Our Parks, Our Places: A Plan for Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space

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• Upcoming Approval: Building the future of Aurora together

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  After earning a “stamp of approval” from the community in October 2023, the ‘Our Parks, Our Places’ master plan now advances to formal approval and adoption from various Boards, Commissions and City Council. The plan crafts organizational themes and guiding principles, strategically pinpointing opportunities for growth in operational efficiencies, and elevating the management of infrastructure, assets and programming initiatives. The result is a roadmap for the sustainable and comprehensive management of the City’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department.

  Upcoming Meeting Schedule:

  • Wednesday, Feb. 7, 5 p.m.: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
  • Wednesday, Feb. 14, 6 p.m.: Planning and Zoning Commission
  • Thursday, Feb. 22, 8:30 a.m.: Parks, Foundations and Quality of Life Policy Committee
  • Monday, April 8, 6:30 p.m.: City Council (first reading)
  • Monday, April 22, 6:30 p.m.: City Council (second reading and vote)

  Project Vision and Themes:

  Equitable Access: Ensure equitable access and connectivity throughout the PROS system for all communities. Collaborate with organizations and public agencies to help inclusively represent the communities that make up Aurora.

  Community Connections: Promote inclusive and diverse programming, recreation and amenities. Enhance communication to foster healthy living, community building and opportunities for all. Provide facilities and programs for all ages to promote life-long learning, health and discovery to help the community expand their knowledge of the PROS system and resources.

  Healthy and Safety: Promote safety in PROS parks, recreation centers, open spaces and golf courses. Provide a diverse, welcoming and safe experience for the community.

  Operational Efficiencies: Invest in sustainable growth to continually improve the quality of the existing assets while creating new, welcoming destinations for all. Lead with efficient practices in operations and maintenance when planning the present and future of PROS.

  Sustainable Growth: Preserve and enrich Aurora’s natural habitats and ecosystems through the design of sustainable landscapes and educational programs. Be transparent, accountable and committed to responsible management.

  Questions? Leave a questions below and a staff member will be in touch shortly, or email PROSMasterPlan@AuroraGov.org.

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• Thank You & Next Steps

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  Thank you to all who reviewed and shared their feedback on our master plan, Our Parks, Our Places: A Plan for Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space. City of Aurora staff will be seeking formal approval and adoption of the plan in early 2024.

  Residents are encouraged to review the master plan, available in-full here. An executive summary of the plan is also available in English here and in Spanish here. Questions regarding the plan can be emailed to PROSMasterPlan@AuroraGov.org.

  Thank you again for joining the city of Aurora on this journey. We are excited for the future of Parks, Recreation and Open Space!

  Pictured: A photo of the public "stamp of approval" of Our Parks, Our Places at Fall Into Fun on Oct. 14.

• Master plan now available for review

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  Over the past year, Parks, Recreation and Open Space has been on a master planning journey through Our Parks, Our Places. Community involvement and feedback from residents has been a cornerstone of the process, and we are pleased to now share the master plan with Aurora residents.

  The master plan can be viewed in full here.

  An executive summary of the master plan can be viewed here in English and here in Spanish.

  Since spring 2022, staff from the city of Aurora and consulting partner Sasaki have been learning more about how residents currently use our amenities, what their priorities are and what they’d like to see in years to come. Staff have taken everything they’ve learned and drafted a master plan to guide our department into the future.

  The master plan is guided by six principles that will provide an organizational framework to all aspects of the plan, from community engagement to strategies and recommendations. These guiding principles are:

  • Welcoming, Safe Spaces
  • Connectivity
  • Investment in the Future
  • Lifelong Learning
  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Inclusivity

  To learn more about these principles, department priorities and more, review the master plan document in full here. Residents are invited to share their feedback on the master plan through Friday, Oct. 20 through an online survey here.

• Our Parks, Our Places Master Plan Preview

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  Thank you to all who have joined us on the journey of Our Parks, Our Places: A Plan for Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space. City and Sasaki staff have connected with residents across the community since summer 2022 and we are excited about what the future holds for the city of Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department.

  A full draft of the master plan will be available for public review in October. Check back here for a link when it is available. Final approval is anticipated for the first quarter of 2024.

  In the meantime, follow the links below to see a preview of what we’ve learned and the six guiding principles that will drive the department into the future.

  Our Parks, Our Places Pamphlet (English)

  Nuestros Parques, Nuestros Lugares Folleto (Espanol)

  
  

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• Dog Park Survey Available through May 21

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  THIS SURVEY HAS CLOSED

  Thank you to all who took the dog park survey. Results will be used to create best practices for the future of Aurora dog parks.

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  We’re planning for the future – and we can’t forget our best friends in that plan!

  As part of the Our Parks, Our Places master planning process, the city of Aurora is creating a best practices guide for future dog parks. To help create best practices, we want to hear from you – How do you currently use dog parks? What priorities do you have for the future of dog parks in Aurora?

  Now through May 21, take a brief survey at the link below to share your thoughts about dog parks in Aurora.

