Comprehensive and Strategic Plans
START DATE
2024
PROJECTED END DATE
2029 - Strategic Plan
2033 - Comprehensive Plan
LOCATION
Wilmette
About the Plans
Background
The Comprehensive and Strategic Plans are the product of Project Parks and Play: Explore the Possibilities (PPP), an initiative from October 2022 designed to produce a 10-year comprehensive plan with reviews and recommendations for Park District facilities and open spaces and a 5-year strategic plan with reviews and recommendations for operations and programming.
Planning Project Overview
PPP was led by BerryDunn, a consulting firm that assembled a team of experts in architecture, landscaping, communications, parks and recreation, and community engagement to support the project.
The period of October 2022 through June 2024 was spent gathering community input and analyzing the findings to inform the planning process. Feedback was collected through community surveys, resident focus groups, public meetings, meetings with community organizations, and professional assessments of parks, facilities and programs.
With the planning process complete and the final plans approved by the Board of Park Commissioners, we are thrilled to share the final Comprehensive and Strategic Plans with the community. Thank you to each individual who took the time to share your incredibly valuable input – this whole process relied heavily on your guidance for our future. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Plan Documents
Planning Project Timeline
Fall 2022
Initial Project Planning
Project Parks and Play: Explore the Possibilities launches under consulting firm BerryDunn.
Fall 2022 & Winter 2023
Engagement: Phase 1
Feedback was gathered during Phase 1 through two Public Open Houses, several digital feedback activities on the project's Social Pinpoint site, facility voting boxes and idea walls, a resident aQity Research survey, and community emails.
Spring 2023
Analysis
All Phase 1 feedback was reviewed and organized to present findings with the Park Board and community.
Summer 2023
Visioning
Park District staff were placed into committees to help develop and define objectives and performance measures for focus areas of the project.
Spring 2024
Engagement: Phase 2
A Town Hall Meeting and final resident survey were conducted to share the latest findings, and to focus on specific areas identified as important in earlier feedback.
Summer 2024
Final Plan and Implementation
BerryDunn and their team of experts produced the final documents of the 10-year Comprehensive Plan and 5-year Strategic Plan. The plans were approved by the Park Board on July 8, 2024.
Press Releases and Presentations
- PRESS RELEASE: WPD Approves Comprehensive and Strategic Plans, 8/2024
- PRESENTATION: Town Hall Meeting, 3/2024
- PRESENTATION: Board Update, 2/2024
- PRESENTATION: Board Update, 10/2023
- PRESENTATION: Community Survey Findings Report, 5/2023
- PRESENTATION: aQity Community Survey Results, 5/2023
- PRESENTATION: Environmental Scan, 4/2023
- PRESS RELEASE: Community Survey, 1/2023
- PRESS RELEASE: Phase 1 Extension Announcement, 12/2022
- PRESS RELEASE: Community Engagement Update, 11/2022
- PRESS RELEASE: Project Parks and Play Announcement, 10/2022
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