With the release of their new smartphone app, “HAPPiFEET – Oregon City,” the city of Oregon City has made it easier than ever for locals to voice their opinions on the city’s parks. This simple software is free to download on your iOS or Android device. When the app is opened, a list of parks is displayed, with the one nearest to the user’s current location displayed first. If you’re using the app from a different area, you may also search for parks using the alphabet. Users may rate parks and provide reviews, both favorable and bad, either anonymously or with their identities attached. Users can also provide supporting visuals if they so like.
Using this app is consistent with the city’s goal of increasing participation in the current Parks Master Plan initiative. Oregon City’s parks have not updated their Master Plan since 2008 when the last one was performed. The city plans to solve this issue by collecting real-time feedback to direct the evolution of parks and leisure offerings and infrastructure. The importance of getting feedback from locals is highlighted by the number of new parks built since 2008.
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Director of Parks and Recreation Kendall Reid says that listening to locals is essential for designing a park system that is well received. Prior to the availability of the online survey, questionnaires were distributed to 3,000 randomly chosen homes. These questionnaires asked residents to rate the importance of various park amenities and services.
On July 10 from 6-8 p.m., the general public is invited to a meeting at City Hall, which will also be broadcast live online for anyone unable to attend in person. The HAPPiFEET companion website, orcityparksandplay.org, also provides a forum for community input. The city wants to hear from as many people as possible before making any final decisions, so it provides many channels for feedback. Residents may get further details on the parks and recreation master plan at orcity.org/community.
