep
appreciation of nature and green
space that is woven throughout
the city. They expressed that
well-maintained, well-lit and
well-attended public space
provides a sense of safety. There
was divided response on the
larger societal issue of people
experiencing homelessness and
those impacts on public spaces
including parks, natural areas and
trails that fall under the Public
Lands Department’s operation and
maintenance responsibilities.
On one end of the spectrum, some
members of the public demanded
more enforcement stewardship
actions from the department and
city agencies at large that ranged
from more eyes on the park to
removing unhoused individuals
altogether. On the other end
of the spectrum, community
members called for ways to
coexist with people experiencing
homelessness or support
those individuals with more
social services in public spaces
like lockers to store personal
property. No matter what end of
the spectrum the public may be
on, the impacts to Public Lands
is profound with 345 staff hours
and $23,084 of maintenance a
year devoted to clean-up activities
“RECRUIT STEWARDS, RANGERS/
AMBASSADORS, AND VOLUNTEERS
FROM MINORITY COMMUNITIES NEAR
THE PUBLIC LANDS.”
-comments from the
2021 public survey
“REACH OUT AND LISTEN.
SPECIFIC PLACE-BASED
RESPONSES FOR ACTS OF
RESTORATION, MAINTENANCE,
AND DEVELOPMENT.”
“RETHINK AND RESTRUCTURE OUR
NATURAL AREAS TO INCLUDE
THE CONTRIBUTIONS, LAND
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, AND BETTER
SYSTEMS OF CARE OF THE LAND BY
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.”
118 Chapter Six: Protect
related to the unhoused finding
no other options than using parks,
natural areas and trails as their
homes.
Nield and Rose, researchers from
the University of Arizona and
University of Utah, conducted
a recent case study2 on the
Jordan River Parkway and the
impacts of people experiencing
homelessness. Their community
interviews found similar responses
to those cited above for Reimagine
Nature. Their report also analyzed
the impact of nationwide short-
term, symptomatic responses to
homelessness in public lands and
found that those measures may
appease neighboring businesses
and residents temporarily, they
typically prolong the issue of the
unhoused in public lands and
keep management departments
in a seemingly never-ending
cycle of ultimately ineffective
solutions. Bottom line, social
capital needs to be strengthened
through collaborative solutions to
stewardship and cues to care.
Public Lands is seeking to create
more of these collaborative
opportunities by expanding the
2 https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-
magazine/2019/january/addressing-
homelessness-in-public-parks/
successful Trail Ambassadors
program into a system-wide
Public Lands Ambassadors
program. The “Revive Our River”
transformative project highlighted
in this chapter provides for
targeted, local green space in
which to implement collaborative
stewardship solutions, building up
social capital and improving the
environmental health of a riparian
habitat that benefits both east and
west sides of Salt Lake City while
also improving conditions for birds,
wildlife and aquatic creatures.
CULTURAL CAPITAL
As part of this master plan’s
community engagement, Public
Lands partnered with the
University of Utah Planning
Department Westside Studio.
Students in the studio hosted a
focus groups in early 2021 on the
theme “Placemaking, Community
Building and Equity.” Tying into the
2018 “Environmental Stewardship”
research, understanding how a
community’s culture and history
is expressed in the landscape can
help increase motivation for green
space stewardship. Westside
Studio students heard that the
community desires to partner
with Public Lands to “understand,
honor and promote the knowledge
and presence of rich traditions of
diverse cultures” reflected in the
city’s green places, parks, natural
areas, trails and golf landscapes. In
placemaking workshops, students
found “over 80% of participants
associated natural elements and
family connections with their given
memory.” These local findings
support this chapters second
emblematic transformative project,
“Sustaining Our Stories,” which can
help build cultural capital that in
turn inspires motivation for local
stewardship actions. “Sustaining
Our Stories” also seeks to protect
the cultural capital found in historic
assets such as the buildings and
landscapes that keep the stories
and cultures of the city’s past alive.
FINANCIAL AND HUMAN
CAPITAL
The old adage “time is money”
also relates to organization
and individual capacity to
implement local environmental
stewardship actions. Salt Lake
City demographic trends point to
more households falling below
the affordability threshold for
living and working in Salt Lake
City. North American cities with
similar demographic trends
struggle with balancing delivery
of equal quality of life amenities
(e.g., well-maintained public lands)
with a greater percentage of the
population needing additional
support to access those amenities
equitably. Plus, any historic areas
of inequity are magnified and
struggle even more to catch
up with quality and community
stewardship of public spaces in
affluent neighborhoods.
From an individual perspective
to an agency perspective, the
Public Lands Department also
faces steep challenges to balance
resources and keep up with needs.
NRPA’s 2021 Agency Performance
Review finds that parks
departments around the country
typically provide 8.2 full time
equivalent employees (FTEs) per
10,000 residents to maintain and
protect resources. Public Lands
would need a total of 160.7 FTEs
to meet the current number of
residents. Currently, Public Lands
has approximately 100 FTEs, or 5.1
FTEs per 10,000 residents.
As the City continues to grow, the
Public Lands service gap could
continue to widen. With over
30,000 new residents expected to
move to Salt Lake City by 2040, an
additional 15.3 staff will be needed
to maintain current staffing levels
per capita. To match national
averages, in year 2040, Public
Lands will need 184.9 FTEs.
PROTECT:A COMMITMENT TO STEWARDSHIP
The Department’s current
spending in 2020 was
$15,670,096, or $79.95 per capita.
US peer cities per capita annual
operating budget spending
averaged $88.30. To keep up
with peer cities, SLC Public Lands
would need an annual operating
budget of $17,306,800, an
increase of $2-million. By 2040,
Public Lands would need to have a
budget of $19,955,800.
Additional data collection and
research is needed to determine
an appropriate method to
address a backlog of deferred
maintenance costs. An inventory
of Public Lands’ investments
and their conditions is underway
which will inform future deferred
maintenance planning efforts.
“I WANT YOU TO
ACT AS IF THE
HOUSE IS ON FIRE,
BECAUSE IT IS.”
- Environmentalist Greta Thunberg, World Economic Forum, Davos, 24 January 2019
Chapter Six: Protect 120
“CONSIDER THE WATER NEEDS OF CURRENT AND FUTURE
VEGETATION; MAKE PLANS THAT REDUCE WATER USE
WITH NATIVE AND ADAPTIVE SPECIES WHILE ADDING
TREES AND OTHER PLANTS.”
“I WOULD HOPE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
COULD BE INCLUDED IN THE PLAN. THINGS
LIKE HAVING LOCAL PERFORMERS PUT ON
SHOWS AT NEARBY PARKS, OR HAVING
VOLUNTEERING BE MORE ACCESSIBLE.
PUTTING ON A CONCERT AT A PARK MAKES
ME WANT TO GO OUTSIDE AND VISIT A
PARK MORE. SOMEWHERE LIKE THE PEACE
GARDENS WOULD BE IDEAL FOR THAT.”
“CREATE AN ACTIVE PROGRAM TO TRAIN,
SUPERVISE, ORGANIZE, EQUIP AND
DEPLOY VOLUNTEER “STEWARDS” TO HELP
WITH CREATION AND MAINTENANCE OF
PROGRAMS.”
-comments from the
2021 public survey
“SINCE MORE PEOPLE
ARE USING THE
OUTDOORS, EDUCATION
ON HOW TO TREAT AND
TAKE CARE OF IT IS
ESSENTIAL.”
Local stewardship actions require
human and financial capital (time
and money). Looking forward over
the next 10 to 20 years, it is clear
that investment in Public Lands
and ensuring larger, citywide
efforts to keep Salt Lake City
affordable will have a profound
effect on local stewardship
capacity for individuals and
institutions.
DESIRES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROTECT
In the 2020 community survey,
the word “protect” most often
resonated as a goal with the
thousands of participants. In
PROTECT:A COMMITMENT TO STEWARDSHIP
reflecting on the concept and
ideas from the 2021 survey, many
citizens took the time to add write-
in comments encouraging the
planning team to prioritize ways
to protect and restore nature and
wildlife. Enriching the discussion
about protecting nature are direct
quotes from participants found
below and to the right.
Chapter Six: Protect 122
LOCAL STEWARDSHIP IN ACTION
Youth volunteers are a big
component of the Parley’s Rails,
Trails and Tunnels Coalition. The
organization collects donations
to support the trail in addition to
providing volunteer opportunities
which include helping maintain
the trail, planning and trail design,
fundraising events.
The International Peace Gardens
Academy pairs stewardship
alongside educational experiences.
Volunteers can learn gardening
skills, help maintain and cleanup
natural areas near the Jordan
River and lead educational garden
tours. The group also provides
opportunities for members of
heritage groups to share their
culture and traditions through
storytelling activities in the garden.
Salt Lake City Public Lands is an
active steward of the city’s natural
and wild spaces. The Natural
Lands Division works to restore
and create native landscapes, such
as the newly created wetlands at
Fairmont Park. Public Lands also
provides stewardship opportunities
such as Puncturevine Pulls, Canoe
Cleanup Day on the Jordan River,
and a 9-Line Dig Day at the 9-Line
Bike Park.
Youth help volunteer for the Parley’s Creek Coalition
Photo: https://www.parleystrail.org/getinvolved
An event at the International Peace Gardens near Jordan Park.
Photo: http://www.utah17mai.com/index.html
Salt Lake City Public Lands Staff planting native wetland vegetation at Fairmont Park.
The following recommended
strategies and policies are high-
level guidance for Public Lands
operations and maintenance
that direct how Public Lands
will achieve the plan goal of
sustain over the next decade.
The community identified two
PROTECT:STRATEGIES AND POLICIES OVERVIEW
transformational projects to
support the overall goal of
protect. Working in tandem with
the strategies and policies in this
table, these projects root the 20-
year vision with on-the-ground
improvements that will contribute
to the protecting the region’s
PROTECT: HIGH-LEVEL STRATEGIES AND POLICIES
Strategy P-1 Ensure iconic, irreplaceable assets are not lost or rendered less valuable due to
neglect, destruction or development.
Supporting
Policy 1.1
Identify and direct capital funding for acquisitions and infrastructure investment that
protects iconic assets.
Supporting
Policy 1.2
Improve equitable distribution of maintenance resources, with a focus on improving
the condition and usability of the Jordan River Parkway and Westside parks.
Supporting
Policy 1.3
Establish and expand a Park Ranger program to enforce protective ordinances,
educate park users, and safeguard public land assets from damage and abuse.
Strategy P-2 Leverage the power of the community to help steward SLC’s Public Lands.
Supporting
Policy 2.1
Empower friend’s groups and community organizations to increase stewardship
capacity, add value, and maximize their contributions of expertise and resources.
Supporting
Policy 2.2
Grow a robust volunteer management apparatus to empower individual residents
to contribute their time, effort and knowledge to help support their public lands
system.
Supporting
Policy 2.3
Use targeted education campaigns to create a culture of stewardship in SLC.
landscapes, natural resources,
plants and animals. Additional
detail for implementation is
provided in Chapter 8: Action
Strategies.
Chapter Six: Protect 124
The Jordan River Water Trail....QUICKFACTMILES
PROMOTE THE JORDAN RIVER PARKWAY
AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND ACTIVE FORM OF
TRANSPORTATION
The Jordan River Parkway is the longest paved urban trail in the U.S. with over 60 MILES
following the
Jordan River
from Utah Lake
to the Great Salt
Lake
Projects Include:
• Establish welcoming park
spaces along the river, and
further integrate Rose Park
and Glendale Golf Courses
into the Jordan River Parkway,
to foster community gathering
and bring the river into focus
as one of SLC’s most desirable
recreation destinations.
INVEST IN PROJECTS AND MAINTENANCE ALONG THE JORDAN RIVER PARKWAY THAT WILL PROMOTE EQUITY, ACCESS, SCENIC BEAUTY, DIVERSE RECREATION, AND HEALTHY ECOLOGY ALONG THE PARKWAY
INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDENS
ROSE PARK GOLF COURSE
GLENDALE GOLF COURSE & GLENDALE REGIONAL PARK
Figure 26: Investing in the Jordan River Parkway.
7. REVIVE OUR RIVER
• Establish a self-serve kayak
rental program on the
Jordan River, complete with
multilingual signage and river-
access improvements to make
water recreation accessible to
more people.
• Restore and enhance natural
areas along the river for
improved biodiversity, habitat
and a healthy environment.
• Redevelop Glendale Regional
Park and make improvements
to Jordan Park and
International Peace Gardens
to create regional attractions
and event space with
characteristics that celebrate
and preserve community
culture and diversity.
Transformative Project
Chapter Six: Protect 126
PROTECT:REVIVE OUR RIVER
Salt Lake City’s iconic Jordan River
took its name from the historic
river in the Middle East, a sacred
landscape and threshold to the
“Promised Land” in Judaism and
Christian traditions. For other
cultures, fertile river valleys
have also played a critical role in
civilization, agriculture and are also
seen as sacred landscapes. Native
American groups recognize the life-
giving qualities of rivers: “If there’s
water nearby, I’ll go there for
solace…. Both the river and I have
changed, but our course remains
the same” (from “River Sonnet”
poem by Tacey M. Atsitty, Diné).
For many North American cities,
the form of development and
attitude towards city rivers range
from embracing portions of the
river for recreation and commerce,
to using the river for stormwater
and waste management and to
“turning our backs” on city rivers
as areas full of insects, pests and
flooding. In Salt Lake City, the
community has voiced a strong
desire to protect the Jordan River
as a natural asset by expanding
and improving ecosystem health
and recreational experiences
along the 60-mile Jordan River
Parkway Trail. For improved
recreation, the public shared that
additional maintenance and safety
amenities like trail lighting would
make the Jordan River Parkway
experience more welcoming.
Additionally, the Jordan River lands
are adjacent to many underserved
communities and investment in
high quality maintenance and
recreation infrastructure can help
bring more equitable service to
Westside neighborhoods.
A key opportunity for ecosystem
health is that the scale of available
land along the Jordan River
Parkway provides an opportunity
to greatly increase tree canopy
in an environment that can
support long-term growth of
healthy, mature shade trees.
These lands offer a consolidated
opportunity to protect and
enhance the tree canopy as the
urban forest declines through
impacts of climate change,
insufficient stewardship (e.g.,
irrigation of young trees) by
adjacent landowners, and the
illegal removal of trees during
construction as the city population
grows and redevelops. Urban infrastructure has shaped the Jordan River throughout SLC’s history. “Revive Our River”
invites the community to reimagine the river as the ecological heart of the city.
Chapter Six: Protect 128
TRAILHEAD
LIGHTING &
RANGER
AMBASSADORS
CONNECT TO TRANSIT,
BICYCLE ROUTES &
IMPROVE PARKING
IMPROVE BIRD
HABITAT
PROVIDE ADA ACCESS
ENHANCE TRAILS & ACTIVE
TRANSPORTATION
INCREASE TREE CANOPY
IMPROVE WATER
QUALITY
CREATE A PADDLE
TRAIL
NATIVE
REVEGETATION &
INVASIVE PLANT
REMOVALEXPAND PARKS
& AMENITIES
ACTIVATE SPACE
Invest in tree canopy, grounds
maintenance, a recreational
paddle trail, and park
development, renewal and
expansion from Glendale
Regional Park to the Regional
Athletic Complex.
IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT & WATER QUALITY
Focus first on reducing abundance
and occurrences of high-priority
invasive non-native species
present, then reduce the
frequency and cover of low-priority
non-native species, whenever
IMPROVE SAFETY & PERCEPTIONS
Implement a robust, citywide
Ranger-Ambassador program in
the City’s parks, natural areas
and open spaces that focuses
equally on resource protection
and enriching the experience for
all Public Lands visitors.
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION & CONNECTION
Connect our parks and natural
spaces to the city’s human
powered transportation network.
Figure 27: Revive Our River Concept Illustration.
possible. Focus restoration on
riparian areas and creation of
wetlands as they are one of
the most degraded ecological
systems..
BIG
MOVES &
STRATEGIES
Chapter Six: Protect 130
CASE STUDY:
The city of Seoul uncovered and restored
a 3.6-mile portion of the Cheonggyecheon
Stream in the center of the city, creating a
connected green way for walkers, cyclists
and wildlife. The Landscape Architecture
Foundation features this project in their
Landscape Performance Series1 and
documented that the final protects the city
from the impacts of 200-year flood events,
increased overall biodiversity by 639%,
reduced the urban heat island effect on
stream temperatures by 2-degrees Celsius
and reduced air pollution by 35%. Beyond
these successes, the project team also had
costly lessons learned by not fully including
access considerations for those with visual
and physical disabilities in the initial design.
1 https://www.landscapeperformance.org/case-study-briefs/
cheonggyecheon-stream-restoration
• Consider using low-flow retaining
walls rather than stone or concrete;
• Install spur dikes to increase water
depth and slow flow;
• Utilize variation in river bottom
profile to support invertebrates; and
• Create plant-based filter strips for
cleaning the stream from hardscape
and street pollutant runoff.
Those were added later after protests
and were more costly. A technical
follow-up study also cited the following
suggestions to better support plants,
fish and invertebrates:
BEFORE & AFTER EXAMPLES:
Photos credits 1) Cheonggyecheon Stream, https://www.landscapeperformance.org/case-study-briefs/cheonggyecheon-stream-restoration; 2) https://www.
pressdigital; 3) https://www.itdp.org/2021/04/02/leapfrogging-past-the-urban-highway/
Chapter Six: Protect 132
REVEAL PAST AND PRESENT STORIES FROM OUR DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE
SHAPED THIS VALLEY, GIVING FOCUS TO
UNDERREPRESENTED AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. EXPRESS THESE STORIES THROUGH LANDSCAPES, STRUCTURES, PLACEMAKING, AND ART
ENGAGE
PARTNERS
IN SHARING COMMUNITY
STORIES
PROTECT ICONIC LANDSCAPES
THAT SHARE OUR HISTORY
AND CULTURE
Photo: Above) Midtown Park, Design Workshop; Top Right) Place, credit; Bottom Right) Allen Park, SLC Public Lands
Transformative Project
Projects Include:
• Initiate a storytelling project
with partners to collect, share,
and display stories relevant to
public lands.
• Engage our communities in
identifying more meaningful
names for our local parks.
• Invest in restoring and
interpreting iconic structures
and landscapes such as Allen
Park, Fisher Mansion, and
Warm Springs Park.
8. SUSTAINING OUR STORIES
Chapter Six: Protect 134
PROTECT:SUSTAINING OUR STORIES
Landscape architects Matthew
Potteiger and Jamie Purinton write
in “Landscape Narratives: Design
Practices for Telling Stories” that
storytelling is “fundamental to the
way people shape and make sense
of experience and landscapes.”
The trees, material of paths,
recognizable businesses around
a park’s perimeter and other
physical qualities of parks and
natural areas are the setting where
the city’s collective and individual
stories “take place.”
As Salt Lake City grows and
welcomes more people, important
historic stories and origin stories of
parks and public lands are at risk
of being lost in the passage of time
and dynamic changing of place. As
cities reconcile the recent history
of colonization by Westerners,
Native American stories and ways
of creating shared places become
important. For youth these stories
can add an additional path to
understand and appreciate green
space and civic commons.
The humanistic practices of art,
literature, community advocacy,
history, drama, music, street
arts, architecture and landscape
architecture all have methods and
means to design and tell stories
of the land and cultures both past
and present. This transformative
project aims to create landscape
“canvasses,” both by preserving
historic, cultural assets and
their stories and by creating
opportunities for storytelling with
partner groups and the community.
In documenting and “Sustaining
Our Stories,” Public Lands
preserves and protects the cultural
threads that create a sense of
place in Salt Lake City’s nature.
Restoring and interpreting
structures within Public Lands,
such as Allen Park, Fisher Mansion,
and Warm Springs Park are sizable
investments of this Transformative
Project.
The many cultures and stories that shaped Salt Lake City are embedded in historic architecture
and landscapes such as the springs and historic bathhouse at Warm Springs Park.
“[AN IMPORTANT] ELEMENT OF GREAT PUBLIC SPACES IS THEIR
ABILITY TO HIGHLIGHT AN AREA’S CULTURAL IDENTITY- WHETHER
THROUGH LOCAL PRACTICES, LOCATION, HISTORY, DESIGN,
ARCHITECTURE, OR ART. THIS IS A CRUCIAL FACTOR FOR
CREATING A SENSE OF PLACE THAT CAN WITHSTAND THE TEST
OF TIME.” -PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES, MARCH 2016
Chapter Six: Protect 136
CASE STUDY- RENAMING ADVOCACY
Over the last decade, the National
Parks Conservation Association
had advocated changing the
names of several of landscape
features in National Parks to
reflect indigenous names (e.g.,
proposal to change Hayden Valley
PLACE NAMES
Places are shaped by the names
they are given, stories that are told
and histories that are taught. Over
time, unshared stories become
at risk of being lost, forgotten
without a place in the historical
narrative. The Native Lands Map
to the right, highlights indigenous
tribal landscapes around and in
the Salt Lake Valley that were
home to the Ute, Goshute and
Shoshone for thousands of years.
It demonstrates place before
European settlers structured and
claimed the land with borders,
names and property. It strives “to
map Indigenous lands in a way
that changes, challenges, and
improves the way people see
the history of their countries and
“IF HISTORY CAN BE READ IN THE NAMES ON THE LAND, THEN IT IS VERY PARTIAL AND VERY FRAGMENTED,”
-Lauret Savoy, author of “Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the
American Landscape”
Blackfeet leaders Bird Rattler (far left), Curly Bear (second from left) and Wolf Plume (third from left) meet with
Stephen Mather, soon-to-be Park Service director (sitting) and other officials to respectfully protest the use of
English-language names in Glacier National Park in 1915.1
Photo Source: https://www.npca.org/articles/2189-naming-matters-photo credit copyright Marian Albright Schenck/The Collections of Horace Albright
1 https://www.npca.org/articles/2189-naming-matters
Public Lands can help communities share their stories by serving as a venue, such as the Temporary Museum
of Permanent Change, a collection of rotating artistic exhibits Downtown that highlight the stories of the
people of SLC.
peoples.”1 Similarly, Public Lands
can provide an opportunity to
keep indigenous histories alive by
recognizing and sharing important
place names and stories.
1 https://native-land.ca/
in Yellowstone to Buffalo Nations
Valley). Similar efforts are met with
support and detractors. There are
sentimental attachments to place
names or others may not resonate
with current trends towards
what some people call a “cancel”
culture. This case study reflects
the potential opportunities and
challenges Salt Lake City Public
Lands could face in the process
of “Sustaining Our Stories.” A
good way to provide space for
the community to brainstorm,
respectfully disagree and come to
consensus would be to leverage
the Reimagine Nature engagement
tactics and partnerships with
community groups like the
University of Utah staff and
students.
Figure 28: Native Lands Map. Source: https://native-land.ca/
Chapter Six: Protect 138
some such creeks never entirely
disappear. A ghost, if you will,
holds the creek’s place, moving
slowly in darkness below the dry,
sun-baked surface. In the mind of
a local resident finely attuned to
such things, you’ve come upon the
invisible but real when you stand
above a blind creek. Dig, and the
water will come to light, like the
blind floor revealed when the
carpenter’s floor is taken up.”
-Barry Lopez
CASE STUDY-THE “ACTIVATION” AT BUCHANAN MALL
CASE STUDY- LANGUAGE OF LANDSCAPE
Over the last decades, several
writers have compiled
compendiums of lost landscape
words that help describe the
ecological phenomena of nature.
“Sustaining Our Stories” is also
about getting out in nature and
expanding our language of
landscape. Three books speak
eloquently on this topic.
Features in parks, such as
this chalk wall, can provide
opportunities for people of all
ages to tell their stories.
Photo: Midtown Park, Design Workshop
Community Storytelling at Buchanan Mall, San Francisco.
Photo Source: https://www.exploratorium.edu/publicspaces/projects/buchanan-mall.
In September 2018, the City of San
Francisco began their partnership
to re-envision and renovate
Buchanan Mall. The City and
other partnerships engaged in a
intensive engagement with the
community to develop and discuss
the plan. Once the concept plan
was complete, the City selected
one block to fully design and
build to show the community the
possibilities of their shared spaces.
One attraction in the developed
block was the installation of the
“Activation”. The Activation is a
temporary installation of gardens,
benches, archways, historical
photos, lighting, and two “audio-
As Robert McFarland writes in
his 2015 book Landmarks, which
collated thousands of words
describing the landscapes of
Britain and Ireland, “this is a book
about the power of language—
strong style, single words—to
shape our sense of place.” In
addition to the cultural histories
of people who have lived in the
Valley’s landscapes, there are
words all of us are unfamiliar with
or as McFarland writes, “we have
forgotten 10,000 words for our
landscapes.”
The 2006 book Home Ground: A
Guide to the American Landscape
compiles over 800 fading
landscape words from 45 poets
and writers. In this book edited by
Barry Lopez and Debra Gwartney,
words such as “blind creek” are
defined:
“To most eyes a dry creek is a
place where a creek once flowed
and after a rain will likely flow
again. Such a waterway is an
ephemeral creek, technically.
But by another way of seeing,
domes” providing stories from the
neighborhood. The community
worked together to design
prototypes of the Activation dome
and were hired to help build the
installment. This created a sense
of ownership over their space and
fostered conversations among
community members.
Chapter Seven: Grow 140
7 GOAL STATEMENT
As the Salt Lake City population increases,
our public lands receive more visitation
and work harder to reduce negative
impacts of more “footprints” on our
landscapes and public amenities with
increased maintenance and renewal.
