a better park?
Beloved Memorial Park seeks Houstonians' input on improvements
By any measure, Memorial Park is a treasured jewel of the Bayou City and a beloved Houston icon. To wit: Some 4 million Houstonians from more than 170 zip codes visit the park each year for general recreation, socializing, and wildlife watching — to say nothing of the people and dog watching.
Of late, it’s been a bit of a renaissance for the park: It received a mammoth influx of cash (a cool $70 million), courtesy of the Kinder Foundation. Then, there’s the news of a partnership with the Shell Houston Open, thanks to the Astros Foundation.
But could the park be even better? The masterminds of the Memorial Park Conservancy are seeking answers via a new, limited-time online survey, dubbed Your Memorial Park.
Your Memorial Park offers Houstonians an opportunity to share personal experiences and feedback on Houston’s largest urban-center park. Responses are carefully analyzed and will inform future park offerings and programs, according to the conservancy.
Thus, now is the time for those who want to lobby for more parking, dog fountains, lighting, or, say, even ziplining. To participate, locals should visit Memorial Park Conservancy online or tap “Take our survey” at the top right-hand corner of the homepage. The survey will close at midnight on December 31, 2019.
Houstonians may recall that public input was highly solicited for the Memorial Park Master Plan, the plan for the future of the park that was passed unanimously by Houston City Council in 2015.
For a refresher, the Master Plan focuses on: restoring the park’s ecological systems and creating greater resiliency; reconnecting the park’s land, waterways, trails, and people; consolidating compatible uses together in appropriate areas; tending to the land and the park’s cultural history, maintaining balance through responsible management; and enhancing the overall park experience and amenities.
