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the trust for public land dog parks 101, 2019 1 Executive summary: How to build a dog park. We get many questions from parks agencies, park advocates, and the press about dog parks through the year, but especially around the release of our ParkScore Index in late May. People have many questions about “the right way” to build a dog park and want to bring together the right combination of people and resources to make it possible. Based on those discussions, as well as some interviews and even some personal experience, we have put together this guide. It will continue to be revised (we welcome your thoughts) and posted on our Park Advocacy resource, Parkology.org. 1. Have a plan. With so many dog parks in public parks, there are both best practices and lessons learned that both public agencies and park advocates could learn from. The most important point is: have a plan. You can modify it as you go, but being upfront about what you need to do helps everyone understand what is required and keeps the process public and transparent. A plan should address all of those questions that people will ask as you move through both the approvals process as well as the funding process. It should answer some of the following questions: • What kinds of facilities you want to build? • Should the dog park or off-leash area be fenced, or are you planning for open areas that are open during a certain number of hours during the day? • For open areas in a larger park, are you planning to rotate from season to season? • Are you planning water features, including drinking fountains, splash pads, or pools? • Are you planning climbing or other agility features? • Are you including seating and shade? There are many options, and you should first consult what types of dog parks already exist in your community, as well as any standards that have been developed or approved by public agencies. (We will cover this in detail in a bit.) Public agencies should develop a standard for dog parks with a public input process based on best practices that are generally available widely. Required elements for dog parks generally include: • COMPLETE FENCING around the perimeter of the designated area, or natural barriers that prohibit dogs from leaving the area. • DOUBLE-GATE ENTRY – A standard feature is a double-gate entry system with a gated waiting area for the dog and human to enter, remove the dog’s leash, and then open the gate to the main off-leash area, reversing the process for exiting. This ensures that unplanned escapes will be kept to a minimum, allows for leashing and unleashing in a separate area, and enables dog owners to manage the transi- tion into and out of the dog park. • SEPARATE AREAS FOR SMALL AND LARGE DOGS. Allow for dogs of different sizes and ages to avoid inter- acting (and causing possible conflicts) by creating separate areas for different-sized dogs and their humans. Puppies and shy dogs then have the oppor- tunity to interact and get used to the high level of activity that can occur in a dog park. • SURFACING PLAN (including renewal) – There are many surfacing options, and the choices depend on weather, drainage, and current conditions. That said, there are many options, ranging from artificial turf to engineered wood fiber to gravel. All have pluses and minuses, and local knowledge of what works in other park facilities (such as playgrounds or other high-traffic areas) is critical. For example, artificial turf is great, but it requires cleaning and built in irrigation and sanitizing systems are increasingly common. Natural turf is softer but requires a lot more care – including a plan for renewal, including temporary closures for regrowth. Gravel, rock dust or some sort of crusher fines work well but can get stuck in dog paws and Dog parks 101, 2019 The Trust for Public Land – Center for City Park Excellence.