Introduction The
City of Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) offers quality valued assets and programs to the community through a variety of services that enhance Brownsville’s quality of life, economic value, and sense of community. The PARD owns and maintains over 1,000 acres of parkland, 32 miles of trail, 39 parks, 3 recreation facilities & gymnasiums, 2 public pools, 50 buildings and structures, over 55 athletics fields, and the Catherine Stillman Dog Park. The Department also offers exceptional recreation programming for all ages in the areas of aquatics, athletics, youth enrichment, adults, senior, and special needs programming, and special events; additionally, it has special facilities such as the Brownsville Sports Park, the Brownsville Events Center, and the Brownsville Golf Center.
COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE PLAY IN THE PARKS We are committed to the development of our children and youth of all abilities and developmental stages through play, providing quality programming that enhances their understanding of the world around them. We believe play and the outdoors gives them opportunities to learn essential skills to flourish in life such as physical & cognitive development, socialization, problem solving, conflict resolution, and so much more. We encourage our playground manufacturers and vendors to be as creative and affordable as possible to help us achieve these goals when designing new playgrounds for the City of Brownsville.
THE BROWNSVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN provides a foundation for guiding the future growth and development of the city that is consistent with the vision and goals of the community. The plan consists of core elements and smart growth/sustainability elements. The four core elements include land use (including public facilities and parks), downtown, economic development, and mobility/infrastructure. These core elements are supported by six smart growth/sustainability elements: civic, education, equity, healthcare, emergency management, and environment. • Parks and greenspace play an important role in the land use portion of the plan in terms of preservation of land for conservation efforts, connectivity of the city, and the introduction of open space and parks in developed portions of the city. • As a smart growth principle, this plan identifies public open spaces and trails as important connections between various areas and land uses within the community because of their positive impact on property values, importance in providing amenities and civic gathering spaces for residents, and their role in creating an identity for neighborhoods. • Future developments must include a variety of open space types, from small greenspaces that serve individual local neighborhoods, as well as providing larger, regional parks and preservation areas that attract a broad user base from multiple neighborhoods. • Expanding the existing trail system is important in connecting the city, offering recreational opportunities, and providing infrastructure for alternative modes of transportation. • The Parks and Recreation Department plays an integral role in embracing the multi-cultural diversity of the city by providing civic gathering spaces, interpretive opportunities, and programming of cultural events and celebrations. 4|Page