6. NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Understanding the needs of a community is foundational to planning a park system. What facilities are available? What is missing? What condition are the parks in? How does the system measure up to other comparable cities? As part of the master planning process, consultants and City agencies, including PARCS, DARM and PW departments, employed various methods to gather information about Fresno’s park and open space system. This chapter describes the needs assessment – a systematic process of analyzing existing conditions to identify aspects of the park and open space system that are not meeting user needs. Results of the needs assessment shall guide future planning and design efforts for Fresno’s parks and open spaces.