Design Concepts
Pickleball Court Design: Maximizing Fun and ...

Pickleball is one of the hottest trends in recreation right now, and for good reason. It’s a welcoming sport that offers an abundance of fun. It’s known as a ‘game for everyone.’ Pickleball encourages physical activity to improve people’s fitness and wellness. As park designers, we see pickleball on the agenda for most of the park projects we work on.

Pickleball Court Design: Maximizing Fun and Functionality
Erik Spring
Erie Community Park: Third and Final Phase

This summer we celebrated the grand opening of the third and final phase of Erie Community Park. 12 acres of features were added to this park extending its value to the community. The park is consistently filled with people enjoying all it has to offer, and we could be more excited to see that enthusiasm.

Erie Community Park: Third and Final Phase
Design Concepts
Outdoor Classrooms: Now More Than Ever

This past year, schools all over the country were forced to allow fewer students inside and keep classes physically separate from each other, making their outside spaces a hot commodity. In many cases schools had to scramble to figure out ways to make this happen with little time to plan. We propose that to better equip schools for the future, more time, funding, and attention is needed to design these outdoor learning environments in ways students, teachers and the neighboring community can enjoy throughout the year.

Outdoor Classrooms: Now More Than Ever
Design Concepts
Two Hunters Park: A Tribute to Mark Martinez ...

Parks all around the world are known for igniting emotions of hope, peace, and optimism. Two Hunters Park, a commemorative park honoring the lives of Mark Martinez and Joey Irwin of Firestone, CO is no exception.

Two Hunters Park: A Tribute to Mark Martinez and Joey Irwin
Schools
Design Concepts
Helping Our Community Grow

We worked alongside these supporters for several years with continuing development on Lafayette Elementary’s garden as well as their three playgrounds. Recently, we began replacing raised flower beds in areas being reestablished.

Helping Our Community Grow

spatial relationships

Spatial Relationships via Mapping the World

Geographic Information System (GIS) technology is a powerful tool for mapping our world and understanding spatial relationships.  GIS applications allow users to create a digital model of the real world that may be used to answer real world questions.  Used in a wide range of industries and disciplines, GIS is a valuable analysis and planning tool for park and recreation professionals.

Why GIS?

GIS analysis provides more robust evidence for action than traditional master planning techniques.  GIS yields decisions based on customizable factors specific to an agency or community.  GIS datasets are used to identify gaps and allow service providers to prioritize improvements based on evidence-based decisions.  An excellent resource to learn more about GIS basics can be found at ‘Introduction to Geographic Information Systems,’ by Robert Rose, GIS Instructor at Harvard Map Collection.

Case Study Examples Presented at Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA)

In-House GIS technology experts Dave and Carter, from our specialized planning team, presented a session at the CPRA Annual Conference in Breckenridge focused on their groundbreaking GIS analysis work in Stafford County, Virginia.  Arc News published an article about the project called ‘Ball Field Study Hits Home Run’ which can be found at www.esri.com

Design Concepts is an M/WBE, SBE Landscape Architecture design firm with the City and County of Denver and a DBE under the US Department of Transportation’s Colorado Unified Certification Program (UCP).