Carr Park Vision Plan

The Office of Planning, Development & Sustainability hired CBA Landscape Architects to work with the community to create a Vision Plan for Carr Park through funding from the Community Preservation Act. 

The planning process began with an ambitious public engagement campaign, designed to ensure that public input is at the heart of the Carr Park Vision Plan. From late August to mid-November, City staff and CBA consultants worked to gather ideas and feedback about what residents want to see included in Carr Park. In total, 11 tabling sessions were held in Carr Park and at community events, where residents were able to speak with the designers and City staff in person about their ideas for the redesign of Carr Park. Nearly 700 responses were submitted to two online surveys, which collected feedback about current park uses and concerns as well as potential park elements, layouts, and programming. Finally, our team spoke with several local community groups directly, along with relevant City of Medford departments and commissions.

Interested in reviewing the feedback that was collected throughout the process? Steps of the engagement process and associated documentation is linked below:

• A summary of input collected during the first round of in-person tabling sessions can be found here.
• Results from Online Survey #1 can be found here.

Three Schematic Design Concept Plans were developed as a result of the feedback received in the first round of outreach. These are Concept A, Concept B and Concept C. These options explore different choices and potential ways to organize the available space. 

• A summary of input received at in-person events during the second round of in-person engagement can be found here.
• Results from Online Survey #2 can be found here.

A helpful timeline of the Carr Park events and outreach so far and the next steps can be found here.

In September, the online survey and in-person sessions focused on collecting information about how the park is used, current concerns about the park, and getting ideas from the community for programming or elements that should be included in the park’s redesign. CBA used that information to develop three Schematic Design Options. During October, the design team and the City held in-person sessions to discuss the design options with residents, and collected detailed opinions through an online survey. In mid-November, the designers revealed a preferred design that was generated in response to the community’s feedback and concerns.

Review the preferred design below. Thanks to you and the rest of the Medford community, it includes many new and renovated amenities to support climate-conscious recreation. One innovative example: a resilient community solar park. A cover on one of two basketball courts will extend the usability of the court by providing shade on hot days and cover from rain and snow. A shaded seating pavilion will also offer relief from heat. The court roof and pavilion are an excellent opportunity to support renewable energy. They could support a solar PV array to power the EV charging stations, new LED lighting, and phone and laptop charging stations in the pavilion. A four-season playground with integrated water features for cooling during the summer can also be used for traditional play in other seasons. For colder months, the natural play area features a slide built into the side of a hill for winter sledding.

The City is using this plan as a guide and supporting documentation to apply for grants and funding for construction. As funding is secured, there will be future opportunities to weigh in on the park’s design as more detailed construction drawings are developed.

Please contact the Office of Planning, Development, and Sustainability at ocd@medford-ma.gov with any questions, comments, or concerns about the latest plan.