Providing the amount of public properties
in relation to population growth needs is
increasingly challenging in a city reaching
maximum expansion build-out with limited
opportunities to aquire large natural
areas or small parks in areas of dense
development with high land prices. City
departments and partners work together
to provide green space and recreation
opportunities in our rapidly re-developing
downtown. We innovate and make smart
use of the public properties we have, being
strategic with our resources and creating
funding sources to expand our urban forest,
trails, park system, and natural areas.
GROW:
EXPAND OUR
PUBLIC LANDS
SYSTEM
SLC golf courses provide an opportunity to greatly increase the urban forest and
provide it with care.
CHAPTER
Chapter Seven: Grow 142
EXPANDING THE PUBLIC LANDS SYSTEM
2020 Census data shows that Utah
is the fastest-growing state in the
nation.1 Over 30,000 people are
expected to move to Salt Lake
City by 2040. In order to maintain
the current level of park space
provided to the population, as
of the 2019 Needs Assessment,
the city would have to add 94
additional acres of park space
to Public Lands. That’s roughly
equivalent to adding another
Liberty Park to the city. This
acreage is a shifting metric as
parks, such as the new Allen Park,
have been added to the system
yet the population of the city has
grown faster than predicted in
2019. Like other North American
cities with expanding population,
challenges to growing or acquiring
more green space include rising
land prices, limited resources for
taking care of current lands and
competing land use needs. In
terms of walking distance to green
spaces, Plan Salt Lake sets a
2040 aspirational target of every
1 https://gardner.utah.edu/census-2020-utah-
fastest-growing-state-in-u-s/
GROW:EXPAND OUR PUBLIC LANDS SYSTEM
resident living within a half-mile of
public lands. While most residents
meet this criteria, the denser urban
communities of Downtown, Sugar
House and the Central Planning
Area still have gaps in walkable
access to parks.2 In addition
to public parks for recreation,
expansion of Natural Lands and
trail corridors for land and water
conservation, wildlife habitat,
and other ecological or scenic
character purposes is also of high
importance. The 2010 Salt Lake
Open Space Acquisition Strategy
identified many key opportunities
and since then area plans have
highlighted urban to wilderness
opportunities for expanding Public
Lands holdings.
RISING LAND PRICES AND GROWING POPULATION
The Deseret News3 recently
reported that 2020 saw double-
digit percentage home price
increases and classifies the
2 Salt Lake City Parks and Public Lands Needs
Assessment, (2019)
3 https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/13/22412416/utahs-place-in-the-west-raging-housing-
market-salt-lake-city-rising-housing-prices-
record-breaking
Salt Lake metro as one of the
hottest housing markets in the
West. Salt Lake City’s Downtown
Alliance4 found that real estate and
construction costs are at an all-
time high and there are insufficient
green spaces downtown. Most
cities offer three times more green
space to downtown residents than
Salt Lake City. The 2019 Needs
Assessment5 also found that the
downtown core is especially
lacking in green space compared
to the rest of the city and identified
the Depot District, Central Business
District, East Downtown and
400 South as population growth
areas of the city that will require
additional open space to meet the
needs of future residents.
RESOURCES TO MAINTAIN AND ACQUIRE
Acquiring additional land for parks,
natural lands, and trails is costly
and maintaining new spaces
will add resource burden to the
existing deferred maintenance of
existing public lands.
4 https://www.downtownslc.org/images/pdfs-doc/2020_State_of_Downtown_v10.pdf
5 Salt Lake City Parks and Public Lands Needs
Assessment, (2019).
- plan Salt lake, 2014
“OPEN SPACE AND THE
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ARE
DEFINING FEATURES OF SALT LAKE CITY.
OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY PARKS AND OPEN
SPACES, PAIRED WITH THE DRAMATIC
VIEWS OF AND PROXIMITY TO THE
WASATCH AND OQUIRRH MOUNTAINS,
MAKE SALT LAKE CITY A BEAUTIFUL PLACE
TO LIVE AND VISIT. THESE AESTHETIC AND
RECREATIONAL QUALITIES ATTRACT NEW
RESIDENTS, VISITORS, EMPLOYERS, AND
INVESTMENTS TO OUR CITY.”
Chapter Seven: Grow 144
Some municipalities utilize
developer contributions as one
mechanism, that when property
tuned, contributes to parks
provision for new residents. The
2010 Open Space Acquisition
Strategy lists a number of
conservation tools including:
bargain sale of land, parkland/
trail dedications, zoning for
conservation, trail easements,
conservation easements,
purchase of development rights,
transfer of development rights,
conservation subdivisions, deed
restrictions, wildlife property tax
valuation, partnerships for funding
leverage and stewardship. Criteria
for new open space includes
evaluating benefits of scenic
assets, ecological health and
the neighboring community, and
connection to other public lands.
Other mechanisms, such as
Community Reinvestment Bonds
for capital improvements, will act
as another resource for improving
public lands, with funding
allotted to major projects which
include: creating a regional park
at Glendale, restoring historic
buildings and landscapes in
parks such as Allen Park and
Warm Springs Park, continuing
implementation of the Foothills
Trails System Plan, creating a wood
re-utilization plan for the Urban
Forestry division and improving the
Jordan River.
COMPETING LAND USE GOALS
Affordable housing and supporting
commercial businesses and utilities
are high needs for a growing
city. Also important is public
lands infrastructure. University of
Chicago psychologist Marc Berman
states, “natural spaces are not an
amenity, they’re a necessity—we
have to have it. Just like clean
water or clean air, we have to have
natural spaces in our environment
for people to function well.”6
Given Downtown and the Central
Planning Area’s lack of adequate
greenspace, in addition to a
growing population, protecting and
enhancing SLC’s existing parks and
open space and efforts to increase
the provision of greenspace are of
top importance. While other land
uses such as affordable housing
provide a worthy cause for urban
6 https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/
green-spaces-are-a-necessity-not-an-
amenity-how-can-cities-make-them
development and infill, public
greenspace is an irreplaceable
asset within the city. Not only is it
crucial to protect the few remaining
slices of greenspace in the city
for wildlife and ecosystem benefit,
it is economically a valuable
asset for the City to retain. Based
on the average land value of
SLC planning areas that contain
homes today, if the 3,699 acres
of existing parks and golf courses
were overcome by development,
replacing those acres – and the
essential associated environmental
and health benefits - would cost
approximately 1.4 billion dollars.7
However, in some situations
nonperforming lands could be
swapped for those that better
serve Public Lands mission.
7 Calculated with GIS data from the Salt Lake
County Assessor’s Parcels and Salt Lake City
planning areas.
DESIRES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROW
In reflecting on one word that
sums up the public’s vision for
the next 10 years of public lands,
“grow” came in as the second most
popular. Digging into the hundreds
of comments made from the public,
many people reflected on the
need to invest in green spaces on
the Westside of the city and from
a citywide perspective to add
spaces where plants and wildlife
needs come first. Ideas on how to
grow public lands from the public
include:
“More natural wildlife areas without
paved trails. A NY Central Park size
park on the West side of the valley.”
“Require that all new apartment
building complexes have green
spaces as part of their design.”
“[Experiment with] a planting of
some native species, you know, the
little copses of oaks and maples
and box elders that exist in that
Golf Course are really needed
and actually harbor quite a bit of
wildlife.”
“94 ACRES
OF NEW PARK
LAND WILL BE
REQUIRED BY 2040
TO MEET FUTURE
NEEDS AT
THE SAME LEVELS
OF SERVICE AS
TODAY.”
- 2019 SLC Public Lands
Needs assessment
“MOST CITIES OFFER THREE
TIMES MORE GREEN SPACE TO
DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS THAN
SALT LAKE CITY.”
Chapter Seven: Grow 146
General standards for different
park types (classifications), shown
in Figure 29, helps to provide
parameters for creating equitable
park investments and expectations.
For example, Neighborhood Parks
are unlikely to include restrooms as
this expense is better reserved for
Regional, Community, and Special
Use Parks that may require greater
PARK CLASSIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS
travel and duration of visitation.
However, these classifications
do not dictate aesthetics and
allow for selection of a variety of
features- such as types of sports
courts, community garden, or play
features.
Upgrading parks to include
amenities listed for their categories,
such as Glendale to be a regional
park, is one way that park capacity
to support a growing population
can be met. As the city nears build-
out and it becomes even more
challenged to acquire additional
park acreage it will be important
grow within existing parks to do
more to meet needs.
PARKLAND CLASSIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS
Size and
Service Area
Purpose and Function Characteristics and Amenities
Expectations
Location
Examples
*not a complete list
Regional Park
25+ Acres.
1.5 mile local
service & city
and regional
service
Provides facilities and recreational
amenities intended to serve city
residents as well as the surrounding
region. These parks should provide
a large variety of recreational
opportunities to be both a regional
destination and surrounding
community attractor. These parks
are likely to support a combination
of passive and active interests such
as water play, playgrounds, shelters,
trails, and athletic facilities.
Park amenities, events and landscape
make them regional attractions. Special site
features such as streams, lakes or historic
sites may add to the park’s character.
Amenity expectations may include restrooms,
parking, lighting, concessions, facilities for
rental/reservation, and expression of history,
art and culture.
Liberty Park
Future Upgrade:
Glendale Park,
Jordan Park/ Peace
Gardens, Riverside
Park, Rosewood
Park, Sunnyside
Park.
Special Use Park
Size Varies
1.5 mile local
service & city
and regional
service
Parks that mainly serve one
specific purpose or community
need. Examples include the three
downtown special events parks
that provide a plaza experience for
passive recreation and host festivals
and events. Examples include
bike parks, horticultural centers/
working farms/community gardens,
arboretum/botanical garden, sports
complexes or parks dedicated to
similar sports tournaments and
groupings, environmental education
centers, performance areas, urban
plazas, festival walkways, civic
parks, or other specialized activity or
recreation interests.
Characteristics and amenities vary based on
special use purposes. For example, special
events parks may include vendor space,
venues for entertainment such as permanent
or temporary stages and seating, and access
to electrical hook-ups.
Regional Athletic
Complex, Library
Square, Washington
Square, 9-Line Bike
Park, Sorenson
Multi-Cultural
Center, Artesian
Well Park, Model
Port, Allen Park.
Size and
Service Area
Purpose and Function Characteristics and Amenities
Expectations
Location
Examples
*not a complete list
Community Park
10-25 acres
1-mile service
area to account
for people
walking, biking,
or driving to
parks
Focused on meeting the major
parks and recreation needs of the
city. Serves as a focal point for
community-wide activities and group
gatherings. Provides facilities that
serve a broad purpose, balancing
active and passive recreation
needs. Allow for group activities
not feasible nor desirable at the
neighborhood level due to noise,
lights, traffic, etc. Often adjoining
other community-oriented facilities
(libraries, community centers,
schools, etc).
Portions of the site should have gentle
topography to accommodate active sports
fields and open turf areas. Unique landscapes
should be preserved, celebrating features
such as streams, lakes or historic sites to
express park character. Community Parks
have facilities such as lighting and restrooms.
May include special amenity or recreation
facilities, such as athletic complexes or sports
fields, large swimming pools, or play areas,
although not the only purpose of the park.
Likely to include playground equipment or
large play structures, informal and formal
play fields, paved areas for court games,
pathways, picnic shelters, and community
buildings.
Portions of land may include areas of natural
quality for outdoor recreation, such as
walking, viewing, picnicking. May include
natural features such as water bodies or
features and gardens.
11th Ave. Park, 1700
South River Park,
Cottonwood Park,
Fairmont Park,
Herman Franks
Park, Memory Grove
Park, Pioneer Park,
Washington Park,
Warm Springs Park.
Neighborhood Park
2-15 acres
Neighborhood,
½ mile walking
distance.
Generally serves neighborhood
needs with fewer purposes and
smaller size than Community Parks.
Intended to provide both active and
passive recreation for residents
for short daily leisure periods.
Should be accessible for intensive
use by children, family groups,
small neighborhood gatherings,
and senior citizens. Accessible
to neighborhood population and
geographically centered with safe
walking and bicycle access. May be
developed as a park-school facility.
Mix large and small amenities, such as
open lawns and grass play areas, pavilions,
playgrounds, sports courts and fields. On-
street parking is typically adequate. Ideally,
these parks are linked by pathways and
sidewalks and respond to the need for basic
recreational amenities close to peoples’
homes. Do not have facilities such as lighting
and restrooms.
Poplar Grove Park,
Sherwood Park,
Popperton Park,
Ensign Downs Park,
Jefferson Park,
Meadows Park,
Wasatch Hollow
Park, 900 South
River Park, and
more*.
Upgrade: Taufer
Park
Mini Park
2 acres or less
Neighborhood,
1/4 mile
walking
distance.
Specialized facilities that serve a
limited area, concentrated or limited
population or specific group such
as children or seniors. Could be
provided by public or private sector.
May have elements such as small
playgrounds, seating or picnic areas and
shade. Do not have facilities such as lighting
and restrooms. In dense, urban areas, may
be highly designed to serve more people in a
small space.
600 East Park,
Almond Park,
Guadalupe Park,
Victory Park, Silver
Park, Ron Heaps
Park, and more*.
Figure 29: Near Term Investments By Planning Area Map.
Chapter Seven: Grow 148
Neighborhood Park: Wasatch Hollow
Mini Park: Imperial Park
Trailhead: Ensign Peak Parkways: Jordan River Parkway Golf Course: Bonneville
Special Event Park: Library Square Natural Lands: Fife Wetland
Regional Park: Liberty Park Community Park: Fairmont Park
EXAMPLES OF TYPES OF PUBLIC LANDS
SPACES IN SLCPARKLAND CLASSIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS, CONTINUED
Size and
Service Area
Purpose and Function Characteristics and Amenities
Expectations
Location
Examples
*not a complete list
Natural Lands, Non-Urban
Varies
City or broader
region
These areas are generally
maintained in their natural state with
ecological systems management
and help preserve significant views,
provide wildlife sanctuaries, and
conserve natural resources. These
areas may also support scientific
research and trail equestrian and
bicycle use. Depending on site
conditions, public access can be
limited. Emphasis is on achieving
a balance between re-source
protection and public use.
Natural land areas with environmentally
sensitive habitat and features, and riverfront
areas and floodplains and creek corridors.
Often provide connections with other
public lands. Site features such as streams,
scenic views, rock outcrops, or historic sites
may add to the natural area’s character.
May include above or below grade utility
infrastructure so long as land remains
predominantly natural in character.
Foothills Natural
Area, Parleys
Historic Nature
Park, Lower Jordan
River Wetlands, and
more*.
Natural Lands, Urban
Varies
City or broader
region
Urban natural lands are natural
spaces which are typically
surrounded by urban development
or adjacent to manicured parks and
often serve a park-like function.
Similar to Non-urban Natural Lands but
require a higher level of maintenance,
facilities and/or infrastructure to manage
human activities and adjacency to the built
environment. May support opportunities for
passive recreation through recreational trails,
interpretive facilities, historic and cultural
exhibits, nature observation, photography,
orienteering, kayaking, canoeing, floating,
and fishing.
Miller Park, Wasatch
Hollow, Hidden
Hollow, Fife Wetland
Preserve.
Greenways
N/A
Neighborhood,
city or broader
region
Linear parks, greenways and paved
and unpaved surface within a
designated open space corridor
allowing for pedestrian and bicycle
commuting and recreation use. Trails
are measured by linear distance, not
land area.
Linear green spaces, parkways, trail
corridors, stormwater infrastructure,
and green interventions along public
thoroughfares which add aesthetic value and
may encourage pedestrian and bicycle use.
May include associated natural or manicured
landscape with paved and unpaved trails.
May include ornamental plazas, special
features like gardens, bike parks and
trailheads, stormwater infrastructure and
urban forest enhancements.
9-Line, Folsom,
Green Loop, Jordan
River Parkway,
planted medians.
Golf Courses
100 – 250
acres for 9 to
18-hole course.
City or broader
region
Large expanses of turf grass, trees,
and small water features that are
maintained for the game of golf.
May include trails or trail ac-cess
within non-playable portions of the
property so long as golf activity
remains unencumbered by trail
access.
Rolling terrain without overly steep sections.
Appropriate soils, drainage, and water
availability to support turf grass. Small water
features and other natural elements add to
the complexity and difficulty of the game
while also providing habitat for urban wildlife
and potential for stormwater retention.
Nibley, Forest Dale,
Bonneville, Rose
Park, Glendale,
Mountain Dell.
Chapter Seven: Grow 150
Figure 30: Future Investments By Planning Area Map.
INCREASING LEVEL OF SERVICEAND FUTURE INVESTMENTS
The National Recreation and Park
Association (NRPA) finds that city
parks departments on average
offer one park for every 2,777
residents and 9.9 acres of parkland
per 1,000 residents. While this is a
national benchmark average, NRPA
acknowledges that park agencies
are as diverse as the landscapes
and people they serve. There is no
one, standard way of measuring
level of service that works for
every city. The people, staff and
stakeholders of a city must provide
input on the values and needs
of their own communities for
access to the urban outdoors and
environmental services provided
by parks, urban forests and green
spaces.
Level of service is often measured
by acres of parks and open space
per person. Yet many measures
such as park investment and
availability of park amenities
contribute to the level of park
service each neighborhood
receives. Due to limited available
space, areas of the city with higher
densities will need to find creative
solutions to increase park level of
service to meet the demands of a
growing population. At the same
time other planning areas contain
substantial acreage of parks and
natural lands which are in need
improved maintenance and the
addition of amenities to equally
serve the community.
Figure 30, the map to the right
shows near-term Public Lands’
investments that seek to improve
the level of service of parks
and amenities across the city.
Significant near-term investments
are broken down by planning
area on the following pages,
highlighting major improvements
and transformative projects that will
serve each community.
AVENUES
EAST
BENCH
SUGAR
HOUSE
NORTHWEST
CENTRAL
COMMUNITY
DOWNTOWN
WEST
SALT LAKE
CAPITOL
HILL
GROW:EXPAND OUR PUBLIC LANDS SYSTEM
FUTURE PUBLIC LANDS INVESTMENTS
GOLF COURSES
EXISTING TRAILS
PROPOSED TRAILS
PARKS AND
NATURAL LANDS
CEMETERY
HIGH EQUITY
PRIORITY
HIGH EQUITY
PRIORITY
MEDIUM EQUITY
PRIORITY
MEDIUM EQUITY
PRIORITY
LOW EQUITY PRIORITY
LOW EQUITY PRIORITY
NEAR-TERM
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
PROJECTS
TRANSFORMATIVE
PROJECTS
EXISTING
ELEMENTS
LEGEND
Chapter Seven: Grow 152
NORTHWEST
WEST SALT LAKE
Near Term Investments:
»Invest in the Jordan River and the Jordan River
Parkway Trail
»Identify opportunities for separated bike lane/
multiuse paths to close gaps
»Add uses to Rose Park Golf Course to make it
more accessible to the community.
»Invest in 2200 West – Urban Farm
»Create a future Public Lands Native Plant Nursery
»Improve west side park amenities, placemaking
and programming. NORTHWEST AND WEST SALT LAKE
The westside has a higher level of
service in terms of park and natural
land acreage than the citywide
average, and is connected by
the Jordan River. Increasing park
service in these communities will
involve investing in existing public
spaces to enhance environmental
quality and increase park
amenities.
There is a very high need for
investments in these two planning
areas to achieve citywide equity
goals. Population is growing
in this area and residents are
concerned about rising housing
costs, gentrification and seeing
their cultural identity disappearing
from these places. NRPA and other
GROW:EXPAND OUR PUBLIC LANDS SYSTEM
park researchers are working to
expand a list of recommendations
for parks-related anti-displacement
strategies that should be employed
for this area.1
Providing existing parks with
amenities that serve the needs of
the community will be important to
incorporate into future investments.
There is also a high percentage
of children, youth and seniors
compared to the rest of the city’s
population and park investments
should make extra consideration
for these groups.
1 https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-
magazine/2019/december/greening-without-
gentrification/
Near Term Investments:
»Invest in the Jordan River and the Jordan River
Parkway Trail
»Invest in Fisher Mansion
»Invest in Glendale Regional Park
»Identify opportunities for separated bike lane/
multiuse paths to close gaps
»Implement the Surplus Canal Trail
»Add uses to Glendale Golf Course to make it more
accessible to the community.
»Improve westside park amenities, placemaking
and programming
Glendale Golf Course
Glendale Regional Park
1700 S Park
9 Line Trail
900 S River Park
Fischer Mansion
Jordan Park
Jordan River Parkway Trail
Jordan River Parkway Trail
Rosewood Park
Riverside Park
Constitution Park
CottonwoodPark
WestpointePark
Poplar Grove Park
Regional Athletic Complex
Sherwood Park
Proposed Surplus Canal Trail
1700 S
2100 S 700 WI-15I-15
I-15I-15
REDWOOD RD.REDWOOD RD.NORTH TEMPLE
Rose Park Golf Course
Future SLCPL Native Plant Nursery
Chapter Seven: Grow 154
CAPITOL HILL
DOWNTOWN
CENTRAL CITY
GROW:EXPAND OUR PUBLIC LANDS SYSTEM
CAPITOL HILL, DOWNTOWN AND CENTRAL CITY
These areas of the city are
experiencing an extremely high
degree of change. They have the
least amount of park space and
are the fastest-growing, adding
both population and density at a
rapid rate. Downtown in particular
has a very high percentage of
surface parking lots that are quickly
converting to high density housing,
office, and retail.
Buying and developing land for
park space in the city’s center is
Near Term Investments:
»New Park in Granary District (Fleet Bock!) at least
25% of the block or 3 acres on the corner
»Green Loop to create new green space downtown,
8 acres along the green loop segment on 200 E
»Invest in Pioneer Park to make it a flagship
downtown park
»Identify opportunities for separated bike lane/
multiuse paths
»Encourage developers to create park space as
part of their development for their residents, at a
minimum
»Invest in the Civic Campus (Washington Square)
and Library Square to bring more uses and
programming to the site
»Look for community garden and pocket park
opportunities
Near Term Investments:
»Invest in the Civic Campus (Washington Square)
and Library Square to bring more uses and
programming to the site.
»Identify opportunities for separated bike lane/
multiuse paths
»Encourage developers to create park space as
part of their development for their residents, at a
minimum.
»Look for community garden and pocket park
opportunities
Near Term Investments:
»Invest in Warm Springs Park and the historic bath
house property
»Create on and off-street multi-use trail connections
to the Foothills Natural Area, Ensign Peak Open
Space and the City Creek Natural Area
»Identify opportunities for separated bike lane/
multiuse paths
»Encourage developers to create park space as
part of their development for their residents, at a
minimum
»Look for community garden and pocket park
opportunities
expensive but is critically needed.
A multi-varied and aggressive
approach which includes public
and private strategies as well
as public-private partnerships is
needed to address the need for
more green space in the heart of
the City.
The City should identify ways
to reinvent city streets, taking
advantage of the wide right-of-
ways to create linear green space.
Other ways to provide green
space could involve allocating
space for parks on City-owned
blocks. Additionally, the City could
encourage developers to include
outdoor green space assets for
their residents to provide respite
from the urban environment.
Strategies could also include
expanding sidewalks and park
strips to create space for more
outdoor dining and pedestrian
activity. Expanding the park strips
provides permeable surfaces
for stormwater collection and
adequate growing space for
trees, cooling the hot, paved
urban environment. Identifying
space for community gardens,
which are in high demand in these
neighborhoods would also provide
needed urban green space.
Warm Springs Park
Memory Grove Park
Suede Town Park
Guadalupe Park
Ensign DownsPark
600 N
B
E
C
K
S
T
.
Ensign Peak Open Space
I-15I-15 200 E200 W MAIN ST. 400 S
800 S
Green LoopPioneer Park Washington Square
Green Loop
Fleet Block
Liberty ParkJefferson Park
Library Square
Herman Franks Park
Cotten Park
Faultline GardensPark
600 E Park
Proposed 9 Line
I-15I-15
300 E400 S
1700 S
1300 S 700 E1300 EWEST TEMPLEI-15I-15
Chapter Seven: Grow 156
EAST BENCH
SUGARHOUSEAVENUES
GROW:EXPAND OUR PUBLIC LANDS SYSTEM
AVENUES, EAST BENCH AND SUGARHOUSE
These areas are relatively stable
and are experiencing less
change and growth compared
to other parts of the city. The
neighborhoods are built out and
the street development pattern
is of a more suburban character,
consisting predominantly of single
Near Term Investments:
»Continue to invest in trails and linear recreation
to reduce gaps as well as create connections
between neighborhoods and the rich trail network
in the Foothills Natural Area
»Create on and off-street trail connections to link
the neighborhoods with urban natural araes such
as Wasatch Hollow and Miller Bird Refuge
»Invest in Rotary Glen Park
»Invest in Bonneville Golf course to expand uses
Near Term Investments:
»Continue to invest in Fairmont Park
»Investments in Forest Dale Golf course to expand
uses
»Invest in Nibley Golf Course to expand uses
»Invest in Allen Park
Near Term Investments:
»Invest in the City Cemetery to make it an open
space resource. Utilize the roads for multiple use
»Continue to invest in trails and linear recreation
to reduce gaps as well as create connections
between neighborhoods and the rich trail network
in the City Creek Foothills Natural Areas
family homes. The population
consists of a relatively older group
than is found throughout the rest of
the city.
