How community input can influence a recreation center’s design
By Gudmundur Jonsson
Debuted in April 2019 as Aurora, Colorado’s first new recreation center in 40 years, Central Recreation Center was the result of a thorough public-input and engagement process focused on solving the city’s need for a new center in the area. It was designed with the community in mind. Directly influenced by resident feedback, three public meetings were held in 2016 with over 200 community members in attendance at each, allowing them to express opinions and give feedback on the design and programming activities. This input served as the basis of design for vision planning and creation of a state-of-the-art facility.
The Campaign
Central Recreation Center’s campaign, titled “Picture It!”, perfectly summarized the mission of painting a picture of what Aurora residents visualized in their new home for recreation and wellness. All three meetings were held in the gymnasium and cafeteria areas of a local elementary school, across from the recreation center site. This strategically chosen location allowed community members to visualize the proximity of the recreation center to neighborhoods, public transportation, and trail connections. The highly interactive process allowed residents to have their voices heard and challenged them to make some tough decisions.
Each of the meetings focused on a different aspect of the building. In the first meeting, community members were given 25 “recreation bucks” to vote on their preferred programming activities. The second meeting built off the results of the first and focused on the top three programming activities, where aquatics was chosen. The third meeting focused on the exterior aesthetic.
“We know from experience that large, open-forum groups don’t work well when asking for community input. Residents are often hesitant to ask questions or give feedback in this setting,” says Doug Barraza, a Populous recreation center colleague. “Central Recreation Center is a great example of a small-group, interactive format that provided an opportunity for residents to have their voices heard in a casual neighborhood setting.”
The attendance at these meetings far surpassed the initial goal and allowed city staff members and Populous to personally connect with individuals, hear their stories, listen to their feedback, and ensure the design reflected their voices. Furthermore, this process allowed Populous to move forward with the design, confident in what the citizens hoped to see in their new recreation center.