A year ago, the City of Asheville approved funding for Recreate Asheville, a comprehensive plan meant to guide the next 10+ years of planning and decisionmaking for Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR). Since then, APR has been assessing the community's needs to develop a plan of action.

As we near the end of the second phase, drafting plan recommendations, APR has offered an update on the state of local parks and the results of feedback sessions and surveys. So let's dive in.

Conditions + community feedback

The presentation rated all local parks on a one-five scale, with one being "like new" and five being "unsafe or not functional." Eighteen Asheville parks were rated a three, indicating they require investment to avoid irreversible decline, and three parks were given a four, indicating minor remaining value.

Feedback from surveys, workshops, social media, and more show a wide range of community priorities for facilities and amenities, like multi-use paved trails and swimming pools, as well as for programming, like adult wellness and cultural enrichment.

You can check out the full presentation or explore the slides for more details.

The second phase of the project will conclude at the end of March. | Timeline via the City of Asheville

Park your opinions

But the chance to share your thoughts hasn't passed — mark your calendar for these upcoming feedback opportunities.

An online survey will run from Wednesday, March 27-Monday, April 15.
A virtual community meeting with a presentation and time for comment will take place on Wednesday, March 27 at 6 p.m.
A drop-in open house on Thursday, March 28, 7-11 a.m., will be held at Stephens-Lee Community Center.