Park Maintenance Evaluation: Park Types

There are five park types in the system, defined as: 

• Civic Plaza or Square: An area that is typically designed to attract citywide and regional visitors; a tourist destination, often entrenched in local culture and history; a gathering place for civic action, processions, and cultural events; could have a landscaped area, a children’s play area, a decorative fountain, an underground garage, a concession or public art.
• Mini Park: A park typically 0.5 acres or smaller, serving a neighborhood or part of a neighborhood; often a landscaped area with few facilities such as a community garden, a children’s play area, outdoor performance space or a small natural area. 
• Neighborhood Park or Playground: A park typically varying in size from more than 0.5 acres to about 30 acres, serving a neighborhood or several neighborhoods; could be a developed park or playground with a range of facilities such as recreation center, clubhouse or swimming pool, or undeveloped open space.
• Parkway: Typically, a landscaped area developed along a public right of way; may have amenities such as restrooms.
• Regional Park: A park typically greater than 30 acres in size with a variety of park landscapes, facilities and programs for city residents, regional visitors, and tourists, or any park serving as a tourist destination of historical, cultural or architectural significance.   

Exploring scores across these different park types can help us to understand any trends or differences.