Lawrence Parks Master Plan

American Structurepoint updated the City of Lawrence’s Parks Department’s 5-year Master Plan in accordance with the requirements of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Working with a study review committee representing multiple stakeholder organizations in the community, our team inventoried and evaluated the park’s land and facilities and assessed the location of parks relative to the community’s residents. Additionally, we completed capital and program recommendations for advancing the quality, accessibility, and public awareness of the parks system.

It’s well known that the COVID- 19 pandemic came with a variety of challenges surrounding public interactions. The groundwork had been laid for the Parks Master Plan, and our strategies were ready to be presented when the disaster suddenly struck. In early 2020, our team had to quickly learn how to adapt to a virtual environment in a field where personal connection was key. In the end, we engaged Seekbeak, a monumentally innovative website that enables virtual public engagement which allowed us to conduct polling exercises. This was also a new, virtual way to get the plan in front of members of the community. This method, combined with a joint outreach effort with various churches and establishments in the area, allowed us to successfully design a park that met all requirements and resulted in funding for future design and improvements. In a time of uncertainty, our team was challenged to revise the traditional planning strategies to meet our clients’ health and personal needs.