By Robyn Bartling, PLA, ASLA, Principal and Craig Stoffel, Associate, Hord Coplan Macht
Synthetic turf has become an increasingly popular option for municipalities, park and recreation districts, educational campuses, and others responsible for maintaining fields and recreation areas. The global synthetic turf market is expected to grow by USD 1.49 billion during 2020-2024, according to Technavio. Turf has risen in popularity for a variety of motivations – from advances in technology
to ecological benefits, maintenance, and budgetary considerations – and is likely to see continued growth with a variety of lifecycle considerations. Reviewing and discussing key questions can help determine the type of solution to implement. We recommend several factors when considering synthetic turf versus natural turf.
1. What are the proposed uses? 2. How many programmable hours will the fields be in use annually? 3. What is the availability and budget for irrigation water now and in the future? If synthetic turf is selected as the best option, we work to educate our clients on the key differences and benefits as it relates to the different types of systems,
There continues to be significant demand for high-quality playing and recreation surfaces with more options and technology advancements on the horizon. 28 • Colorado Byline | Fall 2020
