INSPIRE Approval & Implementation

On September 28, 2026, City Council approved Richmond INSPIRE, as an amendment to Richmond 300, marking a historic milestone for the City’s parks and recreation system. Richmond INSPIRE establishes the City’s first comprehensive, modern vision for its parks, recreation, open space, and community facilities, providing a systemwide framework to guide the future of the park system. The effort was initiated in direct response to Richmond 300’s call for the City to create a transparent, community driven vision for parks and recreation and was supported by $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding. Led by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities (PRCF) in collaboration with City partners and consultant Design Workshop, the planning process was built around meaningful community engagement and a commitment to listening to residents across Richmond. Through workshops in every Council District, focus groups, pop up events, community center outreach, stakeholder meetings, and online and in person opportunities to provide feedback, residents shared their experiences, ideas, priorities, and vision for the future of Richmond’s parks and recreation system. We are grateful to everyone who participated in this process, including residents, community organizations, PRCF Ambassadors, Steering Committee members, Parks Advisory Board members, City staff, youth, and community partners who contributed their time, knowledge, and perspectives. Their collective input helped shape the priorities and recommendations that will guide the future of the system and provides a strong community foundation for the implementation of Richmond INSPIRE.

With the plan now adopted, the Department is transitioning from planning to implementation and establishing the tools needed to track progress and maintain accountability over the next decade. PRCF is working with Design Workshop to finalize the Richmond INSPIRE Implementation Dashboard, which will live on this website and serve as a public facing, transparent platform for monitoring implementation of the plan’s goals, strategies, and actions. The dashboard is anticipated to be up and running before the end of the year and will provide residents, community partners, City leadership, and staff with an accessible way to follow progress, highlight completed initiatives and investments, and understand the work underway across the park system. The image below provides a sneak preview of the dashboard. As implementation moves forward, we encourage you to continue visiting the Richmond INSPIRE website to stay informed about progress, upcoming initiatives, and the continued evolution of Richmond’s parks and recreation system.

Draft Implementation Dashboard