Minneapolis Park & Rec: Lake Harriet

Client: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

Stakeholder Engagement and Decision Support: Worked with staff and members of the first Community Advisory Committee created within the Enterprise Division of the MPRB. Their objective was to design and implement a robust and  practical public engagement process and technical analysis and prepare detailed recommendations to the Park Board on potential improvements to the concession area around Lake Harriet — a very high-profile and heavily used city/regional park with over a million visitors a year.

The stakeholder engagement process was likely one of the most robust and comprehensive ever conducted on a project of this type – we heard directly from over 1,200 people through intercept surveys at the bandshell area, online survey, community forum, letters, calls, and at meetings. One of our early goals was to produce defensible, supportable, and sustainable recommendations that could stand on their own merits. We feel we have more than met that goal. Our extensive community engagement injected that critically important human element, which directly shaped our thinking and ensures that our recommendations will resonate with the local community, park visitors, and the MPRB. 

— Matt Perry, CAC Chair

Successfully engaged and gathered input from thousands of stakeholders through intercept surveys, online surveys, interviews, focus groups, community meetings, and workshops. Explicitly and effectively reached out to underrepresented stakeholders and the full spectrum of diversity so the CAC was in the best position to make informed recommendations.

Successfully facilitated the Committee to work through complex technical, design, and financial issues and options provided by staff and outside experts, and combine that with the comprehensive stakeholder input to reach consensus on an innovative, defensible, and sustainable solution.

See MPRB Lake Harriet CAC Final Report and Recommendations.