Urbana Park District Strategic Plan 2027

Strategic Plan 2020 Appendix 2020

Background

Over the past five years, the 2020 Strategic Plan has guided the Park District toward successful goals and accomplishments for the betterment of our community and the Park District. It is now time to start preparing for the 2027-2031 Strategic Plan. Nearly 1,000 community members contributed towards our 2020 Strategic Plan through filling out questionnaires, answering whiteboard questions at events, attending focus groups, or participating in stakeholder meetings. This positively impacted our outcome, so we would like to follow our same pattern by engaging with the community and stakeholders.

Previous Strategic Plan Goals

During the 2020 Strategic Plan, four planning pillars were created: You Belong Here, Placemaking, Health & Wellness, and Trails & Connectivity. Each pillar is identified as an overarching theme for the important unmet needs within Urbana during that time. Below, we will associate goals that were accomplished over the past 5 years with each pillar. Below is a sample of the work we have completed over the past 5 years.

	You Belong Here
Meeting people where they already are, focusing on areas with transportation or financial barriers. We did our best to bring the fun to you through pop-up play, Play Days in the Park, Neighborhood Nights, and UrVANa.
	Placemaking
Providing new recreational opportunities and improved park experience for all ages. We were awarded with multiple Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grants for parks such as Blair and Meadowbrook Park. Both parks received tremendous improvements with new outdoor recreation features, including accessible playgrounds for both.
	Health & Wellness
We have completed and opened our new Health and Wellness center as of January 3rd, 2024. This building brings health & wellness to our Urbana residents who did not have access to other facilities.
	Trails & Connectivity
Furthering the implementation of Weaver Park & East Urbana KRT Connectivity is a goal of ours that is currently still underway. Construction of Weaver Park’s KRT trailhead began in 2025. Additionally, we have completed the master plan for both Weaver and Prairie Parks and have applied for the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Site Improvement grant.

Strategic Planning Process

Internally, the Park District has already kicked off Strategic Plan activities involving staff and our Urbana Park District Advisory Committee (UPDAC) members. Both groups have participated in a graphic facilitation with David Michael Moore. David describes this process as “big, bold, visual notetaking!” This activity sparked lots of healthy conversations with emerging themes such as:

Preserving and Expanding our Four Pillars (You Belong Here, Placemaking, Health & Wellness, and Trails & Connectivity)
Youth Development and Opportunity
Expanding Without Neglecting
Removing Barriers
Creating Greenways and Safe Connections

Staff Graphic Facilitation - Fall 2025

UPDAC Graphic Facilitation - Fall 2025

Strategic Plan Outlook

Currently, we are planning to initiate interviews with stakeholders such as the City of Urbana, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, Champaign County Forest Preserves, and other local agencies. Collecting feedback from our close partners is a crucial step in discovering how we impact the Urbana community.

Moving into Spring, the Urbana Park District will focus its attention on public engagement in the form of questionnaires, outreach at events, and focus groups. This is a great opportunity to get involved in the strategic planning process by attending UPD events and providing feedback on all aspects. We will do our best to ensure our questionnaire is shared with all Urbana residents who are interested in making the Urbana Park District and our community a better place for all. You can find us collecting feedback at certain events, such as:

Senior Potluck
Play Days in the Park
Neighborhood Nights
Jettie Rhode’s Day
And More!

2027 Strategic Plan Schedule

Strategic Planning Activity	2027 Plan
Staff/UPDAC Graphic Facilitation	Fall '25
Stakeholder Interviews	Spring/Summer '26
Public Input and Focus Groups	Summer '26
Plan Development	Summer/Fall '26
Board Acceptance	Fall '26

If you have any questions or statements about our strategic planning process, please email the Park Planner, Keenan Portis.