Page 19 - KCMO Parks Master Plan 2032

According to the 2008 Trails KC Master Plan,
THE 2015 MASTER
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That same plan, as well as the 2018 Urban Forest
Plan and the 2021 Regional Climate Action Plan,
emphasized how green infrastructure lowers
the energy costs for businesses and residents in
the city by providing shade and reducing urban
temperatures. The Urban Forest Plan, as well
as the KC Blueprint for Violence Prevention,
also cited the economic and social benefits to
neighborhoods when park departments hire local
staff to mange their parkland.
PUBLIC HEALTH
The idea of parks as a form of public health
infrastructure has been rediscovered in the
United States, particularly in the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic. This understanding is
evident in recent local planning efforts. The 2013
KC Blueprint advocated for parks because of
their power to shape child development and
establish foundation of healthy growth and
learning. The mental health benefits from parks
and trees were cited in the 2018 Urban Forest
Plan as ways to increase community resilience in
the face of adversity. Multiple plans also called for
the department to develop stronger relationships
with the schools and other not-for-profit
agencies like the Health Forward Foundation to
promote more activities for youth in park spaces.
65% of Kansas City adults are either overweight
or obese. And according to the 2021 KC Physical
Activity Plan, only 43% of Kansas City youth
were achieving the recommended daily levels of
physical activity. Parks and trails have the ability
to improve those metrics and save lives in the
process.
EQUITY
Plans across disciplines have advocated for
increased equity in the park system for more
than a decade. The 2008 Trails KC Plan noted
how trails provide greater access to parks and
other amenities for the third of the population
that cannot drive. The 2015 Master Plan Update
advocated for partnering with local not-for-profits
to provide more community gardens and access
to healthy food. Other plans like the KC Blueprint
for Violence Prevention have called on city
departments like parks and recreation to practice
inclusive hiring standards, and promote inclusive
design creating safe parks and open spaces.
Plans have advocated for the department to
increase transparency of their board meetings
and decision making processes. The call for
equal access to park and open space for all
neighborhoods has been mentioned consistently
in multiple city planning documents. The 2020
Strategic Business Plan made equity one of
the four pillars of the department solidifying
this concept as central to the mission of the
department.
TAKEAWAYS
The legacy of planning efforts over the last 20
years demonstrates how many different ways
Kansas City has come to value their park and
recreation system. These documents make
many recommendations for the constituent parts
of this system (parks, facilities, and trails). Perhaps
even more important for today are the larger ideas
about how parks can improve the sustainability,
economy, wellness, and equity of this city.
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