While these planning areas have
a small percentage of park acres
compared to other parts of the city,
they have the greatest access to
natural lands due to their proximity
to the foothills.
Investments in linear recreation,
and multi-use paths that connect
neighborhoods to existing natural
lands and the Foothills Natural
Area will be key to improving park
service in these neighborhoods.
Utilizing or adding multiple uses to
other greenspaces such as the City
Cemetery and golf courses are also
top strategies to improving access.
Imperial Park
SugarhousePark
Parley’s Historic Nature Park
Sunnyside Park
Bonneville Golf Course
Connections to Wasatch Hollow
Connections to Miller Bird Refuge
Rotary Glen Park
Foothills Trails & Natural Area
AllenPark
Westminster College
FairmontPark
Forest Dale Golf Course
Nibley Golf CourseCity Cemetery
Popperton Park
Lindsey Gardens
Memory Grove Park
11th Ave. Park
Foothills Trails & Natural Area
City Creek Natural Area
2100 S
500 S
2700 S
FOO
TH
I
L
L
D
R
1300 E2100 E1300 S
11th AVE
I STS TEMPLE
I-80I-80
Chapter Seven: Grow 158
The following recommended
strategies and policies are high-
level guidance for Public Lands
operations and maintenance
(O&M) that direct how Public
Lands will achieve the plan goal
of “Grow” over the next decade.
The community identified two
CASE STUDIES
The Lafitte Greenway, a 54 acre multi-use trail
and linear park system, utilizes a former shipping
canal and railroad right-of-way to create a
network of shaded green space which connects
people and communities in seven historic New
Orleans neighborhoods. The planning process
accompanied a community-led revitalization
strategy for each neighborhood, showcasing
neighborhood character and integrating the
desires of local residents. The greenway
“incorporates sustainable design through green
stormwater infrastructure, native plantings,
adaptive re-use of existing buildings and the
reduction of impervious surfaces.”
The City of Ann Arbor, Michigan provides
stewardship opportunities for residents to help
maintain local parks through their Adopt-a-
Park volunteer program. The program allows
neighborhood associations, individuals, or group
organizations to customize their own program for
volunteering by setting their own maintenance
regiment, schedule and plan for what they would
specifically like to work on. Volunteers are able to
foster a sense of park ownership while learning
about topics of interest.
The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) creates
partnerships to activate Downtown parks and
public spaces. The group collaborates with the
Seattle Parks department, friends-of-the-parks
groups, and local artists to enliven Downtown
spaces with events and art installations. Artists
and organizations are invited to host an array of
activities in parks such as “fitness classes, arts
and crafts, children’s activities, dance and pet
events.”1 The DSA also facilitates projects that
include adding flowers, vibrant, artistic crosswalks
and creative lighting and wayfinding to Downtown
spaces.
1 https://www.a2gov.org/departments/Parks-Recreation/administrative/
adopt-a-park/Pages/Adopt-A-Park.aspx
Photo: Lafitte Greenway, New Orleans Louisiana, Design Workshop
Photo: Ann Arbor Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Program, https://www.a2gov.org/departments/Parks-Recreation/administrative/adopt-a-park/Pages/Adopt-A-Park.aspx
Photo: Downtown Seattle Association art in public spaces, https://downtownseattle.org/art-projects/come-play-westlake-park-occidental-square/
GROW:STRATEGIES AND POLICIES OVERVIEW
transformational projects to
support the overall goal of “grow.”
Working in tandem with the overall
strategies and policies in this
table, these projects root the 20-
year vision with on-the-ground
improvements that will expand and
optimize the use of public lands,
aligning the growth of Salt Lake
City’s public lands system with the
growth of the City. Additional detail
for implementation is provided in
Chapter 8 Action Strategies.
GROW: HIGH-LEVEL STRATEGIES AND POLICIES
Strategy G-1 Be proactive and strategic about growth of the Public Lands System.
Supporting
Policy 1.1
Investment of resources into new lands, new assets and amenities is driven by policy
and informed by data and public engagement.
Supporting
Policy 1.2
Tax increment or other dedicated funding sources for O&M are established so that
additional maintenance resources keep pace with new capital asset funding and
projects.
Supporting
Policy 1.3
Integrate growth planning for public lands with economic development initiatives
and community planning and zoning. Inventory and develop long-range plans for
City-owned land that is not currently in the Public Lands’ system in order to make
strategic planning, zoning and land use decisions which utilize existing spaces with
parks and open space characteristics.
Strategy G-2 Overcome difficult obstacles to growth needs through creativity and through
leveraging external assets and resources.
Supporting
Policy 2.1
Maximize usability of public outdoor spaces, including golf courses, right-of-way,
and public/semi-public spaces (such as library grounds) outside the Public Lands
inventory.
Supporting
Policy 2.2
Leverage innovative public-private partnerships and collaborations with developers
to help address the growth needs of the Public Lands system.
Supporting
Policy 2.3
Position Public Lands to take advantage of private contributions, including ‘adoption’
of amenities, corporate partnerships and philanthropic giving.
Chapter Seven: Grow 160
INCREASE THE PROVISION OF GREEN AND ACTIVE SPACES DOWNTOWN THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO LIVABILITY AND ECONOMIC VITALITY
Projects Include:
• Invest in Downtown SLC’s
Pioneer Park to create a vibrant
destination that is welcoming to
all, with daily activities for the
neighborhood and events that
serve the region.
• Initiate creative projects and
partnerships to integrate a
network of large and small
green areas and plazas into
a mosaic of public outdoor
TRANSFORM PIONEER PARK INTO
THE CITY’S
MOST ACTIVE
& DESIRABLE PUBLIC SPACE
Enhancing Urban Greenspaces at
Downtown locations
such as Pioneer Park
and Fleet Block would
combat urban heat island effects
spaces that become the
foundation of an activated
downtown.
• Grow SLC’s Downtown and
Central Community Park
access, where future growth
is expected to be the highest
in the City yet has the least
access to parks and trails.
• Reimagine the Downtown SLC’s
wide streets in key locations to
create a Green Loop with trees,
a multi-use recreational trail,
linear park space and places
for outdoor seating.
• Create festival streets in
key locations that provide
comfortable spaces, amenities
and infrastructure to support
events and pop-up festivals.
9. DOWNTOWN COMES ALIVE OUTSIDE
Transformative Project
Chapter Seven: Grow 162
This transformative project aims
to help meet the gap in amount of
greenspace available to downtown
residents and commuters. With
Pioneer Park as the downtown’s
only greenspace, creative ways
to relook at urban space and add
green amenities and recreation is
needed.
Working with private landowners
and businesses, this transformative
project calls all hands on deck
when it comes to providing
green space downtown as well
as supporting urban trees with
irrigation and care. An example
of this is Fleet Block, a city-
owned property, that is currently
being imagined to include public
greenspace to meet needs for
recreation, socialization, and nature
within the urban area.
Planning experts have cited the
city’s “Mormon Grid” and large
660’x 660’ blocks as originally
having multiple uses in mind from
agriculture to streets that primarily
served as unpaved green space
around minimal roads. Recreation
and natural areas in the traditional
right of way inform big ideas like
“The Green Loop,” which aims to
add 60 acres of park space to the
urban core. Additional green space
and tree canopy coverage will
provide a cooling effect to counter
the urban heat island warming of
the primarily hardscaped city.
In addition to street trees and
green stormwater management,
Public Lands should creatively
invent ways to infuse recreation
and public gathering spaces as
mini-parks that take pressure off
the few downtown parks. The
Green Loop will be a considerable
investment in the city in
coordination with City Planning and
Engineering Departments.
GROW:DOWNTOWN COMES ALIVE OUTSIDE
Figure 31: Activating downtown SLC diagram.THE GREE
N L
O
O
P
THE GREE
N L
O
O
P
NORT
H TE
MPLE
900 SO
UT
H
50
0
W
E
S
T
20
0
E
A
S
T
ENHANCE
EXISTING
GREENSPACE
RIO GRANDE
FESTIVAL STREET
Create shaded park
space with room for
activities that serve
Downtown residents
and daytime workers.
Use the city’s large right
of ways as flexible public
space to host events.
RECLAIMED
PUBLIC SPACES
Find opportunities to infill with greenspace in downtown Salt Lake City
FLEXIBLE STREETS
Create shaded and
adaptable street space
for city eventsCreate a shaded
experience along the
Green Loop
INCREASE TREE
CANOPY
Create bikeable and
pedestrian friendly network
for all ages and abilities
along the Green Loop
BIKE FRIENDLY
DOWNTOWN
Create future
connections
between Green
Loop and
Downtown nodes
PIONEER PARK
RIO
GRANDE
FESTIVAL STREET
FLEET
9 Line segment
construction to
begin 2022.
Chapter Seven: Grow 164 FUTURE GREENING OF DOWNTOWNFigure 32: Before and after Green Loop sections. One possible configuration.
Bike Path &
Pedestrian Track
Linear Park
The Green Loop
Planting
Planting
Sidewalk
Sidewalk
8’8’
Typical Carriageway
with Off-Peak
Parking
Typical Carriageway
High Sun Exposure
High Levels of Noise Pollution
Long &
Unsafe
Crossings
Minimal Space
for Downtown
Street Trees
Shaded Experience
Reduced Level of
Noise Pollution
Improved Water
Management
Shorter
Crossings
14’14’88’
14’14’6’62’36’
THE GREEN LOOP WILL
PROVIDE AT LEAST
38 ACRES
OF PARK SPACE
TO DOWNTOWN
SALT LAKE CITY
PP
PP
INCREASE TREE CANOPY
Downtown’s urban forest is limited compared to other neighborhoods in SLC. Trees struggle in the developed, paved environment.
Adding to Downtown’s urban forest in parks and the proposed Green Loop linear park would reduce higher temperatures created by the urban heat effect and clean the local air.
INCREASING PARK ACCESS DOWNTOWN
With only one park to serve 9,685 residents and a daytime population of 41,072 people,1 Downtown is identified as a High Needs Area for additional park space.
Finding underutilized spaces, such as the paved and abandoned Fleet Block, and taking advantage of SLC’s large right-of-ways can help infill with needed green space.
BIKE-FRIENDLY DOWNTOWN
While Downtown has bike lanes, they require a confident cyclist, comfortable navigating busy traffic.
The Green Loop would create a low-stress option for all ages and abilities to bike, jog and walk to Downtown destinations.
SLC’s wide streets provide
opportunities to create green space downtown in key locations.
1 U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2010 Summary File 1. Esri forecasts for 2021 and 2026 Esri
converted Census 2000 data into 2010
geography.
THE GREEN LOOP WILL PROVIDE
AT LEAST 60 ACRES OF
PARK SPACE TO DOWNTOWN
SALT LAKE CITY
THE GREEN LOOP WOULD DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF PLANTING SPACE
FOR TREES IN THE RIGHT-OF WAY
10 ACRES OF PARKSPACE NOW80 ACRES OF PARKSPACE AFTER GREEN LOOP & FLEET BLOCK
0 MILES OF MULTI-USE PATHS DOWNTOWN NOW8 MILES OF MULTI-USE PATHS AFTER GREEN LOOP
BEFORE AFTER x2
Chapter Seven: Grow 166
Projects Include:
• Introduce alternative recreation
and activities on golf courses
for general public recreation as
appropriate to not conflict with
golf. This may include walking
paths/trails, concessions, off-
leash dog walking, frisbee golf,
running races, cross country
skiing or groomed sledding.
• Incorporate additional
environments benefits through
INVITE APPROPRIATE ALTERNATIVE USE OF OUR PUBLIC GOLF COURSES FOR GREATER BENEFIT
NATIVE PLANTS
AND GRASSES
PROVIDE NATURAL
BORDERS AND
CONTOUR AND MITIGATE
THE EFFECTS OF
STORM EVENTS
Integrate golf courses into
neighborhoods by inviting the community to enjoy clubhouse
amenities such as dining
Photo: Cross Country Ski Activity at Mountain Dell Golf Course, The Utah Nordic Alliance (TUNA)10. WELCOME TO THE GREEN
tree plantings, diversifying
vegetation, stormwater
management, and nature
centers in our golf courses.
• Re-wild courses with
biodiverse and native plants,
creating wildlife sanctuaries
outside of playable golf areas.
• Expand golf’s involvement
in environmental protection
by incorporating constructed
stormwater wetlands in
unplayable areas of our
courses.
• Incorporate water-efficient
irrigation practices such as
revising the irrigation system
and redesigning holes
to reduce the amount of
manicured turf, substituting
drought-tolerant grasses where
appropriate.
Transformative Project
Chapter Seven: Grow 168
In 2021, City Golf joined the Public
Lands Department along with
City Parks, Natural Areas and
Urban Forestry. At first glance,
this consolidation has received
comments during the Reimagine
Nature process on the value of
golf lands to the green spaces and
natural areas of the city. Public
survey results can be broadly
categorized into the following
topics:
• Community members who
want to keep golf for golf play;
• Community members who
state that golf needs more
investment;
• Community members who
would like golf courses
to be more open to other
recreational uses;
• Community members who
want golf courses to support
the environment or have more
natural ecosystems; and
• Community members who
want to replace golf with other
uses.
The planning team conducted
extensive case studies looking
at best practices that address
the community’s feedback
topics and these are explored
in the “Welcome to the Green”
transformative project. The most
promising examples that align
with the core value expressed
by the public to protect the city’s
environment include telling the
story of how important existing
golf lands are to biodiversity
and providing ecosystem
services including improving air
quality. Exciting precedents and
environmental certifications show
how future improvements could
support the environment even
further.
Rose Park golf course offers
opportunities to enhance riparian habitat along the Jordan River.
GROW:WELCOME TO THE GREEN
Chapter Seven: Grow 170
CITY GOLF TRANSFORMATION CONTINUUM
OPERATIONS AND COURSE RECONFIGURATION
Description: Offering different
types of golf play or reconfiguring
courses (18-hole to 9-hole).
Pros: Offers less time intensive play
options for today’s lifestyle.
Cons: Mid to long-term
implementation and large
investment.
Recommended Direction: Leverage
learnings from recent pandemic
pivots and staff recommendations
for courses that could offer more
flexible play.
A literature review of best practices in golf - both for cost recovery ideas and complementary uses of golf courses
- revealed a continuum of options Salt Lake City Public Lands can consider to help offer golf while providing more
green space to the growing population over the next 20 years. The options below could be used individually or in
tandem to help provide open space more equitably, improve stewardship of the environment and enrich the city’s
livability.
AUDUBON SANCTUARY CERTIFICATION
Description: Pursue certification
or other program that rigorously
captures baseline condition and
provides strategic plan to make
golf landscapes more ecologically
diverse.
Pros: Supports plants and wildlife.
Cons: Investment of time and
resources.
Recommended Direction: Pursue
pilot project and potential for
implementation as part of Golf
Master Plan.
ADD DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECREATION PROGRAMS AND/OR AMENITIES
Description: Adding different types
of recreation into existing golf
courses (e.g., trails, cycle paths,
etc.).
Pros: Maximizes space and offers
use of golf courses to other
constituents.
Cons: Safety and liability
considerations. Could also add
“nuisance” complaints from area
neighbors with increased public
use/parking.
Recommended Direction: Monitor
recent perimeter trail project and
identify other potential areas in
future golf master plan.
STORM WATER QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE
Description: Add storm water
ponds or other green infrastructure
features to golf courses that also
act as a landscape amenity.
Pros: Helps allow for more adjacent
density around golf courses.
Potential to treat quantity and
quality of runoff and support
ecosystems.
Cons: Loss of some space for
water quality features. Cost of
implementation and ongoing
maintenance.
Recommended Direction: Partner
with Public Utilities and Planning
departments to assess feasibility in
golf master plan.
WATER EFFICIENT IRRIGATION UPGRADES
Description: Update old irrigation
infrastructure to be more water
efficient and more reliable.
Pros: Saves water and time for staff
to focus on innovation areas.
Cons: High initial cost and potential
temporary closures of courses for
construction.
Recommended Direction: High
priority to fund and implement as
this investment would benefit golf
operations and create opportunities
for additional native plantings.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Description: Keep golf courses as
essential open spaces that provide
environmental benefits rather than
transferring them to other land
uses such as affordable housing
developments.
Pros: Retains permeable, planted
landscapes that absorb stormwater
and reduce urban heat island
effects.
Cons: Other solutions for affordable
housing must be explored.
Recommended Direction:
Protect golf and open space
from development to retain
environmental benefits to the city,
and conserve space for wildlife and
plants. Maximize the opportunity for
golf to provide ecological services.
FLEX OPERATIONS ADD RECREATION ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP TRANSFORMATION LAND USE
Chapter Seven: Grow 172
REIMAGINING GOLF FOR PUBLIC LANDS
Public Lands is anticipating
undertaking a comprehensive
Golf Master Plan to strategically
plan for operations and future
improvements. During the
Reimagine Nature planning
process, the planning team took
the first steps toward this process
by assessing the Golf Division’s
staffing, funding, and operations
and maintenance to identify
challenges and opportunities.
Resulting major topics to be
addressed in a future Golf Master
Plan include assessing funding
mechanisms and strategies,
possibilities for concessions and
clubhouse improvements; and
improvements to deteriorating
irrigation systems.
IRRIGATION AND
RESOURCE SAVINGS
Maintaining the current irrigation
systems at the golf courses is one
of the most maintenance intensive
and expensive tasks. Maintaining
faulty irrigation systems consumes
a majority of staff’s time and
resources. Additionally, inefficient
irrigation systems can contribute to
higher water bills, which currently
make up 81% of Golf’s annual
utility budget. It is uncertain how
much a new irrigation system
would reduce utility costs, but
using the City of Spokane as an
example, they estimate that their
new irrigation system reduced
water use by one-third. Assuming
SLC Golf could see a comparable
reduction in both staff time
dedicated to repairs, we can
assume an overall potential saving
of almost $500,000 annually.
It is recommended that SLC Golf
develop a prioritized irrigation
repair and replacement plan. While
it is not expected that irrigation
systems can be replaced fully in all
golf courses, additional methods
are being implemented to reduce
water costs such as replacing turf
grass with low-water species in
strategic areas. Prioritizing such
investments will help address the
cost of water, support ongoing
conservation of water, and align
with the City’s Water Conservation
Plan by reducing water leaks and
water use.
ENVIRONMENTAL
BENEFITS
Golf courses are predominately
greenspaces of grasses,
shrubs and trees that provide
environmental services to Salt
Lake City such as cleaning and
managing storm water runoff,
reducing urban heat island
effect, and providing habitat for
pollinator species. Innovations in
contemporary course management
can leverage all these services
to provide more environmental
benefits to the surrounding city.
FUNDING
STRATEGIES
During the Reimagine Nature
engagement, one main point of
community feedback expressed
that City golf courses are valued
assets that need increased
investment and upkeep. Similarly
to municipal courses in other
cities, 1/3 of which operate with
a deficit,1 SLC Golf has not been
able to generate enough revenue
to meet annual operating costs
and maintain a reserve for capital
repairs and upgrades, resulting in
a backlog of deferred repairs and
increased maintenance costs.
Golf is an Enterprise Fund while
the other divisions within the
Department receive their funding
from the General Fund. As an
Enterprise Fund, Golf does
not receive any supplemental
funding as do other departments
funded by the General Fund and
is required to cover its annual
operating costs and capital repairs
with revenue from golf activities.
Despite being a city municipal
service, Golf is does not generally
receive City support, either direct
or shared services, from other City
departments and divisions such as:
• Funding for engineering
services (“discounted
services”);
• Cost of vehicle replacement or
new equipment programs;
• Urban Forestry with tree care
services;
1 https://www.thengfq.com/2019/06/better‐
understanding‐municipal‐golf/
• and Equipment from other
divisions within Public Lands.
The ability to use and share
other division resources (and
at the same rates as other City
divisions) and expertise within the
department would lower some
operating costs and help Golf fund
capital improvements to keep up
with maintenance needs.
SLC Golf should explore additional
revenue opportunities to generate
funds for capital improvements
such as special packages, branded
merchandise, sponsorships and
tournaments, and winter-uses
such as groomed cross-country
skiing. Improving Golf clubhouses
and associated amenities to act
as community centers and event
space would both generate funds
and better serve the community.
Partnerships options with local
restauranteurs or other third-party
concessionaires could be one way
to fund added amenities such as a
restaurant or meeting space.
CASE STUDIES:
FUNDING
STRATEGIES
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON:
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
PROJECT
The City of Spokane conducted a
survey in 2017 that sampled 1,200
golfers. The results showed 40-
68% of golfers felt the city should
invest in capital improvements
and repairs to remain competitive.
Spokane Parks and Recreation
borrowed $7.5 million from
the city to pay for the capital
projects and implemented a
Facility Improvement Fee at all
golf courses to repay the $7.5
million loan for capital investments
that was secured in 2018. The
collected fees are deposited into
a dedicated fund used to pay back
the loan.
BOISE, IDAHO: GENERAL
FUND MODEL
The Boise Golf Division, while
part of the Parks and Recreation
Department, is funded entirely
by the General Fund, unlike Salt
Lake City and Spokane. For every
tax dollar collected, the Parks and
Recreation Department receives
12-15%, making Parks the third
highest funded department, after
only Police and Fire.
FORT COLLINS COLORADO:
ENTERPRISE FUND MODEL
WITH SHARED CITY
SERVICES
Similar to Salt Lake City, the
Golf Division at Fort Collins is
an Enterprise Fund. However, it
is important to note that while
the budget identifies the Golf
Division’s expenditures as its own
line item (Enterprise Fund), there
are other “hidden” costs that Golf
shares with other city departments
throughout the budget (General
Fund). Golf shares many resources
with the City and is included in
a number of City-wide programs
that are funded by the General
Fund such as Community Services
Administration and Technology
Support, the Park-Ranger program,
the Horticulture Crew and Fleet
fuel and equipment.
Indian Hills Golf Course in Spokane.
Photo Source: https://www.golfcourseranking.
com/courses/washington/spokane/usa/indian-
canyon-golf-course/3076/
Dining and events rentals are offered as amenities at Boise, Idaho’s Quail Hollow
Golf Course.
Photo Source: https://www.quailhollowboise.
com/dining/banquets/
Fort Collins, Colorado’s Southridge Golf
Course is a Certified Audubon Cooperative
Sanctuary.
Photo Source: https://www.fcgov.com/southridge/
Chapter Seven: Grow 174
CASE STUDIES:TONY FINAU FOUNDATION
The Tony Finau Foundation was
started by the local golf legend,
Tony Finau, who grew up golfing
at Salt Lake City’s municipal golf
courses. The foundation “aims to
empower and inspire youth and
CASE STUDIES:FIRST TEE YOUTH PROGRAM
First Tee, a national program with
a Utah chapter, provides programs
to make golf “accessible and
affordable”1 to youth. First Tee
1 https://firsttee.org/about
First Tee Summer Camp at Glendale Golf Course, Photo Source: https://www.firstteeutah.org/glendale/Photo: Tony Finau Foundation, Photo Source: http://tonyfinaufoundation.org/events/
partners with youth organizations
such as the YMCA and the Boys &
Girls Club to bring golf curriculum
to kids that may otherwise not
have the opportunity to learn and
play the sport. The curriculum also
teaches life skills and values. The
Utah chapter hosts summer camps
at the Glendale golf course taught
their families to discover, develop,
and achieve the best of their gifts
and talents through the game of
golf, educational funding, and core
family values”1 and focuses on
fostering underprivileged youth.
1 https://tonyfinaufoundation.org
The foundation is an example of
how golf can be utilized to bring
together community and promote
educational opportunities.
by volunteers coaches from the
SLC Police Department, building
community and relationships on the
green.
CHAPTER
FROM IMAGINATION TO REALIZATION
Reimagine Nature is a culmination of the
collective imagination of the community.
Their efforts have laid out bold, innovative
ideas that will truly transform Public Lands
into working natural assets that provide
environmental and social benefits. The
community envisions a Public Lands
system that is climate resilient, provides
habitat, promotes healthy lifestyles and
increases equitable access to nature in
the city. Realizing these goals will take
concentrated effort by Public Lands Staff,
and collaborative support and contribution
from City departments and the community.
This chapter serves as a playbook, outlining
steps and actions to achieve plan goals and
re-emphasize nature as a centerpiece of
Salt Lake City.
Chapter Eight: Action Strategies 176
8ACTION STRATEGIES
Community members share ideas at an engagement event.
Chapter Eight: Action Strategies 17810 Transformational ProjectsFuture Plans by Public Lands
and other City Departments
that refine supporting policies
and strategies with actionable,
details, prioritized timelines
and strategic planning.
NEXT STEPS
The Reimagine Nature master plan
lays out an inspiring, community-
driven vision for the next twenty
years that addresses complexities
that face public lands from aging
infrastructure to climate change.
Throughout the listening to over
12,000 stakeholders, the planning
team has captured not only the
community’s vision for the future
but implementation steps. The
next step in the process is to
create a Public Lands 5-Year
Strategic Plan, which will be
updated annually by staff.
Initial implementation steps have
been woven into each of the
goal chapters (Sustain, Connect,
Welcome, Protect and Grow)
as high-level strategies and
policies to guide the Public Lands
Department over the next decade.
Working in tandem with the overall
strategies and policies, the plan
also lays out ten community-
supported transformational
projects to root the 20-year vision
with on-the-ground improvements.
