Energized Public Spaces (EPS) Design Guidelines
Energized Public Spaces Design Guidelines
“Urban parks serve as critical public places for recreation and civic engagement, essential to the quality of life in urban centers. Parks help provide solutions to a myriad of national and community issues: providing healthy places to exercise, managing stormwater runoff and helping clean the air, catalyzing economic and community development, and providing safe, close to home recreation options.”
– National Recreation and Park Association
Background
The purpose of the Energized Public Spaces (EPS) Design Guidelines is to create energized, inviting, easily accessible, attractive, comfortable, and safe public spaces.
The EPS Design Guidelines provides overall direction for major features of parks and public spaces design including the recommended size, type of experiences and amenities that each park type should provide.
The EPS Design Guidelines is a companion document to the Energized Public Spaces (EPS) Functional Master Plan.
The Vision & Goals
These guidelines aim to create places within a short walk where people of all ages and incomes can meet, play, relax, exercise, enjoy nature and more in a range of public spaces where we have the most people.
The guidelines:
- Develop flexible guidelines for public spaces
- Create a common language for planners, developers, and citizens
- Provide examples that illustrate the guidelines intent.
Public Input
Ideas and comments from the public were welcomed throughout the planning process. The public submitted comments through our Open Town Hall.
Public Outreach
Public outreach for this project included this project web page, Urban Parks Advisory Group Monthly Meetings, media releases and email campaigns to individuals and registered Homeowner and Civic Associations.
Notices and updates were sent out through the Commission E-newsletter, our social media channels on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #FutureParks and via the Parks Department News Center.
Calendar and Meeting Notes
The chart below shows the Plan schedule and associated notices, memos to Planning Board and County Council, and presentation materials.
| Dates | Notes and Resources |
|---|---|
| June 28, 2018 | Planning Board Meeting –
Project Briefing – item #4, staff memo, video link, and presentation |
| Winter 2019 | Public Review Period – Working Draft for public review and comments. Working Draft EPS Design Guidelines (PDF) |
| January 31, 2019, | Planning Board Work Session #1 & Public Comments
Energized Public Space Memo Work Session Board Memo January 2019 (PDF) |
| March 7, 2019 | Planning Board Work Session #2- rescheduled to 3/7/2019.
Energized Public Space Memo Work Session Board Memo March 2019 (PDF) , |
| July 2019 | Approved and Final EPS Design Guidelines (PDF) |
Contact Us
Cristina Sassaki, Project Coordinator
Email Cristina.Sassaki@MontgomeryParks.org
301-495-2595