changelabsolutions.org 6 City/County Meetings: Ongoing, Regular Meetings A city, county, or special district can also receive public input at meetings, such as meetings of the city council, board of supervisors, board of directors, or parks and recreation commission. When items relevant to parks are on the agenda, these bodies should not only reach out to known user groups and stakeholders, but also publicize the issue widely to potentially interested groups, such as schools, faith-based organizations, and neighborhoods that are underserved or park poor. Surveys and Forums: Gathering Data from Residents Cities, counties, and special districts should also consider taking routine, ongoing surveys of parks users and residents to better understand their needs. These could include telephone surveys, online surveys, and in-person surveys at parks. Asking the community what they want in a particular park will help a jurisdiction determine what to build (e.g., community center or pool) as well as what types of activities to program (e.g., knitting class, yoga, etc.). Surveys can reach broad swaths of the community if they are conducted at diverse locations, such as schools, churches, libraries, or other community institutions, rather than only at meetings held at the city hall. It is important to survey a wide range of people with different needs, such as older adults, children, parents, young adults, low-income residents, and persons of differing races and ethnicities. Demographically balanced surveys are critical. An often overlooked best practice is presenting a regular report on the user survey results to governing boards and councils, which can keep the issue of a complete parks system in front of community decision makers.
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