More detailed approaches for
action and future planning efforts
are included in this chapter,
organized by the five goals. Figure
33 summarizes the relationship of
master plan elements from vision
to implementation components
(projects, strategies/policies,
plans). Future PlansFigure 33: Master Plan Framework and Definitions
10 Transformational ProjectsSpecific policies and actions
to realize the transformative
projects, plan goals, and direct
operations and maintenance
strategies.
Master Plan Vision
Salt Lake City Public Lands Department Vision & Mission3 Value Lenses5 Big Goals10 Transformational ProjectsStewardshipLivabilityEquityWelcomeConnectProtectGrowSustain1) Put Environment First2) Grow Our Urban Forest3) Connect Mountains to the Lake4) Just 5 Minutes From Here5) Reimagine Neighborhoods Parks6) Coming Soon to a Park Near You7) Revive Our River8) Sustaining Our Stories9) Downtown Comes Alive10) Welcome to the GreenStatements that guide Public
Lands in their role and what
the department aspires to
achieve. Guides the master plan
and all other aspects of the
department’s operations and
planning efforts.
City-wide, long-range vision
for the next 20 years of Public
Lands’ work.
Guiding principles that align
with other city plans and
policies and focus the master
plan goals. Strategies and ActionsWhat the master plan aims to
achieve, supports values and
is supported by high-level
strategies and policy actions.
Specific, inspirational projects
identified by the community to
realize over the next 20 years.
Chapter Eight: Action Strategies 180
Figure 34: Value Lenses Relationship to Goals Diagram.
IMPLEMENTATION
ELEMENTS
The strategies, policies,
transformational projects, future
plans and approaches for action
create a web of interconnected
implementation tools to ensure the
plan does not sit on the shelf and
is reflective of high-level values of
the Public Lands Department and
community. Figure 34 visualizes
how the three value lenses of
stewardship, equity and livability
are woven into the implementation
elements.
FUTURE PLANS
The list below provides guidance for future planning efforts that the
citywide Reimagine Nature effort identified as crucial next steps.
RECOMMENDED PLANS FOR PUBLIC LANDS TO LEAD:
»Public Lands 5-Year Strategic Plan
»Public Lands Strategic Acquisition Plan
»Asset Management Plan
»Cartegraph
»Capital Replacement Projects
»Irrigation Renovation Plan
»Capital Facilities Plan
»Financial Plan
»Fiscal Management Procedures
»Impact Fee Spending Plan
»Urban Forestry Master Plan
»Golf Master Plan
»Climate Resilience Plan
»Drought Management Plan
»Water Budget Plan
»Operations Management Standards/Plan
»Development Standards
»Public Outreach and Communications Plan
RECOMMENDED PUBLIC LANDS COLLABORATION WITH
OTHER CITY DEPARTMENT PLANNING EFFORTS:
»Area Master Plans/Neighborhood Plans
»Long-range Planning Efforts
»Homelessness Response Plan
Sculptural Seating at Imperial Park.
182Chapter 8 Action Strategies
SUSTAIN:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
Strategy S-1 Position Public Lands to increase the ambition of Salt Lake City’s climate-
resiliency goals.
Supporting
Policy 1.1
Create a Climate-Resilience Plan which establishes environmental metrics
combined with robust data collection and monitoring to guide adaptive
management that benefits climate resiliency.
Action 1.1 A Identify a staff position or positions responsible for data collection and
monitoring, visitor use data collection, and data management.
Action 1.1 B Develop written management plans for all significant public land properties,
including Community, Regional & Special Event Parks, and Natural Areas,
which incorporate data collection and adaptive management goals.
Action 1.1 C Work with community partners like Sageland Collaborative to identify Public
Lands that serve as habitat corridors, linkages, biodiversity hot-spots, or
valuable intact habitat. Identify select acquisition priorities based on the same
data.
Action 1.1 D Collaborate with the Sustainability Department to develop and monitor
environmental / climate metrics & strategies related to carbon emissions and
carbon capture.
Action 1.1 E Work to secure funding for full-time positions and research assistantships
and grants to fill expertise gaps in restoration ecology and native horticulture,
along with funding for part-time positions or specialized volunteer roles in
wildlife management, botany, and climate science.
Supporting
Policy 1.2
Emphasize water conservation and stormwater management in Public Lands
capital projects and infrastructure upgrades.
Action 1.2 A Create an Irrigation Renovation Plan which develops new standards for
waterwise/drought-tolerant irrigation infrastructure across all public lands
properties, including underground irrigation to support flexible naturalized
planting patterns and landscape evolution, in collaboration with Red Butte
Garden.
Action 1.2 B Work to quickly secure funding for upgrades to aging, malfunctioning and
inflexible irrigation systems across SLC Public Lands to reduce water waste.
Action 1.2 C Innovate to develop functional, low-cost/low-maintenance stormwater LID
infrastructure standards for public lands and the public streetscape, in
collaboration with SLCDPU.
Action 1.2 D Create a Drought Management Plan for Public Lands. As part of the plan, test,
pilot and develop new standards for low-water landscape interventions in
low-traffic areas of parks and golf courses.
Action 1.2 E Identify and pursue opportunities to restore natural floodplain functionality
along stream corridors, through strategic implementation of streambank
regrading and natural channel design projects, streambank bioengineering,
riparian planting projects, and implementation of Beaver-dam analogues
(BDAs) and similar techniques, in collaboration with Public Utilities, SLCo
Flood Control/Watershed Restoration, and other partner
Supporting
Policy 1.3
Develop an Operations Management Standards Plan which continues to
reduce the climate impact of Public Lands operations through efficient
practices, equipment upgrades, and staff training.
Action 1.3 A Develop an urban wood re-utilization program to reduce carbon footprint and
increase sustainability of operations.
Action 1.3 B Update Public Lands’ 2012/2016 Invasive Pest Management Plan (IPMP) to
include current best practices for invasive species control in natural areas, as
well as current functional practices for low-pesticide/no-pesticide parks, golf
courses, gardens, farms & orchards.
Action 1.3 C Work with the Sustainability Department to fund and collaboratively manage
the development of a Climate Adaptive Strategies Plan for Public Lands,
including an audit of PL’s operations practices, fleet and equipment.
Action 1.3 D Appoint a PL staff representative to take a leadership role on the cross-
departmental Sustainable Infrastructure Steering Committee, with the goal
of improving coordination and resolving barriers around green infrastructure
improvements in the city.
Action 1.3 E Provide education, training and support so parks and golf operations can
successfully improve climate resiliency and biodiversity of landscapes
without ballooning O&M costs.
Strategy S-2 Position Public Lands as a City leader for driving improvements in
environmental health and environmental justice.
Supporting
Policy 2.1
Develop an Urban Forestry Master Plan that will increase tree canopy across
the city, with a focus on equitable distribution of tree cover.
Action 2.1 A Change City code to make tree protection ordinances enforceable and
effective at deterring intentional violation. Engage the Police Parks Squad or
create a Tree Protection Officer position to assist in enforcing tree protection
ordinances.
Action 2.1 B Develop a citywide information and education campaign to encourage
residents to request street trees, and develop a framework to ensure
residents understand their obligations in terms of ensuring adequate water to
street trees, and reporting on tree condition in order to mitigate tree mortality
184Chapter 8 Action Strategies
Action 2.1 C Train, educate and support field staff to appropriately protect and maintain
trees in parks, golf courses and other open spaces.
Action 2.1 D Identify and take advantage of unrealized tree planting opportunities in
public spaces such as retention basins, trail corridors, medians, etc.
Action 2.1 E Fund citywide adaptation of irrigation systems in public lands to provide
independent watering for trees to improve drought resiliency.
Supporting
Policy 2.2
Increase the scope and capacity of the Native Plants & Biodiversity Program
and incorporate biodiversity and native plants into every compatible city
project.
Action 2.2 A Identify and secure funding for the creation of an innovative native plant
center to expand native plant production capacity and native plant restoration
research, and advance public education and volunteer engagement in native
plants and biodiversity efforts.
Action 2.2 B Develop sustainable funding solutions to strengthen financial resources of
the native plant program, such as capital campaign, revenue generation from
native plant sales, fiscal partnerships, etc.
Action 2.2 C Integrate the Public Lands Native Plant Program with the Parks Division’s
Horticulture Team, and secure funding for key roles including a Horticulture
Program Manager, Lead Restoration Ecologist, Native Plant Center Manager,
Monitoring Coordinator and Part-Time restoration technicians.
Action 2.2 D Conduct a system-wide inventory and prioritization of restoration
opportunities in the public lands system, and establish regular opportunities
for education, training and support for field teams to increase internal
capacity for installing and maintaining resilient/biodiverse landscapes.
Action 2.2 E Conduct research and experimentation in collaboration with institutional and
agency partners to establish successful techniques for dryland restoration
tailored to Salt Lake City environments and lands.
Supporting
Policy 2.3
Collaborate across jurisdictional boundaries to restore the quality of SLC’s
land, water and air.
Action 2.3 A Improve coordination and collaboration with SLC Public Utilities, Planning,
Economic Development, Sustainability, Transportation, and the Office
of the Mayor to identify and collaborate around mutal objectives for
environmental health and climate resilience.
Action 2.3 B Engage in collaborative management and control of state- and county-
listed noxious and invasive species, in partnership with Salt Lake County,
the Utah DNR, the Watershed Restoration Program, SLC Public Utilities,
regional weed cooperatives, and national efforts like ‘Clean, Play, Go.”
SUSTAIN:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
Action 2.3 C Coordinate with Public Utilities, State DNR and other jurisdictions to
secure in-stream water rights to maintain year-round baseflow in urban
creeks for habitat, and springtime water releases into the lower Jordan
River to simulate natural floodplain function.
Action 2.3 D Lead through efforts with the Jordan River Commission, Utah Lake
Commission, and state, county and municipal governments and water
quality management agencies to continue to improve water quality in Utah
Lake and Jordan River upstream of SLC.
Action 2.3 E Engage in dialogue on the Inland Port development, in collaboration
with the Office of the Mayor, SLC Planning, SLC Public Utilities, local
community leaders, Economic Development and business interests,
landowners, and state officials, to advocate for establishment of robust
green infrastructure in the Northwest Quadrant, including an urban forest,
park spaces, stormwater green infrastructure, and trails.
Supporting
Policy 2.4
Prioritize investments to address equity and environmental justice as guided
by equity mapping, such as Figure 15 Equity Map.
Action 2.4 A Continue to refine and develop equity maps that evaluate park asset
management and investment to direct resources to environmental justice
causes.
186Chapter 8 Action Strategies
CONNECT:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
Strategy C-1 Connect people to information about their park system to increase
visitation.
Supporting
Policy 1.1
Help the public navigate to and around their public lands system with intuitive
physical wayfinding and digital information.
Action 1.1 A Coordinate with internal and external partners to develop multi-lingual
wayfinding in key areas of SLC that aligns with public information on events,
public spaces, trail systems, business districts, art, libraries, restrooms,
bikeways and neighborhood byways, economic/community hubs, and public
transportation.
Action 1.1 B Improve wayfinding, regulatory and educational signage for the Jordan River
Parkway and Foothills Natural Area.
Action 1.1 C Conduct a professionally-driven overhaul the Public Lands website, with a
focus on user-friendly access to information about the public lands system.
Consider models from other cities’ successful web platforms for public lands,
and evaluate alternative web platforms.
Action 1.1 D Develop a professionally-driven comprehensive and cohesive brand identify
for SLC Public Lands, including strategic sub-identities for specific divisions,
programs, events and amenities that remain connected to the SLC Public
Lands brand.
Action 1.1 E Develop printed and digital “handout” materials that can be made widely
available to visitors and residents via local businesses, organizations and
institutions, which provide helpful information about accessing and enjoying
significant parks, trail systems, and amenities.
Supporting
Policy 1.2
Provide information that helps the public interpret and appreciate their parks
and natural lands, with the use of diverse, interesting programming and
activities, education and messaging, physical and digital interpretive content,
and park ambassadors.
Action 1.2 A As part of a Public Outreach and Communications Plan, integrate internal
coordination of all forms of Departmental public engagement, including
activities & events, PR/media coordination, visitor use information, donor
development, partner coordination, education and content development,
volunteerism & stewardship, digital communications (web/social media) and
marketing, service requests and visitor information services, and establish
clear communication channels with Public Lands administration and
operations teams.
Action 1.2 B Invest in interpretive content creation for the park system, with system-
wide expansion of interpretive signage, informational videos, audio-tours,
informational / educational brochures and pamphlets, and social media posts.
Content on wildlife and natural history, park history, public art, recreation
and educational programming opportunities, stewardship and advocacy
opportunities, calls to action, and similar items of broad interest should
receive special attention.
Action 1.2 C Develop robust educational programs in the parks, hosted by Public Lands
staff, partner organizations and/or volunteers, with established content
related to history and natural history, stewardship, outdoor skills, and cultural
awareness.
Action 1.2 D Expand the use of ambassadors, hire seasonal Park/Trail Ambassadors, and/
or enlist the support of a volunteer Ambassador program to spread education
and stewardship information to visitors at heavily-used sites.
Action 1.2 E Explore the establishment of a City-sponsored conservation corps program
that engages under-represented groups in environmental stewardship,
environmental education, public engagement, park improvement and data
collection.
Supporting
Policy 1.3
Facilitate access to information about use of SLC’s public lands by people
experiencing homelessness, including available services and resources,
hotlines, community partners, and opportunities to engage in cross-
community dialogue to help make SLC parks welcoming and safe for
sheltered and unsheltered alike.
Action 1.3 A Provide quarterly training to Public Lands staff and park maintenance workers
regarding homelessness resources, understanding of homelessness and
appropriate engagement with people experiencing homelessness.
Strategy C-2 Increase the ease of access to public lands, making it easier to travel to,
between and within them.
Supporting
Policy 2.1
Promote walking and active transportation by connecting our parks & natural
spaces to the City’s active and public transportation networks, including bus,
TRAX, SLC Green Bike, and on-street / off-street trails.
Action 2.1 A Integrate the recommendations of the SLC Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan
into Capital Improvement project prioritization for Public Lands.
Action 2.1 B Map active and public transportation connectivity to all city parks, and identify
gaps in connectivity and barriers and prioritize adding or enhancing parks
and trails within walking distance of transit and bus stops.
188Chapter 8 Action Strategies
Action 2.1 C Advocate with state and NGO partners for expansion of active and public
transportation options that improve accessibility of parks and public lands
amenities, such as SLC Greenbike station expansion, dedicated bus routes
that service parks and trailheads, and improved wayfinding that directs
people between transit routes and transit stops, and public spaces.
Action 2.1 D Pursue projects that overcome barriers to non-motorized transportation, such
as over/undercrossings of major roadways and railways, bridges, protected
bike lanes, and off-street trail corridors, with a focus on projects that break
down barriers to west-east connectivity.
Action 2.1 E Engage UDOT, State Parks, Salt Lake County and other key agencies in
planning for regional trail connections to the Great Salt Lake Marina, the
Oquirrh Mountains, and up Parleys Canyon to the Wasatch Back.
Supporting
Policy 2.2
Invest in greening the urban trail network through tree plantings, stream
daylighting, and other methods to interconnect parks with park-like trails.
Action 2.2 A Provide leadership in the planning, public engagement, design and
implementation of major greenway projects such as the Folsom Trail Project
and Downtown Green Loop.
Action 2.2 B Investigate viability of community land trust and/or other creative models to
gradually acquire and assemble public property over urban stream corridors
with potential for future daylighting.
Action 2.2 C Explore and pilot low-maintenance/no-maintenance landscaping concepts
for linear trail corridors, including tree-specific irrigation infrastructure, solar-
powered lighting, xeriscape, artwork, single-species vegetation massings,
and similar techniques.
Action 2.2 D Explore no-maintenance shade structures and artworks in place of irrigated/
manicured vegetation for trail corridors in industrial areas.
Action 2.2 E Collaborate with SLC Planning, Mayor and community partners to achieve
planning and zoning guidance for restoration of the Jordan River corridor
between 200 South and the State Fairpark, in advance of the area
undergoing redevelopment.
Supporting
Policy 2.3
Incorporate careful consideration of physical limitations, language barriers,
and other accessibility accommodations into all Public Lands projects.
Action 2.3 A Audit ADA accessibility of all public land sites, including curb ramps, sidewalk
/ path condition, accessibility of park features, amenities and signage.
Action 2.3 B Survey SLC trail systems (including natural surface trails and water trails)
for barriers to accessibility - including wheeled cycles; identify and remove
prioritized barriers.
CONNECT:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
Action 2.3 C Explore use of a multi-lingual translation service to provide online versions
of most signage, newsletters and other information available in many
languages.
Action 2.3 D Make bilingual (english and spanish) information, or language-neutral
information (i.e. widely-recognizable icons), standard practice for all physical
and digital communications, including signs, social media, web content,
newsletters, etc. Consider use of a translation service or staff translator.
Action 2.3 E Request an audit of Public Lands facilities, practices and procedures by the
Mayor’s Office of Equity, including the Mayor’s Accessibility Advisory Council.
190Chapter 8 Action Strategies
Strategy W-1 Design and program Neighborhood Parks to highlight the unique natural,
historical, cultural and economic identify of the surrounding area and
community in which they are located.
Supporting
Policy 1.1
Study and collect data on system-wide park use, answering questions about who,
where, when, what and how park users are engaging with the neighborhood
parks.
Action 1.1 A Update the SLC Needs Assessment Study to reflect 2021 census data and park
land provision on an ongoing basis, timed with release of new census data.
Action 1.1 B Audit the physical accessibility of all park amenities to inform a feasibility study to
consider opportunities for improvement (Universal and Inclusive Design Audit and
Feasibility Study).
Action 1.1 C Create and acquire data on an ongoing basis to evaluate equity of investment in
resources in parks and recreation assets and programming, use the information to
address identified inequities through targeted and strategic resource investments.
Action 1.1 D Identify a ‘Chief Data Officer’ for SLC Public Lands with broad responsibility for
collection, storage, organization, analysis and reporting on park useage data.
Action 1.1 E Install widespread visitor counting devices in SLC’s key public spaces to better
understand and track visitor use trends, combined with a widespread surveys of
park users through standardized, quantifiable survey that can be conducted at
scale with the support of volunteers, interns, youth corps, etc. and incorporate
data into resource prioritization.
Supporting
Policy 1.2
Engage the community in the visioning of our public spaces and work especially to
foster engagement with under-represented groups.
Action 1.2 A Enhance the Park Board’s understanding of and attention to equity and work to
engage them in development of Public Lands policy, tools and approaches to help
address inequities in the Public Lands system.
Action 1.2 B Identify and empower community relations managers for Public Lands who
support planning and project development efforts, track and coordinate regular
communication with key organizational partners and community leaders, and
work to strengthen relationships and strategically-valuable partnerships, including
engagement with plans and projects.
Action 1.2 C Diversity the methods used to engage with members of the public, increasing
the efficiency of communications via Community Councils and traditional forms
of communication, while also using more creative intercept engagement,
meeting community members where they are and ‘on their terms’, and leaning on
collaborative relationships with community leaders.
Action 1.2 D Work to expand representation of, and support for, people of color in the Public
Lands organization, including positions of leadership and positions on the citizen
advisory board.
Action 1.2 E Invest significant ongoing staff attention and resources to Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion in the PL organization and its work in the City.
Supporting
Policy 1.3
Enhance sense of place and community pride within parks.
Action 1.3 A Engage the community and volunteers in mapping significant cultural, historical,
natural or economic features of their parks or of the surrounding community which
could be used for placemaking efforts, including opportunities for collaborative
partnerships with nearby businesses, institutions, nonprofit organizations, and
others. Develop innovative, inclusive community engagement and placemaking
strategies to direct improvements in neighborhood park design and programming
that help parks reflect and serve the community identify and demographics of the
surrounding neighborhood.
Action 1.3 B Engage the community and the Planning Division to develop or update holistic
Community/Neighborhood Master Plans which include community priorities for
park and public space investment and redesign, and which manage the impacts
park renewal can have on the immediately adjacent community (i.e. gentrification)
by developing innovative partnerships (such as with housing providers),
considering impacts, using a community-led approach to design and management,
and advocating for planning and policy that reduces displacement.
Action 1.3 C Develop master plans for all Regional and Special Event parks, and improvement
plans for community, neighborhood/mini-parks, and nature parks and natural open
spaces, with standardized processes but flexible methods for public engagement
and design. Improvement plans for multiple smaller parks could be developed
simultaneously.
Action 1.3 D Work with community partners to rename some parks with names more
meaningful to the community, including indigenous names for places, names that
celebrate community leaders, and similar approaches.
WELCOME:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
192Chapter 8 Action Strategies
Action 1.3 E Display beautiful, well-maintained, sustainable horticulture by integrating Public
Lands’ separate horticulture programs, undertaking a comprehensive review of
horticulture throughout the public lands system and establishing service level
standards including areas for horticulture expansion, waterwise and biodiversity
standards, and standard design and maintenance strategies. Work to increase
horticultural staffing while also creating opportunities to enhance horticultural
beauty through volunteerism, friends groups and ‘adoption,’ and identify funds
to reconstruct the aging greenhouse infrastructure at Jordan Park and Liberty
Park to expand capacity and efficiency and elevate public engagement with the
horticultural program.
Strategy W-2 Support active programming that brings people out to their parks for art, events,
programs, recreation and community. This programming should be diverse and
adapted to represent the community culture and encourage creation of social
connections.
Supporting
Policy 2.1
Remove barriers to park activation, addressing aspects such as physical assets,
public safety, and laws and ordinances.
Action 2.1 A Map event infrastructure for all parks, and work to develop appropriate event
infrastructure for neighborhood and community larger parks throughout the
system, including as appropriate, seating, power, lighting, etc. Engage event
planners in updating and improving the usability of existing event infrastructure as
well.
Action 2.1 B Revise SLC ordinances that create barriers to park activation, including changes
to facilitate beer gardens, food trucks, markets and vendors in public spaces,
busking and entertainment, and updated park hours to allow later-activities in
parks with well-lit and safe spaces, such as basketball courts, where legitimate
late-night activities can occur.
Action 2.1 C Revise SLC protocols around field fees and reservations, to ensure that community
groups with limited means can access field space and that groups providing social
and community benefits beyond league sports can retain access to some spaces.
Action 2.1 D Evaluate potential to collaborate with unsheltered service providers in new and
innovative ways to improve safety and comfort of unsheltered people using park
spaces during park hours, such as lockers and quiet areas/napping areas. Hire
and place ambassadors in park spaces experiencing crime and illicit uses, to
increase the real and perceived safety of using the space, including safety for
unsheltered individuals.
Action 2.1 E Support community art, entertainment and performance in public spaces, by
establishing low-cost programs that provide temporary access to facility space
(such as Allen Park, Fisher Mansion, Warm Springs and similar facilities), and the
use of open hours for informal use of performance spaces.
Supporting
Policy 2.2
Creative and strategic installation of diverse park amenities supports active park
use by many different user groups.
Action 2.2 A Establish a pilot program to hire community members and temporary “fellows”
who are embedded with Public Lands and who lead community engagement
efforts around public space design and improvement, and who help manage
city-funded mini-grants to engage diverse community groups and individuals to
engage and assist with park improvement and activation.
Action 2.2 B Improve opportunities for donations, sponsorships, adoptions, memorial asset
programs (trees, benches, etc), foundations and “Friends Of” groups to support
public lands investment and operations & maintenance costs. Update policies
and processes, collaborate with the Finance Department, and identify or securing
funding for a staff position that can commit significant resources to development
of private funding.
Action 2.2 C Expand programming to provide small-scale seasonal, pop-up park amenities
such as picnic tables, lounging chairs, games and other colorful, joyful additions to
parks.
Action 2.2 D Include (a) in-person qualitative and/or quantitative surveys of park user
demographics and (b) analysis of demographics of the neighborhood surrounding
a park, as part of the process of engaging in park design, and consider the types
of park features and amenities that would benefit those demographics.
Action 2.2 E Utliized the Project for Public Spaces model and Crime Prevention through
Environmental Design (CPTED) standards for thinking about the factors that
influence active and safe putlic spaces.
Supporting
Policy 2.3
Generate proactive, targeted activation of citywide parks to leverage staff resources
and external partnerships and to make parks the community focal points for every
neighborhood.
Action 2.3 A Collaborate with neighborhood community leaders to address community-building
needs through park events and park improvement, including ways for neighbors
to volunteer/steward their spaces, with resources and assistance from Public
Lands.
WELCOME:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
Chapter Eight: Action Strategies 194
Action 2.3 B Expand engagement of young people and older adults, including educational and
service learning opportunities, recreation and arts opportunities, and programming
that caters to a wide range of interests and fosters connection across age groups.
Action 2.3 C Develop a programming & activation guide for different park types, including
appropriate uses and guidelines for activation for all spaces, even mini parks,
nature parks and golf courses. Share the guide with the community, to encourage
community activation of diverse park spaces.
Action 2.3 D Deepen collaboration with key activation partners and forge new partnerships
around the activation of underutilized park spaces.
Action 2.3 E Expand Public Lands’ public engagement resources, including resources for
expansion of education and interpretation programs, health & wellness and
community-building activities, arts and entertainment events, and administration
and engagement program management.
WELCOME:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
196Chapter 8 Action Strategies
PROTECT:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
Strategy P-1 Ensure iconic, irreplaceable assets are not lost or rendered less valuable
due to neglect, destruction or development.
Supporting
Policy 1.1
Identify and direct capital funding for acquisitions and infrastructure
investment that protects iconic assets.
