SOUTH BURLINGTON, VERMONT — PLANNING FOR PARKS IN A FAST-GROWING CITY

Parks are not an afterthought in South Burlington. They are central to how the city is growing.

Following the completion of its Economic Development Strategy, the City is continuing its work with CivicSol to develop a Parks and Open Space Master Plan. This next phase reflects a clear understanding: as South Burlington adds housing, builds out City Center, and evolves as a community, its parks and open space system must evolve alongside it.

This is what effective partnership looks like. Not a one-time plan, but a continued investment in getting the fundamentals right.

THE MOMENT

South Burlington is managing real growth.

With new housing, shifting demographics, and continued investment in infrastructure and quality of place, parks and open space are becoming essential to how that growth is experienced. They are not amenities to be added later. They are civic infrastructure that shapes livability, access, and long-term resilience.

Key priorities include:

• Ensuring equitable access to parks across all neighborhoods
• Aligning recreation and open space investments with housing and population growth
• Strengthening trail connectivity and active transportation networks
• Protecting natural systems, habitat, and ecological assets
• Establishing clear standards to guide land use and capital decisions

The opportunity is not to start over. It is to build forward with clarity, discipline, and a shared set of priorities.

THE CIVIC SOLUTION

CivicSol is partnering with the City to deliver a Parks and Open Space Master Plan that is rigorous, aligned, and built for implementation.

Building on prior planning work, this effort will create a unified framework that connects active recreation, conservation, land use, and infrastructure investment. As outlined in our proposal, the focus is not just on vision, but on execution.

Our work will include:

• A verified baseline of park assets, open space, and growth projections
• A clear parks and open space hierarchy tied to service levels and function
• GIS-based gap analysis to identify access, equity, and conservation needs
• Growth-based demand modeling to align future investment with population change
• Structured stakeholder engagement focused on decisions and tradeoffs
• A capital and conservation roadmap with prioritized, fundable actions

The goal is straightforward: deliver a plan the City can use on day one.

THE IMPACT

The result will be more than a master plan.

It will be a framework that helps South Burlington align growth with quality of life, ensuring that as the city evolves, it remains livable, connected, and grounded in its values.

By advancing this work, South Burlington will be better positioned to:

• Deliver equitable access to parks and recreation as the city grows
• Integrate conservation and climate resilience into everyday planning decisions
• Align land use, infrastructure, and open space into one coherent system
• Make clear, defensible capital investment decisions over the next decade

This work continues a broader trajectory, connecting economic growth, community development, and quality of place into a single, aligned strategy.

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