As mayor, it has remained a high priority for our city to ensure we are maintaining and refreshing our existing park system in an effort to serve all residents and areas across Peoria. Over the past year, city staff has worked tirelessly to develop a thoughtful plan and vision for moving toward parity and sustainability amongst Peoria parks.
Across our city, Peoria is home to three major community parks, each over 50 acres in size and offering a wide variety of amenities, including multi-use fields, splash pads, dog parks and much more. Many residents appreciate these large parks, and the city is incredibly proud of our ability to offer high-quality options. It is important, however, for us to recognize that true efforts of parity and sustainability extend well beyond these large facilities.
Peoria is also home to nearly 40 neighborhood parks, which play a critical role in serving local families by offering close-to-home access to many of the same amenities. Just like community parks, neighborhood parks are essential in promoting community and overall well-being.
To better ensure parity across Peoria parks, city staff has developed a Neighborhood Parks Condition Index, an innovative approach that helps to consider four key factors: Park Acreage and Population; Age of the Park; Amenities per Park; Maintenance and Cleanliness.
By carefully measuring and understanding where our park system presently stands, Peoria’s council can make more informed decisions to advance parity across the city. These ongoing efforts to enhance Peoria’s park system reflect our commitment to accessibility and community well-being.
Alongside our innovative approach to parks, we remain dedicated to conservation. In this spirit, Peoria’s parks department has developed a strategic removal plan for some of our city’s non-functional turf. For every acre of redundant turf extracted, our city will be able to save nearly 1 million gallons of water every single year.
By approaching our parks with a focus on innovation and conservation, Peoria is laying the critical foundation for future growth and enjoyment. For more information on all of Peoria’s park initiatives, residents can visit www.peoriaaz.gov/parks.