Action 1.1 A Pass a Parks Improvement Bond to fund the restoration, improvement and
redevelopment of the Fisher Mansion, Warm Springs Plunge, Raging Waters,
Fleet Block, Jordan Greenhouse, Liberty Greenhouse, Fairmont Caretaker’s
Residence, George Allen Home, the City Cemetery, and other iconic spaces
and structures to enrich our parks. If feasible, acquire interests in SLC
properties like SLCDPU campus and Old PSB if these could serve park
expansion needs.
Action 1.1 B Develop a new Public Lands Strategic Acquisition Plan to direct capital
investment in new properties. Make the plan along with a list of associated
planned, ongoing and completed projects available to the public by
publishing it on the Public Lands’ website.
Action 1.1 C Develop a cyclical 30-year capital asset replacement plan for all Public Lands
assets, using data from Cartegraph, with generalized costs, inflation, and
accommodations for the expansion of the Public Lands system, to project
annual capital replacement costs into the future.
Action 1.1 D Identify solutions to effectively conduct capital campaigns for iconic
assets, including the creation of O&M endowment funds for the perpetual
maintenance and protection of certain spaces and features.
Action 1.1 E Hire full-time, part-time, or volunteer positions to manage and oversee
specific assets that require specialized knowledge and attention.
Supporting
Policy 1.2
Improve equitable distribution of maintenance resources, with a focus on
improving the condition and usability of the Jordan River Parkway and
Westside parks.
Action 1.2 A Provide additional maintenance, activation and improvement resources to
west-side parks in order to promote a similar degree of attractiveness and
usability compared to east-side parks (equity, not equality). Secure park
maintenance funding for the Jordan River Parkway equivalent to those
resources allocated to Liberty Park and other regionally-significant assets, on
a per-acre basis.
Action 1.2 B Prioritize improvements for west-side parks, natural areas and trail corridors
by including an equity measure in funding request prioritization which
identifies whether an project is located in Council Districts 1 & 2.
Action 1.2 C Hire community leaders on a part-time/temporary basis to lead deep
community engagement around placemaking and design.
Action 1.2 D Engage with the Planning Division, Housing & Neighborhood Development,
Economic Developement Department, and other City entities to further
community goals for housing, business development, community health and
livability through collaboration with Public Lands.
Action 1.2 E Secure funding for and initiate Cultural Landscape Reports for all historic
properties in the Public Lands inventory, and use the reports to guide
maintenance and management decisions that protect culturally-significant
landscapes.
Supporting
Policy 1.3
Establish and expand a Park Ranger program to enforce protective
ordinances, educate park users, and safeguard public land assets from
damage and abuse.
Action 1.3 A Change SLC ordinances to make protective park and urban forest rules
enforceable by SLC Parks Police squad and others (compliance, Forestry, etc)
Action 1.3 B Complete the transformation of the SLCPD Parks Squad to a dedicated
ranger program, with ranger uniforms and enhanced coordination with
Public Lands staff. Grow the program to include one or more trail rangers
for the SLC Foothills, and an administrative support position to route
calls and complaints, track call-outs and reports, and investigate cases of
encroachment and property damage.
Action 1.3 C Invest in training and education for the Ranger Program and engage rangers/
officers in leading education activities for the public, including stewardship
education.
Action 1.3 D Create and grow a seasonal-employee & volunteer-based Ambassadors
Program, with uniformed volunteers and seasonals providing public
education on park interpretation (history, natural history, culture, etc) and
visitor etiquette/stewardship, supported by a full-time administrative lead
position.
Action 1.3 E Expand the use of ambassadors in park spaces experiencing significant
crime, misuse and/or abuse, to improve public safety and to deter abuse of
park resources, such as late-night partying, break-ins and vandalism.
198Chapter 8 Action Strategies
Strategy P-2 Leverage the power of the community to help steward SLC’s Public Lands.
Supporting
Policy 2.1
Empower friend’s groups and community organizations to increase
stewardship capacity, add value, and maximize their contributions of
expertise and resources.
Action 2.1 A Integrate a Community Partnership Coordinator position into the PL Public
Engagement Team, with a focus on supporting community organizations
and enhancing the scope and quality of the work they do to benefit public
lands. Creation of formalized partnership agreements will help clarify
respective roles and responsibilities. Integration into the Public Engagement
team supports cross-collaboration with staff dedicated to communications,
fundraising, volunteerism, and other aspects of engagement highly relevant
to maximizing the contributions of community organizations.
Action 2.1 B Use Public Lands facilities like Allen Park, the Fisher Mansion and the Warm
Springs Plunge to help provide a venue for under-resourced community
organizations to engage with their audience in public spaces and activate
public lands.
Action 2.1 C Establish an annual “Friends of SLC Public Lands” gala to thank and
celebrate those organizations that contributed to the success of SLC Public
Lands and encourage additional contributions and cross-collaboration, as
well as shared identity and enthusiasm.
Action 2.1 D Actively work to seek out new and creative partnerships that strategically
benefit SLC Public Lands, through connections to underserved communities,
connections to resources, capacity and expertise, etc.
Action 2.1 E Identify opportunities to adapt procurement policies to hire partner
organizations to perform skilled work for SLC Public Lands that would
otherwise be outsourced to private contractors or consultants.
Supporting
Policy 2.2
Grow a robust volunteer management apparatus to empower individual
residents to contribute their time, effort and knowledge to help support their
public lands system.
Action 2.2 A Establish dedicated funding for volunteer management support staff and
volunteer program resources (tools, materials, uniforms, management
software, vehicle and trailer), to compliment and expand capacity of the
existing Volunteer & Education Coordinator position.
Action 2.2 B Identify key roles, responsibilities and supervisory staff for dedicated
volunteers who can lend time and skills as unpaid staff members for
appropriate positions, and work to seek out and cultivate these dedicated
volunteers.
PROTECT:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
Action 2.2 C Secure and deploy resources for enhanced volunteer education, training and
skillbuilding, as well as volunteer appreciation and retention efforts.
Action 2.2 D In collaboration with the Office of the Mayor, develop a seasonal
conservation corps program focused on stewardship education, data
collection and public engagement, as well as job skill development for key
groups, potentially including veterans, native american youth, refugees,
BIPOC teens, and unsheltered teens.
Action 2.2 E Analyze and identify aspects of Public Lands administration and operations
which could benefit from incorporation of volunteerism to expand capacity,
fill gaps in professional skills and knowledge, increase public access and
transparency to decisionmaking, and offset costs. Work to incorporate
volunteers in these areas.
Supporting
Policy 2.3
Used targeted education campaigns to create a culture of stewardship in
SLC.
Action 2.3 A Launch a PR campaign to improve public perceptions of the Jordan River
and Jordan River Parkway, in coordination with the Jordan River Commission,
Jordan River Foundation, Seven Canyons Trust, and Get to the River Festival.
Action 2.3 B Work to establish dialogue and partnership with representatives of the Ute,
Goshute, and Shoshone tribes to understand, honor and promote knowledge
of ancestral lands. Make tribal land acknowledgement standard practice,
work to empower Native American voices to influence land management
decisions, and develop programs to engage tribal members in stewardship
and cultural education.
Action 2.3 C Cultivate future stewards of SLC’s public lands by facilitating early
exposure to positive experiences in nature that inspire wonder, curiosity,
and connection to place. Expand place-based environmental education
and nature-discovery programming that build on the successes of the Salt
Lake City Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights. Collaborate with Youth & Family
Services and other providers to engage youth in park planning/design,
volunteerism and stewardship, nature-based curriculum development,
nature and outdoor adventure clubs and camps, and other strategies that
give SLC youth a voice at the table. Encourage the creation of youth boards
and grassroots organizations, and fund grants and projects for university
students, that place young leaders in positions to have a tangible impact on
their public lands. Celebrate the role that these young leaders play in public
lands.
200Chapter 8 Action Strategies
Action 2.3 D Work with partners and other government jurisdictions to create and sustain
an ongoing media campaign to help SLC residents identify with a culture of
public lands stewardship, connected to a sense of local pride and ownership
of public land resources.
Action 2.3 E Expand the Public Lands Communications team to elevate the Public Lands
brand, and the professionalism and effectiveness of PL communications,
messaging and marketing. Identify resources to expand key roles and
skillsets, especially graphic design and content development.
PROTECT:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
202Chapter 8 Action Strategies
GROW:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
Strategy G-1 Be proactive and strategic about growth of the Public Lands System.
Supporting
Policy 1.1
Investment of resources into new lands, new assets and amenities is driven
by policy and informed by data and public engagement.
Action 1.1 A Increase staffing to meet capacity demands of planning & projects team,
achieve reasonable project loads for Public Lands PMs, and free up capacity
for the many policy and programmatic planning documents recommended as
action items.
Action 1.1 B Use the PL Master Plan, Needs Assessment, Impact Fee Facilities Plan,
Community Master Plans, Strategic Acquisition Plan, and other city plans
to guide new development, including prioritization of funding applications.
Establish clear, transparent policies for ranking and prioritizing funding
Capital Improvement and Impact Fee funding applications, including the
incorporation of feedback from the Public Lands citizen advisory board.
Action 1.1 C Create a Capital Facilities Plan based on cyclical asset renewal projections
and asset condition inventory data from Cartegraph and other sources.
Ensure the plan is adaptible to accommodate new data as well as growth in
park lands and assets. Use this plan and associated data to guide funding
applications for asset renewal and replacement.
Action 1.1 D Identify and secure resource needs for continual, regular updating of needs
assessment asset maps, user satisfaction surveys, demographic mapping,
park plans, and other documents to ensure Public Lands planning guidance
does not become so outdated as to become invalid.
Action 1.1 E Engage community members in ongoing robust data collection program on
park use statistics, demographics, and basic user feedback about public
lands, through internships, volunteer positions, conservation corps, and
community partnerships, and communicate to achieve transparency in how
the data is incorporated into Public Lands planning.
Supporting
Policy 1.2
Tax increment or other dedicated funding sources for O&M are established
so that additional maintenance resources keep pace with new capital asset
funding and projects.
Action 1.2 A Commission analysis of anticipated growth of maintenance and capital
replacement costs as new assets are added to system and inflation impacts
O&M and construction costs, and incorporate into budgetary increase
requests and budget planning.
Action 1.2 B Agressively pursue alternative funding mechanisms to make up gaps in
General Fund capacity to accommodate growing costs.
Action 1.2 C Evaluate opportunities for revenue generation to benefit specific sites
and assets where user fees, parking fees, event and activity fees, or other
revenue generation methods may be appropriate.
Action 1.2 D Evaluate opportunities to use local revenues, levees, fees or income streams
to fund growing park operations needs, similar to the model employed by
Salt Lake County Parks & Recreation.
Action 1.2 E Identify desired standards for operations and maintenance level of service
standards, including per-acre maintenance budgets and staffing for different
categories of parks and public spaces, and identify and address areas in the
public lands system where desired service level standards are not being met.
Supporting
Policy 1.3
Integrate growth planning for public lands with economic development
initiatives and community planning and zoning. Inventory and develop long-
range plans for City-owned land that is not currently in the Public Lands’
system in order to make strategic planning, zoning and land use decisions
which utilize existing spaces with parks and open space characteristics.
Action 1.3 A Modify city development codes to simplify park improvement projects and
mitigate technical obstacles like inaccurate park zoning or internal property
subdivisions within park spaces.
Action 1.3 B Engage the community in visioning for major park expansion opportunities,
such as the Green Loop, the Fleet Block, the Public Utilities Central 9th
Campus, SLC Public Lands Campus, the Northwest Quadrant, and the Jordan
River - North Temple Redevelopment Area.
Action 1.3 C Integrate the work of Planning & Public Lands; actively engage Public Lands
staff in future Area and Neighborhood Master Plans, and engage Planning
staff in future park master plans and improvement plans.
Action 1.3 D Identify and pursue collaborative projects with Economic Development, and
establish the role of Public Lands in advancing concepts like Tech Lake City
and economic development programs like Visit Salt Lake.
Action 1.3 E Incorporate Economic Development tracking and metrics into aspects of
Public Lands annual reporting, similar to the model employed by the Regional
Athletic Complex.
204Chapter 8 Action Strategies
GROW:APPROACHES FOR ACTION
Strategy G-2 Overcome difficult obstacles to growth needs through creativity and
through leveraging external assets and resources.
Supporting
Policy 2.1
Maximize usability of public outdoor spaces, including golf courses, right-
of-way, and public/semi-public spaces (such as library grounds) outside the
Public Lands inventory.
Action 2.1 A Map public and semi-public green spaces outside the Public Lands inventory
to better understand level of service in communities.
Action 2.1 B Collaborate with Salt Lake School District and local churches, especially for
compatible access to playable/programmable field space.
Action 2.1 C Develop a Golf Master Plan which will evaluate golf courses for opportunities
to expand urban forest, ecological restoration, trails, and public programming.
Action 2.1 D Work with Library System to diversify and activate public green space
surrounding library campuses.
Action 2.1 E Work with Transportation Division to map opportunities for linear parks along
streets and right-of-way eligible for lane reduction. Identify opportunities to
put streets and parking lots underground to create or connect important park
spaces.
Supporting
Policy 2.2
Leverage innovative public-private partnerships and collaborations with
developers to help address the growth needs of the Public Lands system.
Action 2.2 A Work with local businesses and educational institutions to collaborate on job
development and training, improve professional development opportunities
for Public Lands staff, and provide pipelines for training and careers that
benefit Public Lands hiring goals and job placement for prospective
employees.
Action 2.2 B Explore partnerships with the Utah Outdoor Recreation Industry, Tourism
Industry, and Healthcare Industry to collaboratively plan, fund and develop
recreational infrastructure, land adoption and acquisition, and youth
education & recreation programming.
Action 2.2 C Establish communications and collaboration with development, in particular
in areas of very active redevelopment such as Central 9th, Downtown,
Sugarhouse, East Bench, North Temple @ Jordan River. Improve coordination
with the SLC RDA and identify mutual/overlapping objectives.
Action 2.2 D Explore opportunities to trade underperforming green space to development
for equivalent or higher-performing green spaces elsewhere in the City,
with an eye to service gaps, stream daylighting opportunities, and walkable
neighborhood access to park spaces.
Action 2.2 E Pursue private support and funding for urban forest improvements and
wetland mitigation projects in large industrial areas - and in particular,
the Inland Port and industrial parks west of Redwood Road - that provide
environmental services while also improving the livability / workability of
office parks, contain heat-island effects, and reduce maintenance costs for
businesses.
Supporting
Policy 2.3
Position Public Lands to take advantage of private contributions, including
‘adoption’ of amenities, corporate partnerships and philanthropic giving.
Action 2.3 A Strengthen relationships with Friends-Of organizations and help empower
them to fundraise for specific improvements and maintenance.
Action 2.3 B Facilitate the development of a Friend of Salt Lake City Parks 501c3
organization to oversee the funding and management of specific
components of PL responsibilities, such as fundraising for transformative
projects in excess of $10M.
Action 2.3 C Enlist the services of contractual fund management and capital campaign
firms to help SLC Public Lands navigate the legal and accounting challenges
of capital campaigns.
Action 2.3 D Formalize and simplify adoption and sponsorship programs like memorial
tree adoption and bench adoption, reducing PL’s long-term financial
commitments and increasing revenue from adoptions.
Action 2.3 E Identify or add a development coordinator role within the Public Lands admin
team to manage capital campaigns for expendable and endowed funding for
projects and properties, manage and facilitate major gifts, and oversee donor
development as well as contractual capital campaign management, fund
management, and coordination with SLC Finance.
ATTACHMENT C
Reimagine Nature
Public Engagement Summaries
ENGAGEMENT WINDOW #1
SUMMARY REPORT
PUBLIC LANDS TEAM
• Kristin Riker, Public Services Deputy
Director, Public Lands
• Nancy Monteith, Project Manager
• Lee Bollwinkel, Parks Division Director
• Lewis Kogan, Trails and Natural Lands
Division Director
• Tony Gliot, Urban Forestry Division
Director
• Danielle Ainsworth
• Luke Allen
• Ariel Campos
• Valerie Huitzil
• Suzy Lee
• Kezia Lopez
• Amy Nielson
• Katie Riser
• Leah Smith
• Kyle Strayer, Civic Engagement Team
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH COLLEGE OF CITY
AND METROPOLITAN PLANNING
Dr. Ivis García, Assistant Professor
Elizabeth Arnold, Westside Studio Teaching Assistant
Katie Bussell
Luke Dubois
Sophie Frankenburg
Molly Gaughran
Anders Hart
Minerva Jimenez-Garcia
Megan Leether
Claudia Loayza
Maddy McDonough
Emily Meadows
C.J. Mecham
Maranda Miller
Lonnie Olson
Hannah Pack
Fabiha Pinaz
Bradley Potter
Damian Rodriguez
Carlos Santos-Rivera
Joseph Shahidi
Delaney Sillman
Ronnie Sloan
Marly Upcavage
Kendall Willardson
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
PROJECT TIMELINE
HOW WE LISTENED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
ENGAGEMENT METHODOLOGY AND OUTREACH APPROACH
SURVEY RESPONDENT MAPS
ENGAGEMENT BY THE NUMBERS
PARTICIPATION FINDINGS
REPRESENTATIVE PARTICIPATION
WHAT WE HEARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
COMMUNITY SURVEY FINDINGS
INTERCEPT INTERVIEW FINDINGS
COMMUNITY FOCUS GROUPS
HOW INPUT WILL BE USED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
COMMUNITY INPUT ON MASTER PLAN ELEMENTS
BIG IDEAS REFINED FROM COMMUNITY INPUT
NEXT STEPS
LIST OF APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
4
INTRODUCTION
Our natural lands,
urban forest and city
parks help shape
and define our city.
Now more than ever
we rely on them for
personal health,
community identity
and civic ideals. It is
time for us to plan
a bright future by
reimagining these
spaces together.
5
PROJECT TIMELINE
Salt Lake City is developing a new
Public Lands Master Plan. As an
important first step, the City called
on all community members to help
reimagine the future of our Public
Lands: the nature in our city that
enhances the quality of our lives. The
Public Lands Master Plan will establish
an inspirational framework to guide how
we grow and prioritize investments for
the next 10-20 years within the three
public lands divisions (Parks, Trails &
Natural Lands, and Urban Forestry). In
acknowledgment of the findings from
the 2019 Salt Lake City Parks and
Public Lands Needs Assessment that
included a statistically valid community
survey, this effort will address current
challenges to improve our public lands
system.
The engagement metrics for the year-
long process are to connect with
10,000 people that are representative
of the city’s demographic makeup.
Given the goals of this master plan, it
has been given the name, “Reimagine
Nature.” Reimagine Nature will use
comprehensive, evidence-based
analysis, coupled with community
engagement, to prioritize and identify
transformative projects for Salt Lake
City’s public lands.
Community engagement for this
process is open during three
engagement windows:
1-Discover: Foundation of
Understanding
2-Reimagine: Visioning Transformational
Projects and Priority Actions
3-Transform: Draft and Final Master Plan.
This report provides a summary of the
first engagement window and how
results will inform window 2.
Figure 1: On the ground stencils to promote website and survey.
WINTER 2020/2021 PHASE I:
DISCOVER:
FOUNDATION OF UNDERSTANDING
SLC PUBLIC LANDS
August 26, 2020
Six-Week Community Engagement
Window #1 Opens
WINTER-SPRING 2021 PHASE II:
REIMAGINE: VISIONING
TRANSFORMATION
Quarter 1-2, 2021:
Community Engagement
Window #2
SPRING-SUMMER 2021 PHASE III:
TRANSFORM: DRAFT AND FINAL
MASTER PLAN
Quarters 2-3 2021
Final Community Engagement
Window #3
6
HOW WE LISTENED
• On-line surveys widely
advertised;
• Pop-up events and intercept
interviews;
• Organizational partnerships
to reach underrepresented
groups; and
• Digital outreach, which
included over 40 social
media posts, a paid
Facebook ad targeting West
Side residents, and an email
opt-in form.
Figure 2: University of Utah Urban Planning Students Conducting Intercept Interviews
The planning team used a multi-pronged
approach to engagement that included:
7
ENGAGEMENT METHODS
In order to create a unifying vision for
Public Lands over the next 10-20 years,
the planning team used a multi-pronged
approach that included on-line surveys, pop-
up events and tactical partnerships to reach
typically underrepresented groups.
The first window of community engagement
launched on August 26, 2020 with an
on-line, six-week survey and closed in
December 2020 with community stakeholder
focus groups. The goal of this window was
to create a foundation for understanding,
share preliminary ideas for feedback and
gather new ideas from the public. Using
COVID-19 protocols, the city’s framework for
equitable engagement best practices and
multiple types of tactics, over 7,000 Salt
Lake City community members participated
in providing input during ice cream and food
truck pop-up events, University of Utah
student-led intercept interviews, trailside
snack activities and virtual connections by
website, email and phone.
SURVEY FORMAT
An on-line survey translated in English and
Spanish consisted of nine content questions
and six demographic questions. Much of the
survey included multiple choice questions
for respondent efficiency and also included
a number of open ended question prompts
for collection of perceptions and ideas. 3,735
responded to the on-line survey, and 91%
of the questions were answered. Intercept
interviews were conducted at 44 different
locations including local parks, trailheads
and businesses. This survey included a few
similar multiple choice questions, but had
more open ended questions to encourage a
dialog and prompt new ideas.
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
A graphic snapshot handout, digital graphic
and poster were provided to inform of the
current state of public lands with data on
key trends around stewardship, equity and
livability.
This section of the report summarizes
who we heard from, what areas of Salt
Lake City responses came from and other
demographic indicators.
ENGAGEMENT METHODOLOGY AND
OUTREACH APPROACH
Figure 2: University of Utah Urban Planning Students Conducting Intercept Interviews
Figure 3: Snapshot poster displaying current facts about Salt Lake City Public Lands
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MURRAY
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MEMORY MEMORY GROVEGROVE
LINDSEY LINDSEY GARDENSGARDENS
11TH AVE 11TH AVE PARKPARK
FOOTHILLS FOOTHILLS NATURAL NATURAL AREAAREA
FOOTHILLS FOOTHILLS NATURAL NATURAL AREAAREA
WARM SPRINGS WARM SPRINGS PARKPARK
WASHINGTON WASHINGTON SQUARESQUARE
HERMAN HERMAN FRANKS FRANKS PARKPARK
SUGARHOUSE SUGARHOUSE PARKPARK
SUNNYSIDE SUNNYSIDE PARKPARK
FAIRMONT FAIRMONT PARKPARK
LIBERTY PARKLIBERTY PARK
CITY CITY CEMETARYCEMETARY
ROTARY GLEN ROTARY GLEN PARKPARK
GLENDALE GLENDALE PARKPARK
JORDAN JORDAN PARKPARK
PIONEER PIONEER PARKPARK
COTTONWOOD COTTONWOOD PARKPARK
GLENDALE GLENDALE GOLF COURSEGOLF COURSE
REGIONAL REGIONAL ATHLETIC ATHLETIC COMPLEXCOMPLEX
ROSE PARK ROSE PARK GOLF COURSEGOLF COURSE
RIVERSIDE RIVERSIDE PARKPARK
ROSEWOOD ROSEWOOD PARKPARK
1700 S RIVER 1700 S RIVER PARKPARK
FOREST FOREST DALE GOLF DALE GOLF COURSECOURSE
BONNEVILLE BONNEVILLE GOLF COURSEGOLF COURSE
NIBLEY GOLF NIBLEY GOLF COURSECOURSE PARLEYS PARLEYS HISTORIC HISTORIC NATURE PARKNATURE PARK
State State DNRDNR
This is The This is The Place Place State ParkState Park US National US National ForestForest
US National US National ForestForest
Bureau of Land Bureau of Land ManagementManagement
US National US National WildernessWilderness
US National US National ForestForest
US National US National ForestForest
US National US National ForestForest
US National US National ForestForest
State Wildlife RefugeState Wildlife Refuge
Kennecott Tailings Kennecott Tailings PondPond
Great Salt Lake Great Salt Lake WetlandsWetlands
Great Salt Lake Great Salt Lake
State Sovereign LandsState Sovereign Lands
US National US National ForestForest
snapshot For more information,
and to be involved with the
SLC Public Lands Master Plan, visit:REIMAGINENATURESLC.COM
70.7 Miles of Existing Trails
129.4
Miles of Proposed Trails
6423
Acres Foothills Natural
Area Collaborative
Management Zone
1694
Acres Natural Lands
86,500
Urban Forest Trees
3 Special Event 15 Community and 2 Regional Parks
42 Mini Parks 19 Neighborhood Parks
108 Holes of City Public Golf
121 Acre City Cemetery
1 Regional Athletic Complex (16 Outdoor Sports Fields)
Walking, jogging and hiking are top activities in natural lands like the Fife Wetland Preserve and the 6,423-acres of Foothills Natural Area, canyons and foothills bordering the northern and eastern limits of SLC. More than 70 miles of off-street trails connect residents to parks
and natural lands.
The urban forest’s street trees are one of the
most accessible forms of nature, extending into
every neighborhood and business district in the
city, resulting in a literal canopy of shade, beauty,
socioeconomic, environment and health benefits.
Most residents live within a half mile or 10-minute walk to a local park, and that’s important to 97% of people polled. 75% of residents who live on the east side visit parks at least once a month, while 60% of west-
siders visit parks once a month. Established in
1881 to be SLC’s “Central Park,” historic Liberty
Park is the most visited park in the system.
Our natural lands, urban forest and city parks help shape and define our city.
