Southeast Michigan loves its parks and trails, wants more and better access

Last summer, I wrote about the wide variety of fun activities taking place throughout Southeast Michigan. We continue to mark our calendars with special events such as Independence Day parades and fireworks celebrations. Quality recreation is integral to the quality of life in our region, and SEMCOG member communities such as Sterling Heights and Oakland County are taking the opportunity this National Parks and Recreation Month to remind us of this.

While holidays, weekend getaways, and longer vacations are excellent times to enjoy the outdoors, it is important to ensure that all Southeast Michiganders can benefit from our recreation assets on a regular basis. When speaking on the impact of improvements to city parks, City of Detroit General Services Director Bradley Dick says, “For a lot of people, this is a vacation to picnic and barbecue and a place for their kids to play as well.”

This is why SEMCOG and the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition recently conducted a parks and trails survey to better understand the needs of Southeast Michigan residents and help us to better coordinate regional planning. The results were encouraging and will help guide our efforts going forward.

Of those surveyed, 95 percent strongly agree that parks are important resources in Southeast Michigan that have positive impacts on local communities and their quality of life. The most popular amenities among respondents were walking, hiking, or running trails (81 percent). Picnicking, cycling, swimming, and water activities are also very popular.

Perhaps not surprisingly, respondents would like to see more of the amenities that make these activities possible, especially trails between parks to enhance connectivity. As one respondent noted, “I do visit, but not as much as I’d like. No parks or trails are connected to our neighborhood by safe paths, so we must drive there.”

As you can see on our Regional Trails, Parks, and Conservation Land Map, Southeast Michigan has a wealth of trails, public parks (local, county, state, and Huron-Clinton Metroparks), other recreation assets (golf courses, ski areas, campgrounds) and conservation areas (nature preserves, and game areas). While our assets are numerous, barriers like the one our survey respondent described sometimes prevent our region from maximizing its potential as a desirable place to live, work, and play.

This is why our priority is to ensure that our parks – regardless of who owns them – operate as a system, ensuring there is connectivity between parks, trails, open space, and recreation opportunities. Opportunities and strategies to unify our parks and trails system can be found in several of SEMCOG’s recently adopted plans, including the Green Infrastructure Vision, Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel Plan, Economic Development Strategy, and Access to Core Services in Southeast Michigan report, which specifically measured accessibility to parks and schools and developed policies to increase access to these regional assets.

As we work collaboratively throughout the region to implement all these plans, we will continue to rely on the guidance we receive from public input.