Play Tucson

Play Tucson logo in colorful block letters featuring park icons, including a play structure, saguaro, sun over mountains, water, a winding trail, a baseball, a bicycle wheel and birds. Tagline: “Your Parks, Your Plan, Your Future / Sus parques, su plan, su futuro.”

Help shape the future of Tucson’s parks and recreation system

Play Tucson is the City of Tucson’s community-driven process to create a Parks and Recreation Master Plan, a roadmap for improving our parks, recreation centers, pools, sports facilities, trails, programs, and services. Together, we will identify what is working, where improvements are needed, and how limited resources can have the greatest community impact.

The Process

Phase 1 Preplanning and Discovery: October – December 2026 

The Play Tucson team will begin gathering data and conduct listening sessions with neighborhood associations, community groups, recreation groups, sports leagues, adaptive sports groups, environmental and resilience advocates, and many others. The Team will perform technical analysis of parks and rec facilities, programs, operations, maintenance and accessibility. 

Phase 2 Community Collaboration: January – February 2027 

The Play Tucson team will engage the entire Tucson community through an online survey and several events occurring throughout the month of January 2027. What we learn from this outreach will become the foundations for defining a shared vision, goals, and investment priorities for the Tucson Parks and Recreation system. 

Phase 3 Strategy Development: March – April 2027 

The Play Tucson team will refine and strengthen proposed recommendations, strategies and investments for the Tucson Parks and Recreation system and align community goals with funding timelines to create a phased action plan. 

Phase 4 Final Comments: May – July 2027 

The Play Tucson team will document the findings of the planning process in a draft report to be shared with the Tucson community for comment. Comments will then be incorporated in the final published plan and continue to inform how the Plan’s recommendations are implemented over the coming years.

What the Plan Includes

The Master Plan will cover all parks and recreation centers in the Tucson municipal Parks and Recreation System. You can see the full list of properties covered here. The Master Plan will guide decisions about investments, operations, maintenance, partnerships, and programming across the system. It will combine community priorities with an assessment of existing facilities, services, access, condition, demand, and available resources. The result will be a practical, phased plan for the years ahead. The plan covers: 

  • Condition and maintenance of existing parks and facilities
  • Access to parks, programs, and services across Tucson
  • Recreation programs, classes, events, and activities for all ages
  • Health, wellness, play, and opportunities to connect with nature
  • Safety, comfort, shade, water use, and climate resilience
  • Partnerships, funding, and long-term stewardship  

Your Voice Matters

Tucson’s parks and recreation spaces belong to everyone. Whether you visit a neighborhood park, swim at a city pool, join a class, play on a team, attend a community event, or simply want more opportunities to be active outdoors, your experience can help shape the plan. Input from residents, youth, families, older adults, community organizations, and partners will help the City understand priorities and make informed, equitable choices. 

 

 

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