Salt Lake City Public Lands is creating a master
plan with an ambitious, community-driven vision
for the evolution of our public spaces over
the next 20 years. Based on the 2019 Needs
Assessment, the plan will identify specific,
meaningful projects and initiatives that align with Public Lands values of STEWARDSHIP,
LIVABILITY AND EQUITY.
As appreciation for these places has increased
since COVID-19, now more than ever, public
lands contribute to our personal health,
community identity and civic ideals. It is time for
us to plan for a bright future by reimagining
these spaces together.
For more information visit:REIMAGINENATURESLC.COM
By 2050 our temps could rise10° leading to poorer air quality.
“There is a real opportunity - to address parks
and natural lands as essential elements for
better air quality, climate change mitigation,
energy efficiency, and environmental justice.
Parks can help improve the health of the city.”
2019 SLC Parks and Public Lands Needs Assessment
EQUITY livability STEWARDSHIP
$85,000
per year to clean up nuisance graffiti.
are anticipated to move to SLC by 2040 which will require an
additional park space roughly equivalent to Liberty Park.
SLC IS HOME TO OVER 196,000 people who speak 80 languagesrepresenting a broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds and cultural heritages.
45% of metro area renters are cost burdened.
The master plan includes
community engagement windows.
The 2019 Needs Assessment will help identify priority areas.Accessibility gaps and trail gaps still exist in all SLC planning areas, and east-west connections across the city are limited.
Salt Lake City’s proposed trails, including expansion of the 9-line Trail, will add another 129.4 miles to the system, the equivalent of adding another Jordan River Parkway (the longest paved urban trail in the US).
SLC public lands have opportunity to increase biodiversityby adding more natural habitat like recent efforts at Fairmont Park Pond and the Fife Wetland Preserve.
86%
snapshot
What Values Guide the Plan?Three values guide how we can Reimagine Nature together to increase biodiversity (the richness of different kinds of plants and animals in our public lands) while finding new ways to connect people to green spaces.
Equity, or including diverse voices in the master plan process and priorities, aligns as a citywide value emerging from the roundtable discussion on “Geographic Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging.” We are committed to listening to the realities and perceptions of access to public lands from all sides of Salt Lake City to help guide next steps for a more equitable future.
Livability, or maintaining SLC’s quality of outdoor life, inspires us to provide more services to residents as the city grows. How can we collectively identify outside-the-box opportunities to use our city’s parks, golf courses, school yards, natural areas and streetscapes to increase public access to nature, trails, sports fields, and public gathering places?
Stewardship, or taking care of what we have, is investing in the renewal of our existing city parks, urban forest, natural areas and trails. Stewardship inspires us to preserve habitat so plants and wildlife can thrive and be resilient to impacts of climate change like rising temperatures. Potential actions could be planting 300 new trees in city golf courses or adding butterfly gardens to city parks.
Income barriers can limit the amount of leisure time and transportation options people have to enjoy public lands.
of SLC population is made up of diverse people who identify themselves as Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanic, Latino, Asian or Pacific Islander.
3 200
community groups have been invited to participate in this process.
30,000+
of public lands assets are in fair to poor condition.
of SLC residents who responded to the 2017 Needs Assessment prioritize investments to improve existing parks, trails and natural areas.
35%
Nearly 17% of the population is projected to be 65 or older by 2045.
City Golf courses maintain over 1,000 acres of open space. As the city grows, how can golf grow as a community partner, serving more of the city population?
Over the last 20 years SLC’s urban forests have been in decline.
63%
Our 86,500 trees, including 7,000 trees in city golf courses, provide a cooling of summer temps by 6°
SLC urban forest hosts 260 species of trees that support biodiversity and improve air quality.
94 ACRES
>50%
of all global species are at risk of extinction leading to rapid biodiversity loss.
Activating underutilized spaces with activities such as outdoor education, guided nature walks, wildflowers and birding would increase park service as the city grows.
EW
Sources: Salt Lake City Public Lands Division, 2019 Salt Lake City Parks & Public Lands Needs Assessment, American Community Survey 2014-2018, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, "Understanding Climate Change from a Global Analysis of City Analogues" by Thomas Crowther et. al.,
"Promoting and Preserving Biodiversity in the Urban Forest" by Alexis A. Alvey, "Utah Forest Facts: Trees and Climate Change" by Megan Dettenmaier et. al., "Salt Lake City Confronts Its Growing Pains" by Trevor Bach.
For more information,
and to be involved with the
SLC Public Lands Master Plan, visit:REIMAGINENATURESLC.COM
8
SURVEY RESPONDENTS REACHED
SLC RESIDENTS BY ZIP CODE
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84104841048411984119841158411584111841118410184101 8410284102 84105841058411284112841088410884106841068410984109ZIP CODE
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University OF Utah CITY & METROPOLITAN PLANNING STUDENT INTERVIEWS
635 236PARKSPARKSNATURAL NATURAL
AREASAREAS
OTHER OTHER
LOCATIONSLOCATIONS # SURVEY RESPONDENTS
# ORGANIZATIONS & ESTABLISHMENTS REACHED
STUDENT INTERCEPT INTERVIEW LOCATIONS
10
ENGAGEMENT BY THE NUMBERS
Figure 4: The table above provides a snapshot of total engagement events and number of participants.
Figure 5: Trailside snack bike trailer.
Figure 6: Ice cream social distancing interviews.
SURVEYS 4,455
PUBLIC SURVEY 3,735
CITY STAFF SURVEY 85
INTERCEPT SURVEYS 635
POPUP EVENTS 2,320
ICE CREAM SOCIAL DISTANCING
TRAILSIDE SNACKS
TRAIL INTERCEPTS
MICRO-ENGAGEMENT EVENTS
FOCUS GROUPS 47
17 COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS 260
COMMUNITY COUNCILS
BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
ENGAGEMENT WITH OVER 200+ COMMUNITY
STAKEHOLDERS
11
PARTICIPATION FINDINGS
The two surveys conducted gathered
feedback from a wide range of the
community. The on-line public survey
reached 3,735 people while the student
intercept interview survey reached 635
people at 44 different locations. The on-line
survey reached the most people living in
the Capitol Hill, Avenues and East Liberty
Park neighborhoods, followed by the Sugar
House, Northwest, Eastern Central City, and
East Bench neighborhoods. The intercept
interviews gathered feedback from different
geographic areas than the on-line survey,
gathering the most feedback from Sugar
House, followed by the West Salt Lake/
Glendale neighborhoods and the Central
City neighborhood.
The surveys captured input from different
demographics. To track if the representation
of responses equitably reflected the
Salt Lake City community, the planning
team compared the on-line public survey
demographics to that of Salt Lake City.
While the on-line survey did reach a variety
of people, respondents were 80% white, a
number greater than the City’s demographic
composition which is only 73.1% white. To
help boost input from people of color,
University of Utah students conducted
intercept interviews throughout Salt Lake
City and Public Lands staff lead focus groups
with stakeholder organizations who provide
services to underrepresented populations.
The intercept interviews were successful
at reaching a diverse audience that is
more representative of the community’s
population. Figure 7 shows the percentage
of respondents by race/ethnicity for each
survey. Intercept interviews also reached
more female respondents, younger
respondents, and more lower income
representation than the on-line survey.
12
REPRESENTATIVE PARTICIPATION
SURVEY DEMOGRAPHICS
ASIAN
AMERICAN INDIAN
BLACK / AFRICAN
AMERICAN
HISPANIC / LATINO
NATIVE HAWAIIAN /
PACIFIC ISLANDER
WHITE
OTHER
PREFER NOT TO SAY
3.7%
1.3%
5.5%
14.9%
2.9%
1.5% 5.4%
0.3% 1.4%
0.5% 2.3%
4.0% 21.6%
0.3% 1.5%
65.4%
2.9%
2.4%
80.0% 73.1%
1.2% 3.4%
4.0%
INTERCEPT SURVEY SALT LAKE CITY DEMOGRAPHICS PUBLIC SURVEY
Figure 7: To track if the representation of responses equitably reflected the Salt Lake City community, the planning team compared the public survey demographics to that of Salt Lake City. To help boost input from people of color, University of Utah students conducted intercept interviews throughout Salt Lake City and Public Lands staff lead focus groups with stakeholder organizations who provide services to underrepresented populations.
FINDINGS
Salt Lake City’s population is 200,591
With a 2% margin of error and 95%
confidence level, the survey sample size is
representative to the population
(N= 3,000)
13
WHAT WE HEARD
This section provides a summary of the input received
from engagement opportunities in this order:
1. Community Survey
2. Intercept Interviews
3. Community Focus Groups
4. SLC Staff Survey
14
PARK/TRAIL USE HAS INCREASED
FREQUENCY OF USE THIS YEAR (2020) compared to previous years
16% 15%
41% 43%
43% 41%
PARKS USE
SAME SAME
INCREASE INCREASE
DECREASE DECREASE
TRAILS USE
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line / 3735 total respondents)
15
INCREASE
Q - Which of
these is easy for
you to access
from your
home?
(Select all that
apply)
82-83% of respondents feel they can easily access a park, while over half feel
that spaces with abundant tress, bike paths and trails are near home. 46-52% of
respondents feel they can access a natural area. Golf courses and recreational
centers were not viewed as accessible to most respondent’s homes.
OTHER OUTDOOR or RECREATIONAL CENTER
NONE of the ABOVE
31%
3%
CITY GOLF COURSE 38%22%
A STREET or PUBLIC SPACE with abundant TREES
NATURAL AREA or NATURAL OPEN SPACE
COMMUTER or RECREATIONAL BIKE PATH
60%59%
60%
52%46%
RECREATIONAL TRAIL
62%
A CITY PARK
PUBLIC SURVEY INTERCEPT SURVEY
83%82%
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
SLC HAS ACCESSIBLE PARKS/TRAILS
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line / 3735 total respondents)
Source: 2020 Intercept Survey (in person / 635 total respondents)
16
DIRECT ACTIONS
• Create wildflower meadows
• Incorporate more native, waterwise plants in landscaping
• Plant more trees
• Expand public access points to trails
• Add or renovate aged restrooms, playgrounds and other amenities
$FUNDING
• Acquire additional natural areas
• Acquire lands adjacent to water
• Invest in increased maintenance
• Improve the City’s donation process
• Develop adoption programs
DAILY PRACTICES
• Support active modes of transportation
• Expand collaboration with non-profit organizations
• Host education events
• Improve capacity to respond to environmental emergencies
• Create a Biodiversity Advisory Committee
TOP STEWARDSHIP ACTIONS
Q - What stewardship
actions would be most
impactful to public
lands over the next
10-20 years?
(Select all that apply)
Biodiversity, the environment, trails & maintaining
existing amenities were themes that emerged among
survey respondents. The most chosen actions are
highlighted below. Source: 2020 Community Survey
(on-line / 3735 total respondents)
17
Respondents were asked to select all
that apply to the question “Thinking
long-term over the next 10-20 years,
what stewardship actions do you think
would be most impactful to the public
lands that include city parks, urban
forests, natural areas and trails?” A list
of options followed that was divided
into three categories: direct actions,
funding, and daily practices.
Direct actions that support greater
biodiversity and a healthy environment
were the most selected. These actions
included creating wildflower meadows
and pollinator gardens, incorporating
Figure 8: Student intercept surveys captured input from 635 members of the community.
DIRECT STEWARDSHIP
ACTIONS
%
SELECTED
Create wildflower meadows
for bees and other pollinators
in parks, streets, the cemetery,
and golf courses.
69%
Incorporate more native,
waterwise plants in
landscaping.
64%
Plant more trees in parks and
natural areas
63%
Maintain natural-surface trails
and improve or expand public
access points
57%
Add or renovate aged
restrooms, playgrounds and
other amenities
50%
Increase enforcement of
activities that degrade
natural resources including
inappropriate recreation use,
predation from cats, exposure
to pesticides or other toxins,
light and noise pollution.
50%
Add and service more bins.47%
Increase the frequency of litter
clean-up
37%
Install better signage in parks,
trails and natural areas for
wayfinding and interpretation
29%
Other ideas for direct action.11%
more native and waterwise plants, and
planting more trees.
Taking care of existing amenities and
infrastructure was the next theme that
emerged. Maintaining trails, renovating
playgrounds and restrooms, preventing
degrading activity and adding more
waste bins were the next most selected
actions.
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line /
3735 total respondents)
18
Additional ideas/themes from respondents for the
stewardship of public lands included....
STEWARDSHIP IDEAS
“I would volunteer to clean up parks,
paint bathrooms,
help with trash and waste disposal I
would also donate
money to groups that contribute to
stewardship of the
parks.”
“To clean up
our air we
should invest in
advertising and
incentives to get
people to bike to
work or use public
transportation.”
“Work with
school districts
on biodiversity
education and
curriculum
including hands
on projects to
give our youngest
citizenry a sense
of ownership.” “Encourage
non-motorized
visitation. Supply
and timely service
waste receptacles.
Landscape with
broad ecological
goals, e.g. not just
trees but flower
and open areas
that support birds
and bees.”
“More recycling
options.”
“Enlist public
help by holding
trail days and
events to help
maintain public
amenities.”
“Host educational
events to build
land ethics.”
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line / 3735 total respondents)
19
DAILY PRACTICES
CHOICES STEWARDSHIP
%
SELECTED
Support active modes of
transportation to reduce
carbon footprint (e.g.,
walking, biking)
71%
Expand collaborations
with non-profits, schools,
community centers,
and others to enhance
education and stewardship
opportunities.
67%
Host educational events to
build land ethics.
44%
Work with City departments
to improve capacity and
resources to respond to
oil spills, wildfire and other
environmental emergencies.
42%
Support “Friends of the
Parks” groups.
40%
Create a Biodiversity
Advisory Committee
composed of public
members, technical experts,
and staff to guide biodiversity
conservation efforts.
40%
Develop ranger/ambassador
programs
37%
Other Ideas to Encourage
Daily Practices
4%
Funding choices also supported the
environment with respondents choosing
options to increase habitat blocks and
corridors and support riparian health. 54% of
respondents chose to fund trail maintenance,
supporting the choice action of maintaining
trails. Half of respondents also support
improving donation processes for public
lands.
The top selected daily practice for
stewardship was to support active modes of
transportation. This was the most selected
answer among all stewardship options, with
71% support. This confirms support for the
trail system as well as methods for reducing
carbon footprints.
Expanding collaborations with schools
and organizations to provide stewardship
opportunities, as well as hosting education
events to build land ethics were the next
top-selected daily practices at 67% and
44%. This indicates a desire for programming
as well as volunteer opportunities and
community-led efforts.
FUNDING CHOICES
STEWARDSHIP
%
SELECTED
Acquire additional natural
areas to increase size of
existing habitat blocks or
connect wildlife corridors
65%
Acquire lands adjacent to
water course to support
riparian health and reduce
flooding risks
55%
Invest in increased
maintenance for trails and
trail corridors
54%
Invest in increased
maintenance for priority
parks and natural areas
53%
Improve the City’s donation
process and actively solicit
private donations to support
stewardship.
50%
Add more staff to care for
trees
33%
Hire a Stewardship
Coordinator.
29%
Other Ideas for Funding.7%
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line /
3735 total respondents)
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line /
3735 total respondents)
20
Q - What do
you think would
most benefit the
livability of Salt
Lake City and
encourage you to
get outside more
often?
(Pick your top 2)
TOP LIVABILITY ACTIONS
A thriving urban forest, improving networks for active
transportation and investing in neighborhood public
lands were seen as the top actions that would improve
livability in SLC.
• Grow our urban forests
• Improve the sidewalk and trail network in order to travel by bike and foot to public lands and everyday destinations like work and school
• Invest in neighborhood public lands and amenities that encourage everyday use
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line / 3735 total respondents)46%
44%
42%
21
Respondents were asked to select their
top two choices for the question, “Which of
the following system-wide approaches do
you think would most benefit the livability
(or quality of life) of Salt Lake City and
encourage you to get outside more often?”
The top selections for livability mirrored
themes from the top selections for
stewardship. These choices also supported
environmental health, trails and active
transportation, and investing in places close
to home. Twice as many people felt investing
in neighborhood parks that encourage
everyday use was important for livability
than the regional public lands that are
destinations.
Growing the urban forest to provide shade,
clean water and air was the top selection
at 46%. This was followed by improving
the sidewalk and trail network, selected
by 44% of respondents, and investing in
neighborhood public lands and amenities, at
42%.
Livability choices for improving biodiversity,
investing in regional destinations and finding
unique urban spaces to utilize for nature
and recreation were only selected by under
20% of respondents. This result conflicts
with the previous survey results as these
options would support the other top choices.
This may point to a disconnect between
perceptions of how livability is achieved.
Figure 9: Student intercept survey taken at the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.
LIVABILITY CHOICES %
SELECTED
Grow our urban forests to
help provide shade, clean
water and air for our city
and neighborhoods.
46%
Improve the sidewalk and
trail network in order to
travel by bike and foot to
public lands and everyday
destinations like work and
school.
44%
Invest in neighborhood
public lands and amenities
that encourage everyday
use.
42%
Focus on improving
environmental health and
biodiversity (the richness of
different kinds of plants and
animals in our public lands).
19%
Invest in regional public
lands and amenities that
create unique destinations.
18%
Find outside-the-box
opportunities to use our
city’s parks, golf courses,
school yards, natural
areas and streetscapes to
increase public access to
nature, trails,sports fields,
and public gathering places.
16%
Other ideas to benefit
livability.
4%
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line /
3735 total respondents)
22
“People are desperate
to reconnect with
nature, so a focus
on encouraging
wildlife (especially
natives) should be
extremely important
to SLC.”
“Substantially
improve tree cover
in neighborhoods,
parks and natural
areas by 50% to
compensate for
human impacts.”
“Add neighborhood
opportunities
to spend time in
water. Salt Lake
City is getting
hotter summers
and one of the
key missing public
land opportunities
for residents is
access to water
for recreational
opportunities.”“More trails
closer to home
so I and my
neighbors don’t
have to drive
to other places
(Millcreek, Draper,
Herriman, etc.)
for trail running
and riding
opportunities.”
“More bike
paths.”
“work with
schools and
young people to
come up with ideas
about livability
and climate
change.”
“Expand
community
gardens.”
LIVABILITY IDEAS
Additional ideas/themes from respondents for the
livability of public lands included....
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line / 3735 total respondents)
23
TOP EQUITY THEMES
Respondents were asked to provide a
written answer to the question, “When
you imagine our public lands 10-20 years
from now, what changes can we make to
our public lands system to help serve and
include all people more equably?”
Top themes from the community survey
open ended responses around equity
included:
• Providing education, activities and
programs
• Empowering the community
• Equitable investment in existing and new
Public Lands amenities
The intercept interviews and focus groups
took a deeper dive into equity related to
public lands. The University of Utah students
highlighted the following takeaways from
these conversations:
• Invest In Neighborhood Parks
• Cultivate Cultural Representation
• Assess West Side vs. East Side Quality
• Connect Green Spaces And Support
Active Transportation
• Promote The Ranger Program
Figure 10: Murals in Salt Lake City.
24
“Sidewalks
that are truly
accessible for all
people.”
“Provide access to trails via walking, biking and public transportation.
increase public transportation services while decreasing the amount of parking lots and spaces that could instead be used as green spaces/urban gardens.”
“Rethink and
restructure our
natural areas
to include the contributions,
land
acknowledgments,
and better systems
of care of the
land by indigenous people.”
“Reach out and
listen. Specific
place-based
responses for acts
of restoration,
maintenance, and
development.”
“Recruit stewards,
rangers/
ambassadors,
and volunteers
from minority
communities near
the public lands.”
EQUITY IDEAS
Additional ideas/themes from respondents to increase
equity related to public lands included....
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line / 3735 total respondents)
Q - When you imagine our
public lands 10-20 years
from now, what changes
can we make to our public
lands system to help serve
and include all people more
equably?
(Write in response)
25
“Have signs
displayed in 2-3
languages.”
“Move beyond
ADA baseline
requirements
& really focus
on accessibility
like Liberty
Park Rotary
playground.”
“Add more parks and trees
to areas west of I-15 and
connect those to the
parks in the eastern side
of SLC through footpaths
and bike paths. Hire more
BIPOC to work for the
public lands system at
all levels. Partner with
schools and communities
of color to encourage
use of parks and trails
in our public lands.
Reduce the amount of
land dedicated to golf
courses.”
“Increased accessibility
for all members of
society, along with
native fauna that
calls the space home.
So more bike paths,
ramps for wheelchairs,
inclusive non-gendered
bathrooms. For the
wild life, creating
more pockets of space
not meant for human
traffic or usage, and
planting more native
plants essential to their
natural habitats.”
“A fully integrated
trail system
through the city
so that folks
can access trails
regardless of
where they are.”
“Adjust plans to the
diverse needs of
the neighborhoods.
The people near the
foothills might desire a
different approach than
people living in the west
side of the city. I think
all areas would like
great parks, natural
open space and better
connectivity.”
EQUITY IDEAS
Additional ideas/themes from respondents to increase
equity related to public lands included....
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line / 3735 total respondents)
26
PRIORITIZE
RESILIENT
EMPOWER
OTHER
WELCOME
EQUITY
CONNECT
FUND
GROW
PROTECT
10 YEAR GOALS - WORD ASSOCIATION
30%
17%
16%
5%
31%
31%
43%
45%
57%
76%
“Protect” could point to goals such as protecting the
environment & open space or enhancing safety, while
“grow” aligns with a growing city and population, or
the need to grow natural amenities such as Salt Lake’s
urban forest.
GOALS TO PROTECT, GROW & FUND
Q - Which words
sums up what you
think should be
big 10-year goals
of Salt Lake City
Public Lands?
(Select all that apply)
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line / 3735 total respondents)
27
Figure 11: Community feedback at a pop up event in Liberty Park. Respondents were asked to select all that apply to the question, “Which words sums up what you think should be big 10-year goals of Salt Lake City Public Lands?”
28
RANGER AMBASSADOR PROGRAM 23%
TRANSFORM PIONEER PARK 23%
EQUITY MAPPING TOOL 41%
REIMAGINE URBAN GREENSPACES 43%
REIMAGINE MINI/NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS 49%
TRAILS - MOUNTAINS TO THE LAKE 54%
EMERALD RIBBON 58%
Regional connectivity was an important theme that
emerged, with over 50% of respondents choosing big
ideas that increase regional trail networks. Reimagining
neighborhood and urban greenspaces were next on the
list of priorities.
Q - Please
select any of
the potential
big ideas listed
below that excite
you or share
your own idea.
(Select all that apply)
OTHER 6%
BIG IDEAS
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line / 3735 total respondents)
An initial list of projects were suggested
in this question to encourage big thinking.
Many of the projects like the Emerald
Ribbon Jordan River Parkway and Pioneer
Park changes, were older ideas already
underway but require a great deal more
investment and partnerships to see them
completed. Others on the list were ideas
that have been shared in the past or city
staff have identified as a gap in current
approaches, such as an equity mapping tool
and neighborhood park design. However,
encouraging participants to suggest their
own ideas was emphasized. This question
received 216 write-in responses and
additional open ended questions solicited
responses important to this question.
The projects that received the highest level
of support were those that covered the
largest geographic area: the Emerald Ribbon
along the Jordan River Parkway, Trails from
the Mountains to the Lake and Reimagining
Neighborhood Parks. Pioneer Park and a
Ranger Ambassador Program may have
received the least amount of support
because of their limited area of impact.
BIG IDEAS %
SELECTED
Build Salt Lake’s Emerald
Ribbon: Turn the Jordan River
Parkway into the City’s most
active recreation destination
space, by investing in
tree canopy, grounds
maintenance, a recreational
paddle trail, and park
development, renewal and
expansion from the former
Seven Peaks Waterpark at
the southern boundary to the
Regional Athletic Complex on
the north end.
58%
Trails from the Mountains to
the Lake: Extend the City’s
growing multi-use and natural
surface trail network to
connect regional recreation
destinations, extending west
to the Great Salt Lake Marina
and east to the Wasatch
Crest Trail with the 9Line/
Transvalley Corridor as the
backbone.
54%
BIG IDEAS %
SELECTED
Reimagine Salt Lake City’s
mini and neighborhood
parks: Small parks evolve to
reflect neighborhood identity,
provide quality amenities
and experiences that reflect
unique community desires,
and provide better options
for recreation, respite and
community gathering in
neighborhood parks.
49%
Reimagine how our citywide
Urban Green Spaces can
accommodate more public
access, provide diverse
recreation opportunities,
grow food, provide nature.
43%
Create a citywide Equity
Mapping Tool that identifies
areas of the city that do not
have as much access to
urban forests, natural areas
and city parks. Use this tool
to help prioritize areas for
investment in public lands.
41%
Transform Pioneer Park into
the city’s most dynamic,
programmed, and desirable
public space, transforming
it into both a neighborhood
destination, and a regional
amenity for events and
gatherings.
23%
30
“I’d love to see
public green space
more integrated with
shopping, restaurants,
and housing. It would
be really cool to have
restaurants overlooking
the parks.”
“create a diverse
array of models
for opportunities
for residents and
visitors to engage
in agricultural
practices, from
the established
traditional “one
plot per person/
household
community garden” to more community
cooperative models.”
“Create
biodiversity
hotspots in our
parks. Improve
native planting.
Do more nature
programming with
signage.”
“We need a park at
the Fleet Block. We do
not have enough parks
downtown and this
neighborhood is rapidly
densifying.”
