The 2024-2028 Town of Cumberland Parks and Recreation Master Plan is a forward-looking document designed to guide the strategic development of the town’s parks, trails, and natural lands over the next four years. Building on the foundation laid by the town’s inaugural parks master plan in 2017, spearheaded by our Principal, Ryan Cambridge, this updated plan aims to not only continue addressing the community’s needs but also to place a greater emphasis on comprehensive system-wide funding strategies.

For this project, FRMWRK took charge of the public engagement process, employing a variety of methods to ensure broad community involvement and input. This included conducting in-depth stakeholder interviews, organizing focus groups, facilitating open public workshops, maintaining a dedicated project website, and distributing an online survey to gather wide-ranging feedback.

A key component of our work was the development of an implementation and action plan, which focused on exploring alternative funding mechanisms for the parks system. Potential avenues such as park district bonds were thoroughly investigated. In collaboration with the town’s leadership and financial advisors, FRMWRK was instrumental in formulating multiple viable funding strategies that blend traditional and innovative funding sources, ensuring the sustainable development of Cumberland’s parks and recreation facilities for future generations.