How is a Park Designed?

 

Projects as big as the 308-acres of Dix Park are more than just park-building projects – they are city and community-building projects, too! The design journey from idea to park is more complex than you might expect.

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Following planning and feasibility studies, there are three key design phases for a public project like Dix Park before creation can begin:

  • Schematic Design (We’re at 100% schematic design with a site plan and illustrative sketches for Plaza & Play!)

  • Design Development

  • Construction Documents

The full design process can range from 16-months to several years, depending on the size and complexity of the project. The framework identified in the Dix Park Master Plan guides the process. Input from the community is essential, and public engagement happens throughout, ranging from collaboration with specific working groups to open houses to online engagement.

The designs are also reviewed and approved by numerous stakeholders. City Council, the Parks, Recreation, & Greenway Advisory Board, administrative staff, and other leaders in the City of Raleigh are engaged. The budget is updated at key points as the design is refined.

While the design is being finalized, permits are pursued from agencies like the NC Department of Transportation, NC Department of Environmental Quality, US Army Corps of Engineers, and more, depending on the project specifics. When the project has all of the necessary green lights and funding has been secured, construction can begin and changes on the ground will start to appear!

Across Dix Park’s open green fields and shade tree groves, this process will be repeated many times, and there are many opportunities to get involved and make your voice heard along the way! Learn more about park planning for Dix Park here.

DesignHart RobertsDix Park