Additional ideas/themes from respondents for big ideas included...
“Focus on”creating spaces” in our city
parks. Develop community gathering
spaces such as cafes, wine bars, places to
host events. Example is the Sizzler pad
in sugarhouse park. This could be turned
into a park cafe with large outdoor
grassy eating space.”
ADDITIONAL BIG IDEAS
BIG IDEAS %
SELECTED
Implement a citywide
Ranger-Ambassador program
in the City’s parks, natural
areas and open spaces that
focuses equally on resource
protection and enriching the
experience for public land
visitors.
23%
Other ideas for
transformational projects
6%
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line / 3735 total respondents)
31
“Include in small
community natural
spaces support
and resources
for certain
citizen science,
conservation, or
other projects, like
a monarch patch,
wildlife monitoring,
or community food
bank garden. Make it
accessible to all.”
Additional ideas/themes from respondents for big ideas included...
“Increase the
urban fishery
options in Salt
Lake City.”
“More natural
wildlife areas
without paved
trails. A NY Central
Park size park on
the West side of the
valley.”
“Uncover and
restore the buried
and impaired
creeks in the Salt
Lake Valley.”
“Outdoor
classroom and park
access for every
SLC SD school. All
students should
be able to access
nature as part of
their school day.
SLC should hire a
person to lead this
charge and work
directly with SLCSD.“
“Add new areas for
growing sports such
as disc golf. These
have grown as a
side effect of COVID
and are seeing a lot
more use.”
“Build a Climbing
Park.”
ADDITIONAL BIG IDEAS
Source: 2020 Community Survey (on-line / 3735 total respondents)
32
INTERCEPT INTERVIEW SURVEY
Intercept Survey respondents were
interviewed at 44 different locations and
were asked eight free response questions,
seven multiple choice questions, and seven
demographic questions. Common themes
emerged from the free response questions
which are summed up below.
Question: “Thinking long-term over the next
10-20 years, what stewardship actions do
you think would be most impactful to public
lands that include city parks, urban forests,
natural areas and trails?”
Themes in the responses included
renovating restrooms, trail maintenance,
supporting active transportation, planting
trees, adding waste bins, planting native,
water-wise and pollinator gardens, providing
volunteer opportunities, providing cultural
and educational events, promoting safety
through a ranger ambassador program,
acquiring additional natural lands, and
supporting friends of the parks groups.
Question: “Are there ways you can imagine
yourself contributing to the stewardship of
public lands?”
The most common responses included
providing volunteer opportunities such as
trash clean-up days, tree planting days, and
community trail maintenance. Youth groups
were mentioned as organizations that would
especially benefit from service-oriented
activities. Some respondents were also
willing to donate money to fund Public Lands
or get involved by participating in public
meetings related to Public Land’s issues.
Question: “Do you avoid, not enjoy, or feel
uncomfortable in any city parks?”
Themes in the responses indicated that
people often do not feel safe in some parks
due to homeless encampments, drug use,
and a lack of lighting.
Question: “When you imagine our public
lands 10-20 years from now, what changes
can we make to our public lands system
to help serve and include all people more
equably?”
Responses included themes such as having
better ADA access, improving the quality
of park on the west side, services for the
homeless population, and improved access
to parks such as free public transportation.
Question: “Which 3 words sum up what you
think should be big 10-year goals of Salt
Lake City Public Lands?”
Common words used included safety,
sustainable, verde, variety, trees, accessible,
conservation, equity, community, clean, fun,
protect, renovate, events, open, connected,
inclusive, growth, education,
Question: “What would make this place
(park, trail, natural areas, golf course)
better?”
Themes in the responses included adding
amenities such as lights, water fountains,
restrooms, trails in the parks, trees, art,
flowers, dog-friendly facilities, trash cans,
signage in multiple languages, access to
water and food trucks.
Question: “What else should be considered
in developing the Public Lands Master Plan
for natural areas, urban forests and parks?”
Common responses included a mixture
of responses from previous questions
including recommending new amenities,
one-word statements such as “equity”
and “cleanliness” and recommending
new activities, events and volunteer
opportunities.
33
LIVABILITY CHOICES %
SELECTED
Invest in neighborhood
public lands and amenities
that encourage everyday
use.
63%
Improve the sidewalk and
trail network for travel by
bike and foot
54%
Focus on improving
environmental health and
biodiversity (the richness of
different kinds of plants and
animals in our public lands).
42%
Invest in regional public
lands and amenities that
create unique destinations.
35%TRANSPORTATION
TO PUBLIC LANDS
CHOICES
%
SELECTED
Car/Carpool 64%
Walk 22%
Bike/Skateboard/Scooter 9%
Other 2%
BARRIERS TO PUBLIC
LANDS CHOICES
%
SELECTED
N/A 45%
Places are too crowded 25%
Safety or security concerns 22%
Not accessible to those
with disabilities, health or
mobility challenges.
5%
PUBLIC LANDS
IMPORTANCE CHOICES
%
SELECTED
Extremely Important 85%
Somewhat Important 12%
Indifferent 2%
Unimportant .03%
Responses to multiple choice questions
in the Intercept Interview reflected that
public lands are extremely important to
the community. Almost half of respondents
did not perceive that there were barriers
preventing them from accessing public
lands. One interesting observation is that
64% of respondents traveled to the park or
trailhead location by car, however over half
of the respondents thought that improving
the sidewalk and trail network for travel by
bike and foot would improve the livability of
Salt Lake City. Responses to multiple choice
questions from the Intercept Interview
Survey are displayed in the following tables.
Question: Which of the following system-
wide approaches do you think would most
benefit the livability (or quality of life) of Salt
Lake City and encourage you to get out
more often? (Select all that apply).
Question: How did you get here today?
(Choose 1).
Are Salt Lake City parks, trails, natural areas,
or golf courses important to you? (Choose 1).
What prevents you or your household
from spending more time in these outdoor
places? (Select all that apply).
Source: 2020 Intercept Survey
(in person / 635 total respondents)
34
FOCUS GROUP FEEDBACK
Additional ideas and collaborative ideas from focus
group stakeholders included...
Source: 2020 Focus Groups (virtual meetings / 39 community organizations and 12 City departments)
“Save Our Canyons is definitely concerned
about the impacts and over-capacity of use in the Wasatch mountains
and canyons. We’re supportive and definitely interested
in being involved with the mountains to lake concept.”
- save our canyons
on utilizing golf
courses: ”Maybe do
a planting of some
native species, you
know, the little copses
of oaks and maples
and box elders that
exist in that Golf
Course are really
needed and actually
harbor quite a bit of
wildlife.”
- trails utah
“Increase accessibility
through maps, way
finding, etc. Create
business partnerships
along the Jordan
River Trail to support
activities and events
near it. Highlight nearby
neighborhoods and
work on placemaking.”
- Sugar Space
A series of focus groups were
held to gain insight into
stakeholder’s shared goals
that could inform the Master
Plan. Over 39 community
organizations and 12 City
departments participated in
the focus group sessions.
Groups were asked to
identify synergies and areas
of coordination needed to
implement the emerging big
ideas and actions of the Master
Plan. Stakeholders were also
asked to identify ways to
increase equity in our parks,
urban forests, and natural
areas and trails.
“Add more
connections through
neighborhoods and
business districts”
- slc economic
development
35
FOCUS GROUP FEEDBACK
Additional ideas and collaborative ideas from focus
group stakeholders included...
Source: 2020 Focus Groups (virtual meetings / 39 community organizations and 12 City departments)
“We have a
responsibility
in taking care
of water that
reaches the lake
and connecting
people to the lake.
Water flowing
underneath our
feet doesn’t go
away. Telling
stories and
connecting
culture is
powerful to show
the diversity of
humans and the
environment.”
- westminster
college
“Volunteerism
can be a great
opportunity to
help people with
disabilities get out
of the house.”
-utah
downsyndrome
foundation
“Parks designed
for people
with different
abilities are
not necessarily
less fun for
those without
disabilities. Trails
may be set up
for an upright
bike, but are they
usable for people
who use trikes
or other types of
bikes? Accessible
routes to parks
are needed.”
- wasatch
adaptive sports
“Trees are a huge
issue. the west
side lost a lot of
large, old trees
during the wind
storm. Increasing
trees in Rose Park
and Glendale .”
-westview media
36
“make spaces safe
for all residents,
including those who
are unhoused.”
- slc housing
& neighborhood
development
“Access is awesome and
we want people to get
out into these spaces,
but having humans in
these areas can impact
what the habitat looks
like, so just balancing
those needs and being
able to protect land
in certain ways for
wildlife is something
to think about. ”
- tracy aviary
“I think really
thinking about
opportunities
to hire local community
residents to do
this planning, to
do programming
and really invest
in the people who can make this,
those who can
come and bring a
voice to that”
- mestizo institute
“regarding The Glenville
aka Grove area, for me
it’s important to be able
to provide opportunities
for our youth here. To
feel safe to go to these
parks and to see these
parks. What a great
place to hang out and
what a great place for
us as adults to provide
mentorship.”
- ichamps
“I would love to see
more emphasis on urban
agriculture. Community
gardens are a great way
to take advantage of
smaller properties.”
- wasatch community
gardens
FOCUS GROUP FEEDBACK
Additional ideas and collaborative ideas from focus
group stakeholders included...
Source: 2020 Focus Groups (virtual meetings / 39 community organizations and 12 City departments)
37
HOW INPUT WILL BE USED
This section presents how the
master plan has been refined
with community and stakeholder
input. Also captured, is a
working list of big ideas and top
impactful actions that will inform
the vision plan implementation.
Engagement window #2 is
focused on verifying these
refined ideas with the public.
Building on the success of the
inclusive tactics in window 1,
tactics will include collaboration
with University of Utah and
community groups.
38
COMMUNITY INPUT ON MASTER PLAN ELEMENTS
39
BIG IDEAS REFINED FROM COMMUNITY INPUT (AS OF 2/29/2021)
1. JUST FIVE MINUTES FROM HERE
2. FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE LAKE
3. NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS REIMAGINED
4. COMING SOON TO A PARK NEAR YOU
5. SLC’S EMERALD RIBBON
6. TELLING OUR STORIES AND OUR HERITAGE
7. A DIVERSE AND HEALTHY URBAN GREEN SPACE
NETWORK: GREEN LOOP, PIONEER PARK, FLEET
BLOCK
8. PROMOTE OUR URBAN FOREST
9. CONNECTING TO ALL OUR GREEN SPACE ASSETS
10. BIODIVERSITY HOT SPOT
40
NEXT STEPS:
• Continue to refine vision for 10 big ideas with community
stakeholders and staff.
• Draft strategies and actions to support goals and 10 big
ideas.
• Explore prioritization methods using value lenses of
equity, livability and stewardship.
• Synthesize this work and test with the public to lead to a
draft master plan.
41
APPENDICES
A. SLC Public Lands Current State
Snapshot
B. 2020 Reimagine Nature Community
Survey Instrument
C. Advertisement Methods
D. University of Utah Student Report
Appendices available upon request by emailing Nancy Monteith:
nancy.monteith@slcgov.com
ENGAGEMENT WINDOW #2
SUMMARY REPORT
MAY 2021
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PUBLIC LANDS TEAM
• Kristin Riker, Public Services Deputy
Director, Public Lands
• Nancy Monteith, Project Manager
• Lee Bollwinkel, Parks Division Director
• Lewis Kogan, Trails and Natural Lands
Division Director
• Tony Gliot, Urban Forestry Division
Director
• Matt Kammeyer, Golf Division Director
• Luke Allen
• Amy Nielson
• Katie Riser
• Leah Smith
• Kyle Strayer, Civic Engagement Team
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH COLLEGE
OF CITY AND METROPOLITAN
PLANNING
Dr. Ivis García, Assistant Professor
Elizabeth Arnold, Westside Studio Teaching
Assistant
Brandon Siracuse
Chimalli Hernandez
Sadika Maheruma Khan
Izzy Fuller
Amy Newman
Justice Tuffour
Dakota Connole
Yi Wei
Taylor Maguire
Erik Fronberg
Anisa Ali
Morgan Julian
Jasmine Garcia
Claudia Loayza
Luis Garcia Plancarte
Megan Spencer
Jaime Cross
Austin Kreiter
Chay Mosqueda
Zach Gardner
Virgil Lund
Liam Marshall
Andrew McDonald
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
PROJECT TIMELINE
HOW WE LISTENED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
ENGAGEMENT METHODOLOGY AND OUTREACH APPROACH
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
OUTREACH LOCATION MAP
SURVEY RESPONDENTS REACHED MAP
ENGAGEMENT BY THE NUMBERS
PARTICIPATION FINDINGS
REPRESENTATIVE PARTICIPATION
WHAT WE HEARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
VISION
GOALS
10 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
SURVEY COMMENTS
HOW INPUT WILL BE USED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
COMMUNITY INPUT ON MASTER PLAN ELEMENTS
NEXT STEPS
LIST OF APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
4
INTRODUCTION
Salt Lake City
is developing a
new Public Lands
Master Plan. As an
important first step,
the City called on all
community members
to help reimagine
the future of our
Public Lands: the
nature in our city
that enhances the
quality of our lives.
5
PROJECT TIMELINEThe Public Lands Master Plan will
establish an inspirational framework
to guide how we grow and prioritize
investments for the next 10-20 years
within the three public lands divisions
(Parks, Trails & Natural Lands, and
Urban Forestry). In acknowledgment
of the findings from the 2019 Salt Lake
City Parks and Public Lands Needs
Assessment that included a statistically
valid community survey, this effort will
address current challenges to improve
our public lands system.
The engagement metrics for the year-
long process are to connect with
10,000 people that are representative
of the city’s demographic makeup.
Given the goals of this master plan, it
has been given the name, “Reimagine
Nature.” Reimagine Nature will use
comprehensive, evidence-based
analysis, coupled with community
engagement, to prioritize and identify
transformative projects for Salt Lake
City’s public lands.
Community engagement for this
process consists of three engagement
windows:
1-Discover: Foundation of
Understanding
2-Reimagine: Visioning Transformational
Projects and Priority Actions
3-Transform: Draft and Final Master Plan.
Engagement window one was
conducted from August through
December of 2020. Results from this
first round of engagement identified
concepts and ideas that most resonated
with the community to support Public
Lands’ values of promoting equity,
livability and sustainability. Engagement
window one also gathered community
ideas for Master Plan goals and projects
and measured community support for
initial transformative projects identified
from previous community feedback and
research gathered in the 2019 Public
Lands Needs Assessment. The Master
Plan framework, including refined
goals and transformative projects, was
developed from feedback received in
engagement window one.
REPORT FOCUS
This engagement period, engagement
window two, was held from March
through May of 2021. Engagement
window two gathered feedback on the
Master Plan framework to verify that
the plan was developing in the right
direction and had community support.
Engagement Window two served as a
check point to identify any important
information that may be missing from
the Master Plan. This report summarizes
the second engagement window and
how results will inform the master plan
and engagement window three.
WINTER 2020/2021 PHASE I:
DISCOVER:
FOUNDATION OF UNDERSTANDING
SLC PUBLIC LANDS
August 26, 2020
Six-Week Community Engagement
Window #1 Opens
WINTER-SPRING 2021 PHASE II:
REIMAGINE: VISIONING
TRANSFORMATION
March 17 - May 7 2021:
Community Engagement
Window #2
SUMMER-FALL 2021 PHASE III:
TRANSFORM: DRAFT AND FINAL
MASTER PLAN
Quarter 3 2021
Final Community Engagement
Window #3
6
HOW WE LISTENED
• On-line survey widely
advertised;
• Student-led micro-engagement
events;
• Facebook Live events in
English and Spanish
• Organizational partnerships
to reach underrepresented
groups; and
• Digital outreach, including
230 social media posts, a
paid Facebook ad targeting
West Side residents, and 3
newsletters.
Figure 2: University of Utah Urban Planning Students conducting intercept interviews to increase online survey participation.
The planning team used a multi-pronged
approach to engagement that included:
7
ENGAGEMENT METHODS
In order to create a unifying vision for
Public Lands over the next 10-20 years,
the planning team used a multi-pronged
approach that included an on-line survey,
focus groups, micro-engagement events and
community partnerships to reach typically
underrepresented groups.
The second window of community
engagement launched on April 1, 2021
with an on-line, six-week survey and
closed on May 10, 2021. The goal of this
window was to get feedback on the initial
Master Plan framework, including the Plan
vision statement, goals, and potential
transformative projects. Using COVID-19
protocols, the city’s framework for equitable
engagement best practices and multiple
types of tactics, over 12,000 Salt Lake
City community members participated in
providing input during online focus groups,
University of Utah student-led intercept
interviews and micro-engagement events,
and through the online survey.
SURVEY FORMAT
An on-line survey offered in both English
and Spanish consisted of 15 content
questions and six demographic questions.
Much of the survey included multiple choice
questions for respondent efficiency and also
included two open ended question prompts
for collection of perceptions and ideas. 3,318
people responded to the on-line survey,
and 65% of the questions were answered.
Students from the University of Utah City
and Metropolitan Planning Department
passed out postcards and invited people
to take the survey at 38 different locations
including parks, libraries, open spaces and
trails.
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
Signs with a link to the online survey and
Reimagine Nature website were posted at
parks, natural lands and trails throughout
the city. Other print materials advertising the
project were distributed city-wide including,
1,380 postcards, 230 Reimagine posters, 115
social media posts and 500 door hangars.
Other innovative advertising methods, such
as temporary sidewalk art painted onto the
pavement were fun ways to spread the word
about ongoing Reimagine activities.
The following pages summarize who we
heard from, what areas of Salt Lake City
responses came from and the demographics
of engagement participants.
ENGAGEMENT METHODOLOGY AND
OUTREACH APPROACH
Figure 3: Yard signs (above) were placed throughout Salt Lake City Parks, Trails and Natural Lands to advertise the online survey. The image below shows a stencil used to temporarily paint the Reimagine website on sidewalks throughout the city.
Can you
reimagine
urban green
space?
take the survey at:ReimagineNatureSLC.com
8
STUDENT OUTREACH
Figure 4: Community members participating in a Paint the Pavement micro-engagement event.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Students from the University of Utah Urban
and Metropolitan Planning Department were
instrumental in promoting awareness of
Reimagine Nature. Along with Public Land’s
Staff, students distributed 1,380 postcards,
230 Reimagine posters, 230 Earth Day event
posters, 920 Earth Day Event flyers, and 500
door hangers to advertise the project and
survey including reaching out 94 businesses
in the process. In addition, the students held
micro-engagement events including four
placemaking events and an Earth Day event.
SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH
Students also made posts on social media
to promote the online survey through
social media engagement. Facebook was
the primary social media platform used
for outreach. Overall, social media efforts
reached many people with over 84 posts,
226 likes, 20 comments, and 18 shares
throughout the social media platform.
STUDENT MICRO-ENGAGEMENT
EVENTS
Multiple micro-engagement events
invited the community to come out and
communicate through fun and thoughtful
activities. Placemaking workshops visualized
the wants of the community through the aid
of simple physical models. Wayfinding and
Paint the pavement workshops gathered
community members to gain input on mural
painting and wayfinding methods. A tree
planting and pollinator workshops discussed
species to be planted, planting locations
and possible “friends of popular grove park”
establishment. The findings of the workshop
helped narrowed down the approaches and
possibilities for interventions. As well as
maximized the opportunities for feedback
and community engagement.
9
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
PAINT THE PAVEMENT
Community members discussed access and
wayfinding, and directed the creation of a
pavement mural.
TREE & POLLINATOR PLANTING
Workshop participants discussed suitable
park plants and identified locations for
planting and park elements such as a
Reimagined park with flower beds by the
tennis court, flowering trees for shade near
the playground and a cared for horseshoe
activity area.
PLACE IT WORKSHOP
In this virtual engagement event, urban
planner James Rojas asked participants to
build their favorite childhood memory using
nearby objects and build their vision of park
using the same objects.
EARTH DAY EVENT
Participants volunteered to clean the park
and pick up litter, provided feedback on the
Master Plan, and took the survey.
Figure 5: University of Utah students at a Paint the Pavement micro-engagement event.
Figure 6: University of Utah students at a Tree and Pollinator Planting micro-engagement event.
Figure 7: University of Utah students participate in a virtual placemaking micro-engagement event.
Figure 8: University of Utah students at a Earth Day micro-engagement event.
10
OUTREACH LOCATIONS
– Public Lands Master Plan Page 5
Students engaged the community at 38 different public space locations. This outreach
involved parks, libraries, open spaces, trails, and other areas. Students and staff
distributed a total of 467 flyers and 593 postcards. Figure 2 is a map of the locations
that were visited by students and staff.
Figure 2: Staff & Paired Outreach Locations to Parks and Other Areas
PUBLIC OUTREACH
Students and Public Lands staff engaged the community at
38 different public space locations. This outreach involved
parks, libraries, open spaces, trails, and other areas.
Students and staff distributed a total of 1,380 postcards, 500
door hangers, 230 posters, 920 Earth Day event flyers, and
230 Earth Day Event posters. The map shows locations that
were visited by students and staff.
Figure 9: Salt Lake City Public Lands Staff outreach locations for Engagement Window #2.
Figure 10: University of Utah student outreach locations. Source: University of Utah Student Outreach Summary Report, May 2021.
11
– Public Lands Master Plan Page 5
Students engaged the community at 38 different public space locations. This outreach
involved parks, libraries, open spaces, trails, and other areas. Students and staff
distributed a total of 467 flyers and 593 postcards. Figure 2 is a map of the locations
that were visited by students and staff.
Figure 2: Staff & Paired Outreach Locations to Parks and Other Areas
SURVEY RESPONDENTS REACHED
SLC RESIDENTS BY ZIP CODE 2021 Online Survey (1,228 respondents did not provide a zip code)
84103841038411684116
8410484104
8411984119
8411584115
8411184111
8410184101
8410284102
8410584105
8411284112
8410884108
8410684106
8410984109
8410384103
304121016325314
8411984119 84111841118410184101 84105841058411284112ZIP CODE
# SURVEY RESPONDENTS 88 99
84115841158410984109
104
8410484104
145
8410284102
173
8410884108
110
8411684116
161
8410684106
12
ENGAGEMENT BY THE NUMBERS
Figure 11: The table above provides a snapshot of total engagement events and number of participants.
Figure 12: Tree and pollinator planting engagement.
Figure 13: Students promoting the Reimagine Nature survey.
ONLINE PUBLIC SURVEY #2 3,318
4 STUDENT-LED PLACEMAKING EVENTS 69
16 INTERCEPT EVENTS 582
COMMUNITY COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS 260
2 FACEBOOK OPEN HOUSE EVENTS 848
SPANISH VIEWS 195
ENGLISH VIEWS 653
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS43 FACEBOOK + 39 TWITTER + 29 INSTAGRAM + 4 NEXT DOOR = 115 POSTS
3 EMAIL NEWSLETTERS to 7,907 people
TOTAL REACHED ENGAGEMENT WINDOW TWO
5,077
TOTAL REACHED ENGAGEMENT WINDOW ONE
7,082
TOTAL DIRECTLY REACHED ALL REIMAGINE
NATURE ENGAGEMENT 12,159
13
PARTICIPATION FINDINGS
SURVEY PARTICIPANTS BY
NEIGHBORHOOD
The online survey reached 3,318 people
in total. As only approximately 63% of
survey respondents answered the question
asking what their zip code is, it is difficult
to accurately assess which neighborhoods
survey participants are from. However, the
overall survey distribution by zip code of
survey number two closely mirrors the
distribution of survey number one. The map
on page 11 shows which neighborhoods
were reached by zip code.
The East Liberty Park, Capitol Hill and
Avenues neighborhoods had the highest
number of recorded survey respondents,
followed by the East Bench, Sugarhouse
and Central City neighborhoods. Downtown,
East Central, West Salt Lake, North West Salt
Lake, and Liberty Wells were in the middle
range of number of survey respondents,
and the Ballpark neighborhood as well as
west and southern portions of the Central
Community planning area had the lowest
number of survey respondents.
DIVERSITY OF SURVEY
PARTICIPANTS
During engagement window one, students
from the University of Utah played a key role
in reaching a diverse survey audience that
is more representative of the community’s
population. They increased diverse
participation by visiting sites throughout Salt
Lake City where they shared information
about the project and invited people to take
the online survey. Students also participated
in Public Lands staff-lead focus groups with
stakeholder organizations who provide
services to underrepresented populations.
During the second engagement window, the
students promoted the online survey rather
than a separate intercept survey, so the
dataset was not split up in a way to compare
the demographics of student-promoted
survey participants. However, in comparing
the public online surveys from the first and
second windows of engagement, survey
number two shows an increase in participant
diversity. The participation among nearly all
minority groups doubled from survey number
one to survey number two, indicating that
the student-led activities were likely a big
contributing factor to increasing the diversity
of survey and engagement participation.
14
REPRESENTATIVE PARTICIPATION
SURVEY DEMOGRAPHICS
ASIAN
AMERICAN INDIAN
BLACK / AFRICAN
AMERICAN
HISPANIC / LATINO
NATIVE HAWAIIAN /
PACIFIC ISLANDER
WHITE
OTHER
PREFER NOT TO SAY
5.4%
1.4%
2.3%
21.6%
1.5%
73.1%
3.4%
1.5%
0.3%
0.5%
4.0%
0.3%
80.0%
1.2%
4.0%
PUBLIC SURVEY 1 SALT LAKE CITY DEMOGRAPHICS
2.2%
1.3%
1.4%
8.2%
0.5%
76.3%76.3%
2.4%
7.7%
PUBLIC SURVEY 2
Figure 14: The online survey conducted during engagement window two was more successful at reaching a diverse audience that is more representative of the community’s population. This is an improvement from the previous online survey conducted during engagement window one. The chart above compares the diversity of survey participants for both online surveys. To help boost input from people of color, University of Utah students conducted micro-engagement events and outreach throughout Salt Lake City and Public Lands staff led focus groups with stakeholder organizations who provide services to underrepresented populations.
