Putting the ‘Parks’ in Parks and Recreation: City of Boise Uses 10-Minute Walk to a Park Goal to Drive Community Investment
If you grew up with a neighborhood park, you likely can’t imagine your childhood without it. It was probably where some of your first memories were made, like carefully scooting yourself down slides and into the outstretched arms of a caretaker waiting patiently below. Maybe you remember playing hide-and-seek with new friends and giving away your hiding spot with a stifled giggle. What about that first time nailing the monkey bars and celebrating in a sea of high-fives? Or perhaps PB&J picnics under the shady cover of willow trees in the summer comes to mind. It’s also possible that now, in that same neighborhood park, you find yourself waiting patiently for your little ones at the bottom of slides with outstretched arms.
Boise Parks and Recreation wants every resident to have quick, easy and equitable access to a city park where they can continue to make memories like these, lasting lifetimes and spanning generations. And our team isn’t just talking the talk, we’re walking the walk – a 10-minute walk to be exact.
In 2017, the City of Boise first joined the 10-Minute Walk Program, an initiative led by the Trust for Public Land that aims to improve access to parks and green spaces for everyone. The overarching goal of this program is to ensure all residents in cities across the country are within a 10-minute walk (roughly half a mile) of a park. Since joining this initiative, the City of Boise has improved park access from 60% of residents in 2017 to approximately 74% of residents in 2025 being within a 10-minute walk to a park. While Boise is proud of this progress, the city is dedicated to finding solutions for the 26% of families who remain outside of this goal.
Why Improve Park Access in Boise?
Boise is ranked number 19 in the nation by the Trust for Public Land for its access to open spaces, and already maintains more than 97 developed parks that residents enjoy. So, why invest more time and money into this goal?
To put it simply, access to parks is shown to improve people’s lives.
According to the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), more time spent in parks and green spaces helps combat mental health issues like stress, anxiety and depression. Additionally, people who don’t report stress are 50% more likely to visit these spaces at least a few times a week compared to those reporting stress. Increased access is also shown to improve physical health, with use of green spaces linked to fewer health complaints and improved blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
The City of Boise believes that every resident deserves equal access to such benefits.
“Accessibility is a really big part of what we do and is a focus moving into the future,” said Doug Holloway, director of the Boise Parks and Recreation Department. “We want a city that encompasses everybody, and to do that you have to go out into the community, meet people in their neighborhoods, and get them involved.”
Boise’s Latest Park Projects are Increasing Access
Over the past several years, the City of Boise has undertaken several major park projects that either establish new parks and green spaces or improve upon spaces that already exist.
Among these projects include the soon-to-be named linear park and pathway off W. Goddard Road, Primrose Park in Northwest Boise, the Boise Bench’s Peasley Street Connection that will significantly increase neighborhood access to Ann Morrison Park, and additional improvements to existing parks like Hewett Park in West Boise and Stewart Gulch Park in Northeast Boise. With these projects alone, over 10,600 residents from thousands of households will either newly be within a 10-minute walk from a park or will benefit from an updated park space.
While the locations of these new parks and park improvements span the City of Boise, their selection is far from random.
“The Trust for Public Land provides us with a GIS tool that allows us to map out areas where folks currently don't have the option or opportunity to walk to a park,” said Parks Resources Superintendent Sara Arkle. “Then, we use that information to identify specific neighborhoods within the community where park space would be beneficial.”
This data drives Boise’s real estate acquisition efforts for potential new parks and green space, along with fostering partnerships with private landowners to preserve existing open space.
Most recently, the City of Boise announced the acquisition of two new park sites in high priority areas: the Welford Avenue property and the Fry Street property located on the Boise Bench and West Bench. Both properties are less than an acre in size and sit on former residential housing lots. Together, they will put nearly 6,000 residents from over 2,700 households within a 10-minute walk to a park. The properties sit in areas where large swaths of land that could become a park space are no longer available due to the city’s growth. By acting now to preserve what land is available in densely populated areas, Boise is doing what it can to make sure every neighborhood has access to green space near their home.
The Future of Parks in Boise
Boise is known for its expansive and beautiful parks, and the first that come to mind are probably sitting on a good amount of land. Ann Morrison Park, established in 1959, encompasses 153 acres. Julia Davis Park’s 89 acres were donated back in 1907, which created the city’s first park. Even the more recently developed Catalpa Park, dedicated in August 2002, sits on 6.5 acres of land – sharing similar acreage to other neighborhood parks across the Treasure Valley like Elm Grove Park, Terry Day Park, and Mountain View Park, among others.
While parks and green spaces continue to blossom in Boise, they’re taking shape differently than they did in the past.
“The days of five to seven-acre neighborhood parks are gone,” said Holloway. “We’ve had to rethink the classic park formula – we just need a public space where people can gather and access resources in their neighborhood.”
This change is largely due to the lack of available undeveloped land as a result of urban sprawl and population growth, with Boise’s population increasing 9.3% over the last decade, according to the US Census Bureau.
“We’re not seeing our communities shrink, they’re growing and building up and out,” said Arkle. “So, having the opportunity to identify which areas have the greatest need for park space is vital to reaching our goals.”
Because new park sites like Welford Avenue and Fry Street are coming about differently than they have in the past, future parks are likely to have different characteristics than those of traditional neighborhood parks on more land.
“Our thought process has gone from we need a shelter, restroom, playground – all these amenities we put in a neighborhood park – to now we need to focus on things that will get kids active and allow for some open space enjoyment,” said Holloway.
While parks and green spaces on smaller plots of land will have options for portable restrooms and shade for visitors, many of them are striving to break the precedent put in place by many of the city’s older parks and create a new mold focused on the needs of their specific neighborhoods. This will prioritize elements that make these new open spaces places where people of all ages and abilities can gather.
Some parks could be highlighting a safe and ADA accessible pathway, or providing community gathering space under a covered shelter. Others could follow the model of Primrose Park, including accessible playground elements and a pollinator garden. Meanwhile, some could simply be designated open space with shade and scattered picnic tables, like Owen’s Park, which was donated to the City of Boise in 1975. From the quarter acre McCauly Park to Ann Morrison Park’s 153-acres, each park offers something unique and special to explore.
And while the look of future parks in Boise isn’t set in stone, what is certain is that they’ll be more accessible – and plentiful – than ever before.
“Having a public outdoor space is the most important component to create a community within a neighborhood,” said Holloway. “At the end of the day, our goal is for neighbors to have easy access to a public space that will be there forever.”
With opportunities to create lasting memories for generations of Boiseans to come.
Written by Abby Fackler, Communications Specialist for Boise Parks and Recreation (2025)
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