Tulsa Comprehensive Plan - PLANiTULSA

Parks, Trails and Open Space
parT i: The Value Of Parks and OPen sPace
open space and park BenefiTs for Tulsa
parks and open space provide:
recreational opportunities like hiking,
walking, swimming, sports, gardening
community gathering places for picnics,
barbeques, and parties
shade and sunlight throughout the seasons
stormwater retention and filtration
air and water pollution filtration
natural beauty, inspiring views and vistas
reflection and communion with nature
habitat for diverse flora and fauna
improved home values
Transportation value
By connecting parks and open space with recreational, multiuse,
pedestrian and bicycle trails, people, families, workers,
and wildlife can more easily reach important destinations.
Surveys conducted in 2009 during the development of
the master parks plan for Tulsa found, in particular, that
residents want better bike and pedestrian connections
and trails between work, school, and home. Safe routes to
school should include bicycle trails and paths that provide
quick and safe transfer between neighborhoods, and to
and from school facilities. Improved pedestrian and bicycle
connections to community facilities such as schools, libraries
and city services, as well as work places encourage people to
walk or bike, thus improving public health and air quality
and requiring less reliance on automobiles.
Trails and bike and pedestrian paths also serve as low cost
transportation alternatives that serve multiple purposes.
Natural corridors between open space areas are important
for migrating wildlife to reach food and link to critical
habitat and can simultaneously incorporate multi-use paths
to connect pedestrian and bicycle transportation across
the city.
Tourism value
Parks attract visitors and contribute to the character and
personality of a place. Mohawk Park, Turkey Mountain and
River Parks are popular destinations in Tulsa that help define
the city and invite others to come experience what’s special
here. Through destination parks and open spaces that attract
non-locals to plan holidays and overnight stays in Tulsa, and to
patronize the city’s restaurants, shops, and accommodations,
parks and open space can play an important role in Tulsa’s
tourism economy. Visitors come to Oklahoma — one of
the most biologically diverse areas in North America — to
experience the state’s diverse ecoregions, including the Cross
Timbers region in which Tulsa is located, and the nearby
Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. The city has an opportunity to
leverage the potential of nature tourism and become another
great city built upon a foundation of world class parks and
open space.
PA
4
July 2010
Tulsa comprehensive plan – Parks, Trails and OPen sPace