Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan
CONNECTING NATURAL & ACTIVE SYSTEMS
The City of Faribault has supported a strong tradition of indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. The City's Parks and Recreation Department has been on the forefront of shaping these opportunities and providing access to community events, fitness programs, sports and recreation activities, as well as parks, trails, and shelters that aim to make access convenient and safe. The Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan represents a comprehensive and integrated strategy to build on the strengths of the existing system over the next 20 years.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
At present, there is no existing Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan to guide improvements and/or investment for such amenities in Faribault. Components of the future Plan will include: an inventory and analysis of existing parks (including buildings and equipment), trails, open space, and recreation programs, projected demographic conditions and trends, regional park and trail connections, integration with downtown parks and amenities. This work will also include analyzing the best uses for existing parks and potentially developing plans to shift ball fields from certain parks to other existing or proposed parks.
As part of the planning process, different strategies will be explored to improve the experiences of users of all ages and abilities. National research indicates that use of parks fosters mental and physical health and that access to open space encourages physical activity that supports child development and combats chronic disease. Facilitated by the City of Faribault and its partners, and in collaboration with the Perkins+Will team, the planning team will leverage environmental research, planning and design, and community input to support active use and access to natural spaces in Faribault.
PARK PROFILES
As part of the planning process, profiles for each park have been developed with City staff. For more information on the inventory of Faribault's park spaces, please check out the Park Profiles.
PRELIMINARY PARK CONCEPTS
In December 2018, preliminary design concepts were shared with the community and the planning team welcomes your input! Park concepts are provided below, categorized by park type:
PRELIMINARY PARK MASTER PLANS
Based on feedback from the public and the planning team, preliminary park master plans were developed. Parks are categorized by park type:
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Please visit the Parks, Trails, and Open Space Committee webpage to meet the community members helping to guide this planning process and continue to visit this website for the latest updates. We hope to hear from you and to meet you at upcoming community events!