Big Idea #2: Invest in Neighborhood Parks
Big Idea #2: Invest in Neighborhood Parks
Mecklenburg County includes about 21,000 acres of parks and open space, 55 miles of greenway trails, and 60 facilities. But, the County’s 94 neighborhood parks do a lot of work to improve the community’s daily lives!
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Map of the County’s high priority communities in light orange, parks with need for investment in green and gaps in park access circled with a dashed line.
Focus on high priority communities
Mecklenburg’s large parks, preserves, and greenways are often in excellent condition, but many neighborhood parks and facilities need updates. Many of these places are also in denser, high priority communities, shaded in light orange on the map.
Expand access where there are gaps
36% of residents can reach a County’s park, facility or trails in a 10-minute walk. The outlined areas show zones that are beyond a 10-minute reach from a park through any means of travel. MeckPlaybook recommends closing gaps through coordination with trails, transit, and strategic land acquisition.
Imagine MLK Park
MLK Park is a well-loved neighborhood park. Today, the park has many improvement needs and access challenges due to road, water, and rail barriers.
By bridging across the creek, creating greenway connections and improving existing paths—we can decrease travel time to the park while also upgrading the play fields and taking advantage of the view to Uptown Charlotte.
The future MLK Park will prioritize connections to the neighborhoods currently lacking access.