Park & Open Space Plan

2025-2030 Park & Open Space Plan

Madison Parks is updating its Park and Open Space Plan (POSP) and seeking input from area residents. The purpose of the POSP is to guide and inform public park policies and park facility decisions in the city of Madison. Parks staff is working with a consultant planning team led by MSA Professional Services, Inc., to host a series of open houses to introduce the project and gather input from attendees. The open houses are drop-in sessions, held at various locations throughout the city in April and May. Participants may stop by anytime during the two-hour event, each held from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

POSP Open House Drop-In Sessions

• Thursday, April 4, Vel Phillips Memorial High School, 201 S Gammon Rd; Wisconsin Community Room
• Thursday, April 25, Warner Park Community Recreation Center, 1625 Northport Dr; Meeting Room
• Thursday, May 2, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave; Atrium
• Thursday, May 9, Madison Parks Lakeside Offices, 330 E Lakeside St; Board Room

Madison Parks anticipates the planning process to continue throughout 2024. As part of the process, the team will work with the Parks Long Range Planning Committee to review the sections of the plan as they are updated.

Additional information about the POSP is available on the Parks Projects, the main source of information as the project moves forward. The website will include project status updates, additional input opportunities, and the review and approval process. Madison Parks welcomes your ideas for additional ways to get the word out and asks that you share this information with all who may be interested in the POSP.

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2018-2023 Park and Open Space Plan

• 2018-2023 Park and Open Space Plan
• Accepted by Common Council: October 30, 2018
• Legislative File ID No.: 52928

The 2018-2023 Park and Open Space Plan (POSP) was adopted by the City of Madison Common Council on October 30, 2018. The purpose of the POSP is to serve as a long range planning guide for decisions made by City Boards and Commissions, City agencies and staff. It is a tool used to guide decisions for a variety of Park and Open Space issues such as city policies, park acquisitions, facility development, as well as park funding. The POSP is also a necessary component to be eligible for Federal and State grants.

This plan is the culmination of an intensive planning and public input process which began in May 2016 and was guided by the Long Range Planning Subcommittee of the Park Commission, the advisory committee to this plan. The Park and Open Space Plan engagement process incorporated various methods to increase opportunities for public participation. These included hosting community visioning sessions, workshops, surveys, focus group discussions, and requests for input through comment cards distributed at various park events, community centers, libraries, and public meetings. Results from the Imagine Madison Comprehensive Plan engagement process related specifically to park and open space improvements are incorporated into this plan. These planning and public input gathering efforts are unprecedented and have provided an extensive inventory and analysis of the existing and future City of Madison park system.

Previous Park and Open Space Plans

• 2012 - 2017 Park and Open Space Plan Adopted May 15, 2012