The City of Lexington has launched a comprehensive Parks & Recreation Master Plan aimed to guide improvements to the city’s parks, programs, facilities, services, and operations.
The Discover Great Places + Green Spaces Master Plan is designed to assess Lexington’s existing parks and recreation system and identify current needs, anticipate future demand, and build a shared long-term vision for the system.
What To Know
The Master Plan is a community-driven planning process that will provide recommendations and establish clear guidelines for implementation.
According to the city, projects will be prioritized for phased investment over a 10-plus year timeline.
“Our parks system is such an important part of what makes Lexington unique and great,” said Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton. “Greenspaces and parks facilities enhance our quality of life, educate us on the importance of environmental stewardship, and most importantly, build community. We need everyone’s input on the “Discover Great Places + Green Spaces” Master Plan to ensure these wonderful spaces continue to match our community’s needs for many years to come.”
The Parks & Recreation Master Plan will build on recent community action.
In the fall of 2024, Lexington voters approved “Yes for Parks,” establishing a dedicated Park Fund to support parks and recreation improvements across the city.
The city says a comprehensive Master Plan is a critical tool for guiding how Park Fund dollars and other funding sources are allocated, which ensures investments are strategic, equitable, transparent, and aligned with community priorities.
Residents Input Matters
Through data-driven analysis and extensive public engagement, the Master Plan will evaluate demographics, recreation trends, facility conditions, and levels of service citywide.
The resulting recommendations will identify opportunities for improved and new parks, enhanced facilities, expanded programming, and operational efficiencies, while prioritizing projects and funding considerations.
“The importance of a Master Plan can’t be overstated,” said Monica Conrad, Director of Lexington Parks & Recreation. “We go through this process every 10 years, and our new amenities, improvements, and additional programming are a direct result of this planning process. This plan will help shape Lexington’s green spaces for the next 10 years and reverberate for many generations afterward. We’re excited to begin this process and look forward to working with all of Lexington to gather critical feedback.”
The Master Plan is also designed to align with key citywide goals and initiatives, including Imagine Lexington 45, the Urban Growth Master Plan, and national park accreditation standards.
Connecting these initiatives helps Lexington’s parks and recreation system support broader community objectives related to health, environmental stewardship, and quality of life.
The planning process includes:
- Comprehensive assessment of parks, facilities, programs, services, and operations
- Analysis of demographic trends, recreation needs, and future demand
- Extensive public and stakeholder engagement
- Development of a shared vision and a phased implementation strategy
Community input is central to the success of the Master Plan.
Residents, stakeholders, and community partners will have multiple opportunities to participate through surveys, community conversations, stakeholder meetings, events, an interactive project website that includes online engagement tools, and a statistically valid mailed survey.
Community members are encouraged to learn more and share feedback by visiting the project website at lexingtonky.gov/parkplan.