FINDINGS
Targeted engagement improved the
diversity of survey respondents, with
minority participation in survey two
increasing an average of 232% from that
of survey one.
15
WHAT WE HEARD
The focus of engagement window two was to gather
feedback and input on the Master Plan framework,
including refined goals and initial transformative
projects ideas.
It also served as a check point with the community
and stakeholders to verify that the Master Plan was
developing in the right direction, had community
support, and provided an opportunity to contribute
any important ideas that may be missing from the
Master Plan.
The following pages cover the responses received
from the community through the online survey, focus
groups and micro-engagement events that comprised
engagement window number two.
16
VISION STATEMENT
REIMAGINE NATURE PLAN VISION STATEMENT:
Reimagine Nature provides transformative ideas that have the ability to heighten our Public Lands’ impact on the city’s livability, equity, and stewardship over the next 20 years. Our natural lands, urban forest, city parks and city golf courses are cared for to be resilient for increasing environmental challenges, and also innovatively adapted to meet the diverse needs of our growing population. We aspire to create and sustain quality outdoor spaces that are inclusive, accessible, and culturally relevant; ensuring everyone benefits from fair and appropriate investment.
Q: Do you think this plan vision statement is
on the right track?
20%40%0%60%80%100%
No
82% (2066)
15% (386)
2% (56)
No
Adjustment Needed
Yes
Adjustment
Needed
Yes
17
5 PLAN GOALS
Q: Do you think these should be the
plan goals?
PLAN GOALS Feedback from the first survey and stakeholder conversations led tothe prioritization of these five overarching goals for what the Public Lands Master Plan should seek to achieve or improve. These goals will be used as an organizing frameworkfor recommended strategies, practices and actions.
1. Connect: Accessible and Connected Green Spaces
2. Welcome: Active, Authentic and Inclusive Places
3. Protect: A Commitment to Stewardship
4. Grow: Expand our Park System
5. Sustain: Environmental Health and Sustainability
20%40%0%60%80%100%
No
87% (2197)
11% (280)
1% (33)
No
Adjustment Needed
Yes
Adjustment
Needed
Yes
18
10 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
COMMUNITY PROJECT
SATISFACTION
The survey asked respondents to rate
their satisfaction with each of the ten
transformative projects. Each question
was prefaced with a project description
and potential project strategies that could
contribute to the overarching transformative
project. The chart on page x compares
the percent of respondents that indicated
they were somewhat or extremely satisfied
with the transformative projects. The
projects that received the most selections
for respondents being extremely satisfied
were grow our urban forest at 71% and
put environment first at 70%. These were
followed by connect mountains to the lake
at 65%, meet me at the river at 62% and
downtown comes alive outside at 61%.
These responses indicate strong support for
environmental enhancements of Salt Lake
City’s public lands, a desire for increased
system connectivity and access to trail-
based recreation, and the need to activate
downtown with more green spaces.
While the projects just five minutes from
here and telling our stories only had 38%
and 47% of respondents indicting they
were extremely satisfied, the majority of
respondents were still either somewhat
satisfied or extremely satisfied, with 77%
indicating some level of satisfaction for
both projects. This demonstrates that there
is overall community support for the ten
transformative projects, with between 77%
and 92% of respondents indicating some
level of satisfaction for the projects and only
10% or less of respondents indicating some
level of dissatisfaction.
The following pages show these descriptions
and respondent satisfaction levels for each
project.
Figure 15: Postcards with information about the 10 Transformative Projects and a link to the online survey were distributed by University of Utah students and SLC Public Lands Staff.
19
TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT APPROVAL
JUST 5 MINUTES
FROM HERE
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
SOMEWHAT
SATISFIED
EXTREMELY
SATISFIED
CONNECT
MOUNTAINS TO
THE LAKE
SATISFACTION RATES FOR THE 10 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS
COMING SOON
TO A PARK NEAR
YOU
MEET ME AT THE
RIVER
37%
38%
26%
65%33%
54%31%
52%
27%
62%
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
TELL OUR
STORIES
DOWNTOWN
COMES ALIVE
OUTSIDE
GROW OUR
URBAN FOREST
WELCOME TO THE
GREEN
PUT
ENVIRONMENT
FIRST
30%
47%
26%
61%
21%
71%24%
57%
20%
70%
JUST 5 MINUTES
FROM HERE
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
SOMEWHAT
SATISFIED
EXTREMELY
SATISFIED
CONNECT
MOUNTAINS TO
THE LAKE
SATISFACTION RATES FOR THE 10 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS
COMING SOON
TO A PARK NEAR
YOU
MEET ME AT THE
RIVER
37%
38%
26%
65%33%
54%31%
52%
27%
62%
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
TELL OUR
STORIES
DOWNTOWN
COMES ALIVE
OUTSIDE
GROW OUR
URBAN FOREST
WELCOME TO THE
GREEN
PUT
ENVIRONMENT
FIRST
30%
47%
26%
61%
21%
71%24%
57%
20%
70%
JUST 5 MINUTES
FROM HERE
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
SOMEWHAT
SATISFIED
EXTREMELY
SATISFIED
CONNECT
MOUNTAINS TO
THE LAKE
SATISFACTION RATES FOR THE 10 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS
COMING SOON
TO A PARK NEAR
YOU
MEET ME AT THE
RIVER
37%
38%
26%
65%33%
54%31%
52%
27%
62%
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
TELL OUR
STORIES
DOWNTOWN
COMES ALIVE
OUTSIDE
GROW OUR
URBAN FOREST
WELCOME TO THE
GREEN
PUT
ENVIRONMENT
FIRST
30%
47%
26%
61%
21%
71%24%
57%
20%
70%
20
1. JUST 5 MINUTES FROM HERE
• Potential Projects:
• Establish a multi-lingual signage and wayfinding program.
• Initiate an information campaign and tools for learning about parks, activities, and recreation opportunities.
• Promote other public green space use like libraries and school grounds as part of a connected system.
A WAYFINDING AND SIGNAGE CAMPAIGN THAT MAKES IT EASIER TO EXPLORE NEARBY PARKS, TRAILS AND PUBLIC SPACES
Q: PLEASE RATE YOUR SATISFACTION WITH
JUST 5 MINUTES FROM HERE
10%20%0%30%40%50%60%70%
Percentage
38% (924)
37% (896)
16% (378)
7% (158)
3% (62)
Extremely dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Extremely satisfied
21
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Extremely satisfied
2. CONNECT MOUNTAINS TO LAKES
• Potential Projects:
• Connect trails from the eastern side of the Wasatch mountains to the Foothills Natural Area, the 9 Line Trail to the Jordan River Parkway Trail and west to the Salt Lake Marina and Mountains.
• Implement all remaining proposed trails including the McClelland Trail, Folsom Trail, Surplus Canal Trails, and Foothills Trails.
• Begin to implement the Seven Greenways Vision, creating a connected regional system of greenways along Salt Lake City’s Creeks, including locations to uncover creeks, add trails, improve natural habitat, and provide for recreation.
COMPLETE MISSING LINKS IN REGIONAL TRAILS AND INVEST IN GREENWAYS TO ENHANCE NATURE And CREEKS WITHIN THE CITY
Q: PLEASE RATE YOUR SATISFACTION WITH
JUST 5 MINUTES FROM HERE
10%20%0%30%40%50%60%70%
Percentage
64%
(1528)
26% (624)
5% (127)
3% (66)
2% (37)
Extremely dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Extremely satisfied
22
3. REIMAGINE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS
• Potential Projects:
• Identify priorities for equitable park redevelopment.
• Engage neighbors in redesigning and adding activities to parks that reflect their interests, culture and the character and history of the area.
• Promote volunteerism, donation, and adopt-a-park/
friends groups.
TRANSFORM PARKS INTO VIBRANT COMMUNITY SPACES THAT EMPOWER RESIDENTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY
Q: PLEASE RATE YOUR SATISFACTION WITH
REIMAGINE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS
10%20%0%30%40%50%60%70%
Percentage
53% (1268)
33% (783)
9% (204)
4% (86)
1% (30)
Extremely dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Extremely satisfied
23
4. COMING SOON TO A PARK NEAR YOU
• Potential Projects:
• Promote partnerships for arts, music, performance, fitness, urban agriculture and games in parks.
• Provide programming for nature-based education, volunteerism, outdoor recreation, and horticulture.
• Re-energize City parks and neighborhoods by adding concession operations that will generate revenues to reinvest in park improvements and repairs.
HELP OUR PARKS, LARGE AND SMALL, COME ALIVE WITH ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
Q: PLEASE RATE YOUR SATISFACTION WITH COMING
SOON TO A PARK NEAR YOU
10%20%0%30%40%50%60%
Percentage
52% (1225)
31% (729)
11% (251)
5% (107)
2% (43)
Extremely dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Extremely satisfied
24
5. MEET ME AT THE RIVER
INVEST IN PROJECTS AND MAINTENANCE ALONG THE JORDAN RIVER PARKWAY THAT WILL PROMOTE EQUITY, ACCESS, SCENIC BEAUTY, DIVERSE RECREATION, AND HEALTHY ECOLOGY ALONG THE PARKWAY
• Potential Projects:
• Establish and integrate welcoming park spaces and landscaping along the river to foster community gathering and bring the river into focus as one of SLC’s most desirable recreation destinations.
• Restore and enhance natural areas along the river for improved biodiversity, habitat and a healthy environment.
• Improve the former Glendale Waterpark, Jordan Park, and the historic International Peace Gardens to create regional attractions and event space with characteristics that celebrate and preserve community culture and diversity.
• Establish a self-serve kayak rental program on the Jordan River, complete with multilingual signage and river-access improvements to make water recreation accessible to more
people
Q: PLEASE RATE YOUR SATISFACTION
WITH MEET ME AT THE RIVER
10%20%0%30%40%50%60%Percentage62%
(1450)
27% (630)
6% (150)
4% (83)
1% (32)
Extremely dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Extremely satisfied
25
6. TELL OUR STORIES
REVEAL PAST AND PRESENT STORIES FROM OUR DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE SHAPED THIS VALLEY, GIVING FOCUS TO UNDERREPRESENTED AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. EXPRESS THESE STORIES THROUGH LANDSCAPES, STRUCTURE, PLACEMAKING, AND
• Potential Projects:
• Initiate a storytelling project with partners to collect, share, and display stories relevant to public lands.
• Invest in restoring and interpreting iconic structures and landscapes such as Allen Park, Fisher Mansion, and Warm Springs Park.
• Engage our communities in identifying more meaningful names for our local parks.
Q: PLEASE RATE YOUR SATISFACTION WITH TELL
OUR STORIES
10%20%0%30%40%50%60%
Percentage
47% (1091)
30% (699)
16% (369)
5% (116)
3% 61)
Extremely dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Extremely satisfied
26
7. DOWNTOWN COMES ALIVE OUTSIDE
• Potential Projects:
• Invest in Downtown SLC’s Pioneer Park to create a vibrant destination for daily activities and events that serve the region.
• Reimagine Downtown SLC’s wide streets in key locations to create a green loop of trees and green space, pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly paths, and flexible space for pop-up festivals and recreation.
• Initiate creative projects and partnerships to integrate a network of large and small green areas and plazas into a mosaic of public outdoor spaces that become the foundation of an activated downtown.
• Grow SLC’s downtown and Central Community park access, where future growth is expected to be the highest in the City yet has the least access to parks and trails.
INCREASE THE PROVISION OF GREEN AND ACTIVE SPACES DOWNTOWN THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO LIVABILITY AND ECONOMIC VITALITY
Q: PLEASE RATE YOUR SATISFACTION
WITH DOWNTOWN COMES ALIVE OUTSIDE
10%20%0%30%40%50%60%70%Percentage61% (1415)
26% (603)
8% (179)
4% (94)
2% (41)
Extremely dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Extremely satisfied
27
8. GROW OUR URBAN FOREST
• Potential Projects:
• Launch a public awareness campaign to support new trees and their watering/care.
• Increase tree canopy cover to improve air quality and advance environmental equity in westside neighborhoods.
• Invest in tree planting within street projects.
• Maximize planting of appropriate trees on all our publicly owned landscapes such as golf courses, parks and street medians.
• Invest in the equipment and resources to responsibly reuse wood from trees removed from our urban forest to create usable wood products such as mulch for our parks, playgrounds, trails and gardens.
BUILD PUBLIC AWARENESS TO SUPPORT NEW TREES STEWARDSHIP THAT ALLOWS URBAN FORESTRY TO PLANT TREES IN ALL PUBLICLY OWNED LANDSCAPES
Q: PLEASE RATE YOUR SATISFACTION WITH
JUST 5 MINUTES FROM HERE
10%20%0%30%40%50%60%70%
Percentage
71% (1636)
21% (491)
5% (105)
3% (58)
1% (23)
Extremely dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Extremely satisfied
28
9. WELCOME TO THE GREEN
• Potential Projects:
• Introduce alternative recreation and activities on golf courses for general public recreation such as walking paths/ trails, concessions, off-leash dog walking, Frisbee golf, running races, cross country skiing or groomed sledding.
• Incorporate additional environment benefits through tree plantings, diversifying vegetation, stormwater management, and nature centers in our golf courses.
• Re-wild and preserve native plant and wildlife sanctuaries outside of playable golf areas.
• Expand golf’s involvement in environmental protection by incorporating constructed stormwater wetlands in unplayable areas of our courses.
INVITE APPROPRIATE ALTERNATIVE USE OF OUR PUBLIC GOLF COURSES FOR GREATER BENEFIT
Q: PLEASE RATE YOUR SATISFACTION WITH
WELCOME TO THE GREEN
10%20%0%30%40%50%60%70%Percentage57% (1317)
25% (573)
7% (171)
6% (138)
5% (111)
Extremely dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Extremely satisfied
29
10. PUT ENVIRONMENT FIRST
• Potential Projects:
• Foster a robust native plant and pollinator habitat program that includes volunteer and educational opportunities operated out of Public Lands greenhouses and plant farms.
• Host citywide education and engagement programs focused on environmental stewardship, citizen science, and connection with the natural world through SLC’s public spaces.
• Increase landscape resiliency to climate change by reclaiming degraded landscapes with beneficial plants, healthy soils, and habitat for birds and wildlife.
CULTIVATE MORE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN PARKS AND NATURAL AREAS
Q: PLEASE RATE YOUR SATISFACTION WITH
PUT ENVIRONMENT FIRST
10%20%0%30%40%50%60%70%Percentage70% (1599)
20% (468)
7% (161)
2% (39)
1% (31)
Extremely dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Extremely satisfied
30
PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS
PROJECT URGENCY AND
IMPORTANCE
Survey respondents were asked to rate
both the urgency and importance of
the ten transformative projects. These
questions were designed to gain insight
into community priorities for each project,
highlighting which projects should happen
right away and which projects should be
prioritized because they are the most
impactful and provide value.
When comparing urgency versus
importance, two projects stood out
significantly as being both the most urgent
and most important. Put environment
first was ranked the highest by survey
respondents in both categories, with 73%
ranking it as very important 72% ranking it
as very urgent. The next highest-ranking
project was grow our urban forest, with 71%
ranking it as very important and 68% ranking
it as very urgent. This again reinforces the
community’s desire for using sustainable
principles in managing Public Lands and
improving the local environment with natural
amenities.
These projects also were viewed as
significant and held high support with focus
group participants. Overall, the question
responses show that all projects are valued
by the community. When combining the
selections for medium urgency and very
urgent, the 10 transformative projects were
selected by between 56% and 94% of
respondents as being urgent. The combined
selections for project importance show that
the 10 transformative projects were selected
by between 70% and 95% of respondents as
important.
TOP CHOICES FOR
OVERALL IMPORTANCE:
1. GROW OUR URBAN
FOREST - 97%
2. PUT ENVIRONMENT
FIRST - 95%
3. REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS - 89%
4. CONNECT MOUNTAINS
TO THE LAKE - 88%
TOP CHOICES FOR
OVERALL URGENCY:
1. GROW OUR URBAN
FOREST - 95%
2. PUT ENVIRONMENT
FIRST - 94%
3. REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS - 87%
4. MEET ME AT THE
RIVER - 83%
31
URGENCY AND IMPORTANCE OF PROJECTS
JUST 5 MINUTES
FROM HERE
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
CONNECT
MOUNTAINS TO
THE LAKE
URGENCY AND IMPORTANCE OF THE 10 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS
COMING SOON
TO A PARK NEAR
YOU
MEET ME AT THE
RIVER
42%
41%48%
39% 49%
23%
44%
40%
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
TELL OUR
STORIES
DOWNTOWN
COMES ALIVE
OUTSIDE
GROW OUR
URBAN FOREST
WELCOME TO THE
GREEN
PUT
ENVIRONMENT
FIRST
40%
19%
42%
39%
27%
68%
41%
35%
22%
72%
VERY
URGENT
VERY
IMPORTANT
MEDIUM
URGENCY
MEDIUM
IMPORTANCE
41%
15%
51%
19%
39%
49%46%
43%54%
25%
41%
45%
22%
73%
40%
40%
26%
71%
42%
44%
45%
25%
32
NEIGHBORHOOD FINDINGS
Equity is one of the Master Plan value
lenses that drives prioritization and decision
making. This has raised the importance of
reaching underrepresented communities
during the engagement process. To
understand more about how individual
communities can be best served by Public
Lands, survey responses were sorted by
neighborhood to target responses from
areas that have higher concentrations of
underrepresented populations including
minority populations, older and younger
populations, and lower income populations.
Survey responses from the Northwest, West
Salt Lake and the northern and western
portions of the Central Community are
displayed below.
Like the overall survey results, survey
respondents from these neighborhoods
consistently chose “put environment first”
and “grow our urban forest” as both the
most urgent and most important of the
ten transformative projects. The Central
Community respondents rated these with
the highest percentages of very important,
with 81% for “grow our urban forest” and 78%
for “put environment first.” This is compared
to 73% and 71 % respectively in the overall
survey.
The next highest rankings for project
urgency and importance corresponded
geographically with the location of the
neighborhoods, with the Northwest and
West communities selecting “reimagine
neighborhood parks,” “meet me at the
river,” and “connect mountains to the
lake” and the Central community selecting
“downtown comes alive outside,” “reimagine
neighborhood parks” and “connect
mountains to the lake.” This shows a support
for investments that will directly enhance
natural amenities close to home, such as the
Jordan River Parkway and Downtown parks
while also increasing park, open space and
trail connectivity city-wide.
NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSES
33
Northwest Community
Urgent
1. PUT ENVIRONMENT
FIRST - 73%
2. GROW OUR URBAN
FOREST - 69%
3. REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS - 50%
4. MEET ME AT THE
RIVER - 48%
Important
1. PUT ENVIRONMENT
FIRST - 76%
2. GROW OUR URBAN
FOREST - 74%
3. MEET ME AT THE
RIVER - 61%
4. REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS - 59%
West Community
Urgent
1. PUT ENVIRONMENT
FIRST - 69%
2. GROW OUR URBAN
FOREST - 68%
3. MEET ME AT THE
RIVER - 61%
4. REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS - 43%
Important
1. GROW OUR URBAN
FOREST - 78%
2. PUT ENVIRONMENT
FIRST - 74%
3. MEET ME AT THE
RIVER - 64%
4. CONNECT MOUNTAINS
TO THE LAKE - 50%
NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSES
Central Community
Urgent
1. PUT ENVIRONMENT
FIRST - 79%
2. GROW OUR URBAN
FOREST - 71%
3. DOWNTOWN COMES
ALIVE OUTSIDE - 45%
4. REIMAGINE
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARKS - 40%
Important
1. GROW OUR URBAN
FOREST - 81%
2. PUT ENVIRONMENT
FIRST - 78%
3. DOWNTOWN COMES
ALIVE OUTSIDE - 51%
4. CONNECT MOUNTAINS
TO THE LAKE - 50%
34
SURVEY COMMENTS
COMMUNITY IDEAS AND INPUT
The two survey questions prompting write-
in comments received a total of 1,838
responses.
The first question “What changes would
you suggest, if any, to the Vision or Goals?”
received roughly 120 responses that
expressed positive support for the vision
and goals statements. 238 comments
suggested changes to the vision and
goal statement language. 107 comments
suggested additions to the vision or goal
statements. The remainder of comments
were an assortment of specific strategies
suggested to support the goals, the most
common ones listed here in order of
occurrences:
• Environmental/natural resources/habitat;
• Golf courses;
• Park feature requests;
• Trails; and
• Unhoused populations management.
The second open ended question was
more general, asking if there is anything
else to consider or include in the Master
Plan. Roughly 100 comments expressed
appreciation for the plan or had no
additional considerations. Some themes
within the comments included critique for
the project public engagement process,
details for the Transformational Projects,
priorities to emphasize or desire for
more clarity about funding/timelines. The
remainder of comments covered a wide
variety of topics, the most common ones
listed here in order of occurrences:
• Park feature requests (such as dog parks/off-leash, restrooms, water recreation features, signage, concessions, ADA accessibility and more);
• Trails;
• Golf courses;
• Management/maintenance/safety;
• Environmental interests (water conservation, air quality, energy conservation, native plants/invasive species, climate change resilience, light pollution, wildlife habitat, pesticides and more);
• Trees;
• Unhoused populations;
• Desire for additional parks and open space conservation;
• Connecting to green spaces through trails and public transportation;
• Education and programs; and
• Urban farming, gardens, and edible forests.
35
“I think the
vision statement
should include
explicit language
on climate
change.”
“I’m concerned
about allowing
people and off
leash dogs on golf
courses. There are
plenty of stray
balls- injuring
those that happen
to be walking near
by would not be
unusual if you open
these spaces up.”
“Since more
people are using
the outdoors,
education on
how to treat and
take care of it is
essential.”
“safety for
marginalized and over
policed communities.
for black and brown
people public spaces
are not always safe
(RIP Trayvon Martin,
Tamir Rice, Darren
Hunt and many more).
part of access for
these communities is
assurance that they
wont get shot or
arrested just for
existing in public
spaces while being
a person of color.
some sort of police
and emergency service
outreach to ensure
this message is heard
would be appropriate.”
SURVEY COMMENTS
“More emphasis
on making
areas bike and
bus friendly
and reducing
the need to
drive to parks.”
36
“Emphasizing the
removal of invasive
species (especially
trees) from all
public lands to
further spread
into natural or
wilderness areas.”
“Consider
senior and
disabled
people when
you reimagine
parks.”
“Consider the
water needs of
current and
future vegetation;
make plans that
reduce water use
with native and
adaptive species
while adding
trees and other
plants.”
SURVEY COMMENTS
“Require
that all new
apartment
building
complexes have
green spaces as
part of their
design.”
“Increased
educational trips
into the foothills
by school age
children.”
“Please consider
the plants as
more than just
beautifying
landscape for
people. Nature
isn’t just a
setting for
human activity.”
37
“Honoring
native/
indigenous
people and
land.”
“Espero que
se preste más
atención a
los aspectos
medioambientales.”
“Food forest!
Preserve the
last remaining
orchards and
increase free
food abundance
in our urban
areas.”
“Recognizing
recreational
practices of all
cultures.”
“BATHROOMS at
trails and parks.”
“MORE DOG
PARKS!!!!!!”
SURVEY COMMENTS
“You need food
at the parks. A
few restaurant
spaces at each
of the big parks
would CHANGE
how people
use the park.
Incorporate
families and
eating and I’ll
be there every
weekend.”
38
HOW INPUT WILL BE USED
The survey feedback relayed
that the Master Plan framework,
vision, goals and transformative
projects are on the right track,
direct Public Land’s investments
and strategies over the next 10-
20 years and have support from
the community.
Survey input will inform the
refining of Master Plan projects,
strategies and actions and help
to prioritize plan goals and the
ten transformative projects.
39
COMMUNITY INPUT ON MASTER PLAN ELEMENTS
40
NEXT STEPS:
• Master Plan review by Parks,
Natural Lands, Urban Forestry
and Trails Board.
• Master Plan review by City
Council.
• Explore prioritization methods
using community feedback
and value lenses of equity,
livability and stewardship.
• City review and adoption
process.
PROJECT TIMELINE
COMPLETEDNEXT STEPSWINTER 2020/2021 PHASE I:
DISCOVER:
FOUNDATION OF UNDERSTANDING
SLC PUBLIC LANDS
August 26, 2020
Six-Week Community Engagement
Window #1 Opens
WINTER-SPRING 2021 PHASE II:
REIMAGINE: VISIONING
TRANSFORMATION
March 17 -May 7 2021:
Community Engagement
Window #2
SUMMER-FALL 2021 PHASE III:
TRANSFORM: DRAFT AND FINAL
MASTER PLAN
Quarter 3 2021
Final Community Engagement
Window #3
41
APPENDICES
A. 2021 Reimagine Nature Community
Survey Instrument
B. Advertisement Methods
C. University of Utah Student Report
Appendices available upon request by emailing Nancy Monteith:
nancy.monteith@slcgov.com