Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board approves new Comprehensive Plan, “Parks for All”

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) completed a new Comprehensive Plan that will guide the organization’s policy and priorities through the year 2036! At its Oct. 20, 2021 meeting, MPRB Commissioners approved the plan, called “Parks for All.”

Parks for All is based on the shared values of communities the MPRB serves, organizations and agencies the MPRB works with, and MPRB Commissioners and staff. It was created, revised and finalized through three years of research and feedback.

Parks for All will provide guidance in developing policy, establishing or changing programs and services, setting the annual MPRB budget and creating park improvements over the next decade and a half.

“The work that went into creating the Park for All Comprehensive Plan was phenomenal,” said MPRB Superintendent Al Bangoura. “It truly reflects the values of this agency and I am excited to bring the Parks for All vision to life over the next 15 years.”

At the Oct. 20 meeting, Park Commissioners made several minor amendments before passing the plan. The amendments are posted under “Attachments” on Resolution 2021-309, Resolution Approving Parks for All, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 2021 Comprehensive Plan.

The amended text has been redlined into the full plan is linked below. The graphic design team will work the amended text into an updated plan and post to the MPRB website soon.

Parks for All: MPRB Comprehensive Plan

Parks for All is a tool for communicating to MPRB staff, commissioners and the public about what the MPRB does and what it values. It builds on what works now while identifying gaps in programs, services and strategies that need to be filled.

Parks for All focuses on the whole park system, not specific recommendations for individual parks. It builds from the 2007 MRPB Comprehensive Plan other MPRB master plans, policies and activity plans, strategic directions and community input gathered during the last three years of engagement across the entire system, all of which incorporate more specific recommendations.

Plan Overview

Updated Mission Statement

Why the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board exists:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board permanently preserves, protects, maintains, improves, and enhances its natural resources, parkland, and recreational opportunities for current and future generations of our region including people, plants, and wildlife. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board dismantles historic inequities in the provision of park and recreation opportunities for all people to gather, celebrate, contemplate, and engage in activities that promote health, wellbeing, community, and the environment.

Vision

What is the future MPRB is trying to achieve?

In 2030, the Minneapolis park and recreation system embodies equitable park and recreation access balanced with ecological health. It is a premier destination that welcomes and brings joy to people that live, play, work, study in and visit Minneapolis.

Natural, cultural, artistic, historical, athletic, and recreational resources cultivate outstanding experiences that break down barriers to health, enjoyment, fun and learning for all people. The park system meets the needs of individuals, families and communities across culture, class, race/ethnicity, language, ability, geography, generation and gender.

A robust and vibrant tree canopy and system of natural areas extends its health, economic, and environmental benefits to every home. The focus on preserving land continues, with a strong emphasis on connecting people to the land and each other.

Through storytelling and experience, MPRB fosters pride in park users and staff and cultivates a new generation of proud stewards and supporters of an extraordinary park and recreation system.

Values

The ways the MPRB approaches its work and delivers services

Equitable: An equitable park system is one that provides just and fair inclusion for all people across age, race, culture, economic status, ability, and gender, and acknowledges that racial equity needs to be the priority in our work to dismantle systemic racism in our city.

Sustainable: A sustainable park and recreation system is one that cares for its resources, both natural and financial, across generations.

Connected: A connected park and recreation system operates with contextual awareness of the larger community, economic, political, and natural systems.

Independent: Independence allows the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to focus on obtaining, retaining, and providing the resources necessary to accomplish its mission.

Accountable: An accountable park and recreation system is one that stewards community visions toward implementation.

Innovative: An innovative park and recreation system continually seeks ways to better deliver park and recreation services. Innovation supports responsiveness to changes in community, globally and locally.

Goals

Nine goals will guide future development, operations and maintenance of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation system through 2036 based on its mission. Numerous strategies are outlined to achieve each goal within the plan.

  • Foster belonging and equity
  • Steward a continuum of nature and recreation
  • Provide core services with care
  • Work from our strengths and determine our role in partnerships
  • Expand focus on health equity
  • Strengthen ecological connections
  • Connect through communications and technology
  • Cultivate a thriving workforce
  • Operate a financially sustainable enterprise

Implementation and Measurement

To comprehensively monitor progress, evaluation will be tracked through the Annual Report and the Annual Dashboard. These tools will include a summary of progress on the Implementation Plan as well as any progress on the Comprehensive Plan Metrics.

Click the heading above to read more on Implementation and Measurement, which includes:

  • Tracking Progress
  • Reporting Progress
  • Measuring Progress
  • Amending the Plan
  • Level of Service Guidelines

Appendices

Click the heading above to view plan appendices, which include:

  • Engagement Overview
  • Implementation Plan
  • MPRB Policy Power Map
  • Plans Referenced and Included in Parks for All
  • Glossary of Terms
  • Sources
  • Highlights of 2007 Comprehensive Plan Accomplishments
  • Large Maps