Public Lands Department

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Welcome

Welcome

Designing and activating parks as inclusive, vibrant community spaces.

a wooden crane climbing structure in a park with a child climbing it.

Parks

  • Installed new benches, playgrounds, lighting, and security infrastructure at parks across the City. 
  • Supported major City cultural events, as well as volunteer, community, and neighborhood celebrations. 
  • Cared for hundreds of newly planted trees.  
  • Expanded ADA access, restroom availability, and park maintenance standards. 
  • Improved safety and usability through targeted infrastructure upgrades. 
  • Collaborated with SLCPD Green Squad and All Pro Security to improve security in parks  
  • Completed tree lifting and bank mowing along the JRT to increase safety, discourage camping, and restore the riparian zone 
  • Completed erosion and camping control measures under the North Temple and 3-Creeks bridges  
  • Standardized and increased maintenance and began Capital Improvement Project (CIP) installations across baseball fields.  
  • Installed and began utilizing 11 in-ground trashcans; 3,900 gallons of trash collected in just five services, which dramatically increased staff efficiency  
three people stand around a park design option. One points. the others look interested and engaged.

Planning and Design

  • Advanced inclusive design through new playgrounds, bilingual signage, and ADA upgrades. 

  • Engaged tens of thousands of residents in park visioning and planning. 

  • Began construction of the new Liberty Park Rotary Play Park, an inclusive play area for all abilities and play styles. 

  • Applied for and awarded funds to enhance event space at multiple parks, which will reduce costs for event organizers, enable more events to be planned, and spread out demand across the park system.  

  • Completed Phase 1 engagement for Fleet Block Public Open Space. 

  • Reinitiated international partnerships for improvements at the International Peace Gardens. 

  • Continued partnership with KABOOM! to improve play spaces for kids in the Fairpark neighborhood with a new playground at Madsen Park. 

  • Opened Glendale Park Phase 1; park designs were based on the feedback and priorities of 1,300 local voices. 
two people on adaptive bikes wait on a trailhead

Trails and Natural Lands

  • Expanded trail use data collection through counters and QR codes.

  • Partnered with the University of Utah to conduct stakeholder interviews to foster engagement and community involved visioning for the Foothills.

  • Completed vegetation maintenance to improve safety and accessibility at multiple parks.

  • Opened new trailheads in the Foothills at Bonneville Blvd. and Popperton Park; trailheads include native plant gardens, bike racks, sitting and eating areas, and walking paths.



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a city street with large trees lining the sidewalk

Urban Forestry

  • Achieved Level II accreditation for the Mark Smith Memorial Arboretum.

  • Restored and expanded the arboretum collection following the 2020 windstorm.
a large, grassy expanse

Golf

  • Hosted junior clinics at each golf course, serving more than 1,000 youth. 

  • Provided free access to practice areas to encourage inclusive participation. 
a large crowd gather in the cemetery to learn how to plant trees in the area.

Cemetery

  • Hosted volunteer events and public programs, including Memorial Day cleanups, tree planting, and guided tours.

  • Improved roadways and navigation to enhance accessibility for all visitors.

  • Launched new digital tools for sharing memorial information and photos.
young boys in soccer uniforms cheer, holding a large trophy with confetti raining down

Regional Athletic Complex

  • Hosted free youth soccer camps in partnership with Real Salt Lake. 
  • Advanced playground redesign to support inclusive recreation. 
  • Continued to serve a diverse, youth-centered regional user base. 
a group of people in blankets in a park all talking and enjoying a concert

Events

  • Delivered concerts, movies, festivals, fitness classes, family-friendly gatherings, and cultural celebrations citywide.

  • Expanded programming in historically under-activated neighborhoods on the Westside.

  • Worked closely with community partners and cultural organizations to co-create events that reflect local traditions, histories, and storytelling.
  • Delivered consistent citywide park activation, turning spaces into neighborhood gathering hubs and strengthening community connection.
two smiling volunteers stand in front of a tree

Stewardship and Volunteering

  • Used volunteer events as opportunities for place-based education and connection.

  • Strengthened relationships between residents, staff, and Public Lands through hands-on stewardship.
Park Rangers walking at Parleys Historic Nature Park

Park Rangers

  • Delivered educational programs and community activities across parks and trails that foster connection and learning.

  • Expanded youth engagement through library partnerships and school programs.

  • Increased safety and accessibility through extended patrol hours and hazard mitigation.

  • Logged more than 70,000 visitor greetings and 7,023 engaged conversations, strengthening public connection to parks.

  • Collected and analyzed engagement data to inform future park activation.

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