Across the United States, public parks are going to the dogs. According to data from the Trust for Public Land, the country's 100 largest cities now host 810 off-leash dog parks, a 74 percent increase since 2009.
Boozehounds Dog Bar is building a 2,000-square-foot (186-square-meter) dog park and bar in Orlando, Florida, constructed from shipping containers. And in Phoenix, Arizona, with funding from retail chain PetSmart, a public-private partnership opened the state's first dog park in March. The popup—or “paw-pup,” as officials are calling it—will be monitored for its use and maintenance to determine if it should become a permanent space.
As parks proliferate, project teams will need to contend with issues such as irrigation needs to maintain healthy water environments, landscaping reviews to eliminate toxic plants, and designs that promote good behavior (socialization and exercise) and discourage bad behavior (urinating on tree trunks). Gathering stakeholder feedback and building a diverse project team are helping teams unleash great results.
The United States’ 100 largest cities now host 810 off-leash dog parks, a 74% increase since 2009.
Source: Trust for Public Land
RENDERING COURTESY OF CITY OF BOISE
Rendering of the plan for Together Treasure Valley Dog Island in Boise, Idaho, USA
New Digs
Together Treasure Valley Dog Island in Boise, Idaho will be home to more than 5 acres (2 hectares) of dog park, including a dredged water channel area for dogs to swim. The US$440,000 park will open later this year.
Toby Norton, the project's landscape architect, presented three designs for the entire park to the public and hosted listening sessions to solicit feedback. “Everybody thinks it's their park, so we have to balance the feedback of all the users,” he says.
One potential pain point was that the dog park cuts through an existing disc golf course. Mr. Norton worried that disc golfers would push back. But, after working with the disc golfers through the design phase, the project plan proved to be a hit. With a dedicated space for off-leash dogs, fewer Frisbees would be intercepted midair by furry interlopers trying to get in on the game. And, to keep players happy, the city created three new tees for the disc golf course to replace those impacted by the dog park.
In Hastings, Michigan, the 40-acre (16-hectare) Barry County Veterans Memorial Dog Park is putting accessibility first, with an emphasis on providing increased access and creating an inclusive community of dog lovers and veterans. Still in its planning stages, the park will include wheelchair-accessible parking and gates; trails marked with tactile paving to guide the sight-impaired; signage including Braille, text and imagery; and dedicated spaces for service dog training and recreation.
Leslie Lowe, owner of Beargrass Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, says the project will be a first-of-its-kind park where dogs can learn service skills like pulling wheelchairs through gravel and helping children with disabilities navigate playgrounds. Programmable sound plates will introduce dogs to noises they might encounter in service environments.
The sponsors, led by the nonprofit group Hastings Dog Park Companions, assembled a project team with a deep knowledge base. It included a husband and wife duo with dog training experience for the military, civilian service and film production, as well as a veteran and her service dog. Their insight into the needs of veterans and their service animals helped fill the knowledge gaps for Ms. Lowe. Such diverse project expertise, she says, is helping to “design the best possible park for dogs and people.”
—Hayley Grgurich