Your Community. Your Vision. Your PARCS Master Plan

PARCS Master Plan: Shaping Lancaster’s Parks, Arts, Recreation and Community Services

Lancaster’s Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Community Services are at the heart of what makes our city a great place to live. The PARCS Department proudly manages 13 parks spanning more than 340 acres, along with beloved facilities such as museums, a performing arts center, a community center, a batting range, and public pools.

Our last Parks Master Plan was completed in 2007. Since then, Lancaster has grown and changed. Community demographics, recreation interests, funding opportunities, and shared values have evolved—and it’s time our plan reflects today’s needs and tomorrow’s possibilities.

Why a New PARCS Master Plan?

The PARCS Master Plan will serve as a roadmap for the future of Lancaster’s parks, programs, and community spaces. It will help ensure our system is welcoming, equitable, sustainable, and responsive to the community we serve. The plan will:

• Establish a clear mission, vision, values, goals, and objectives for PARCS facilities, programs, trails, and services

• Create short-, mid-, and long-term strategies for managing and enhancing parks and recreation amenities

• Identify priorities for improving existing parks and developing new ones, including park types, sizes, locations, and timing

• Expand access to parks, recreation, trails, and open spaces for all residents, with a strong focus on equity and inclusion

• Evaluate staffing needs to support park maintenance, recreation, arts, and community services operations

• Incorporate current and emerging trends to guide thoughtful, future-ready decisions

Community-Driven Planning

Following a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process, the City selected MIG, a nationally recognized planning and design firm, to partner with the PARCS Department on this effort. Together, they will lead a robust community engagement process, conduct a comprehensive needs assessment, and evaluate existing facilities, programs, events, and staffing.

Your voice matters. The PARCS Master Plan will be shaped by community input and will guide decisions for years to come—Creating a better tomorrow. Together. 

Project Schedule

• Read the schedule here: LancasterPARCS_Master Plan_Schedule_010626

Master Plan Documents 

• Coming soon!