  View a short presentation about dog parks in Aurora and the dog park study here.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Phase Three of Our Parks, Our Places

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  Thank you to all who attended our phase two open houses and have shared their feedback thus far in our master plan process.

  City of Aurora staff and the Sasaki team are working to evaluate community feedback and transform new ideas into recommendations we’ll share with the community about the future of Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space.

  Subscribe to the project in the upper right corner to receive updates about the project, or check back at EngageAurora.org/AuroraParks for upcoming events and updates.

• Phase Two Open Houses

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  Phase two of Our Parks, Our Places: A Plan for Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space is coming to an end and now we're sharing what we've learned. Parks, Recreation and Open Space staff have received insightful input from our community around how they currently use the parks, recreation and open space system and what they would like to see in the future. We've taken that input into consideration as we created the guiding principles for the master plan and established priorities moving forward. Now we need your feedback again! How can we improve services? What barriers should we prioritize? How would you choose to invest in the future of Parks, Recreation and Open Space in Aurora?

  Join us in-person at two open houses to learn more and give us your feedback.

  - Thursday, Feb. 9, 4 - 7 p.m., Southeast Recreation Center and Fieldhouse, 25400 E. Alexander Drive

  - Friday, Feb. 10, 2 - 5 p.m., Expo Recreation Center, 10955 E. Exposition Ave.

  
  

  Can't join us in-person? Check out the information below and share your thoughts virtually!

  Click here to view information from our phase two open houses, including feedback so far and our guiding principles.

  Click the links next to tree icons in the PDF to share feedback via Quickpolls, or follow the links below after reviewing the PDF.

  - How could we improve events and programs?

  - Which barrier should PROS work to address first?

  - How do we prioritize improvements to make PROS spaces more welcoming?

  - How would you invest in the future?

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  Share your thoughts on the guiding principles which will shape the goals and outcomes of the plan. To share additional ideas or thoughts please leave a comment on the Forum or email PROSmasterplan@auroragov.org

• Our Parks, Our Places Open Houses

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  The city of Aurora and Sasaki Associates invite you to attend one of the two upcoming open houses for Our Parks, Our Places: A Plan for Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space.

  So far, Phase 1 has been completed to learn what spaces, events, programs and amenities the community uses most, and Phase 2 has been underway to understand what gaps and needs the community identifies in the parks, recreation and open space system. Participate in the upcoming series of public open houses to review gaps and needs identified by the community and discuss the opportunities.

  Open houses will be hosted from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at the brand-new Southeast Recreation Center and Fieldhouse, 25400 E Alexander Drive, and from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at Expo Recreation Center, 10955 E. Exposition Ave. The community is welcome to drop in any time during event hours to share feedback at our interactive stations.

  The open houses will have interpreters and key information in Amharic, English, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish and Vietnamese. Childcare will be provided for kids 3-years-old and older. There will also be free food for participants. Individuals who cannot attend the open house event can view open house content and provide feedback online through EngageAurora.org/AuroraParks or via email at PROSMasterPlan@AuroraGov.org.

• Share Your Vision with Phase Two Survey

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  Following months of community input regarding Our Parks, Our Places: A Plan for Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space, the City of Aurora’s Park’s Recreation and Open Space Department and Sasaki Associates are excited to have launched into Phase 2: Visioning. This phase looks to identify and highlight the gaps and needs in the parks, recreation and open space system. This is our time to think big! We want to explore new ideas and ensure our spaces and programming has something to offer for everyone.

  Click here to learn more about Phase 1.

  Share your voice, take the survey today! The second Our Parks, Our Places survey will close on Sunday, Nov. 6. Click here to take the survey.

  
  

• City of Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space to Host Master Plan Open Houses

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  Following two months of community input regarding Our Parks, Our Places: A Plan for Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space, the city of Aurora’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department and Sasaki Associates are hosting two public open houses about the project.

  Open houses will be hosted from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, at Central Recreation Center, 18150 E. Vassar Place, and from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at Moorhead Recreation Center, 2390 Havana St. The planning process is organized around the five key themes of equitable access, community connections, health and safety, operational efficiencies and sustainable growth. To create an inclusive environment, there will be opportunities to provide feedback both in person and virtually.

  The open houses will include multiple stations discussing topics such as public feedback received to date, how Aurora’s park system compares to those of other cities, existing environmental conditions and overall access to the system.

  Key information will be available in Amharic, English, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish and Vietnamese, and interpretation services will be provided at the open houses. Childcare will be available for children 3 years old and older. There will also be food trucks on-site and food truck vouchers for participants.

  Additionally, residents will be able to share their opinion through a new online survey launching Sept. 20. Comments and questions can be shared any time on this website or by email to PROSMasterPlan@AuroraGov.org.

  Residents can also attend the open houses virtually. Click here to join the event from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20 (password: 893682) and click here to join the event from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 (password: 370349).

  Sign-up at EngageAurora.org/AuroraParks to stay updated on project news, opportunities to provide input and fun community events happening throughout the summer and fall.

  This project is being led by Sasaki Associates, Inc.