Master Plan Inventory Analysis It is important to assess the current inventory of parks and amenities within the Park District and analyze their Levels of Service (LOS) within the community. Many amenities within park and recreation agencies are measured by levels of service, certain acres of open space or number of amenities per 1,000 people, to determine quality and quantity of facilities and parks based on guidelines to meet the community’s needs and wants. Establishing service criteria improves park and recreation agencies’ ability to better plan parks and implement essential facilities and amenities, while increasing chances for grant funding and determining the proper need for land acquisition. Taking the steps to determine the measures of service levels provides the agency with the ability to forecast capital projects and give residents ideas of what to expect within their community as the years progress. The NRPA established the “Recreation, Park, and Open Space Standards and Guidelines” in the 1990s for agencies to reference and ensure they were meeting community needs. In the last few years the NRPA established a new program called Park Metrics – this is an online database for park and recreation agencies to enter their organization’s park and recreation data, budget, staffing, etc., to easily benchmark with other park agencies in the same region, state, and/or across the country. This will replace the 1995 Levels of Service Guidelines as participation grows and data becomes refined. Although the guidelines were considered fluid and meant to cater to each agency’s needs, the NRPA is transitioning to the Park Metrics system because not all communities could reach the “one-size-fits-all” targeted guidelines previously mentioned due to varying factors such as size of their jurisdiction, lack of available land to acquire, or funding constraints, among others. The Naperville Park District modified its measurements based on the former NRPA Guidelines as well as the existing community population, makeup, and trend patterns in order to maintain continuity with previous plans and goals. The Park District uses Park Metrics to benchmark for certain recreational areas, but not across the District for the purposes of this plan. It is important to note that the guidelines remain flexible to accommodate trends, community wants, and the budget; any “deficiencies” reflected may not need to be filled as they may meet the Naperville Park District’s requirements at this time.
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Naperville Park District | 2023 MASTER PLAN
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