Purpose of the Master Plan

The purpose of the Parks, Recreation, Trails and Open Space Master Plan is to offer strategies and operational policies that provide guidance in order to meet the needs of current and future City of Goodyear residents. 

A consistent theme throughout the development of this plan has been the City’s commitment to a quality parks and recreation system that delivers high-quality parks, trails and recreation programs, facilities and events for all residents while contributing to the economic well-being of the City.

To meet this commitment to its residents, this plan is organized around the following themes: 

• Providing high-quality parks and recreational facilities 
• Trails that connect the community and connect the community to open space 
• Promoting community health through recreation programs 
• Fee philosophy 
• Sustainable maintenance practices 
• Administration “right-sized” for now and the future 
• Partnerships and options for funding 

The Goodyear Parks and Recreation Master Plan is a comprehensive, long-range strategy for the creation, optimization, and maintenance of the city of Goodyear parks, recreation programs, trails, and open space assets. The Master Plan and the planning process enables the city to assess recreation needs and interest of the community. It enables decision makers to prioritize resource allocation decisions for existing and new facilities as well as programs, services, and overall maintenance of the system. Significant community engagement was sought during the planning process.

A consistent theme throughout the development of this plan has been the city’s commitment to a quality parks and recreation system that delivers high-quality parks, trails and recreation programs, facilities, and events for all residents, while contributing to the economic well-being of the city. To meet this commitment to its residents, this plan is organized around the following themes:

At the heart of the Goodyear Parks and Recreation Master Plan is the identification of community needs which provides guidance over the next 10 years and beyond for the department. The population has experienced significant growth in the last 12 years, increasing 59.6% from 2010 to 2022, on average 5% per year, making Goodyear one of the 10 fastest growing cities in the nation and the second fastest growing city in Arizona.  The city of Goodyear is committed to a parks and recreation system that delivers high-quality parks, trails, recreation programs, arts and culture programs, facilities, and events for all residents of all abilities while contributing to the economic wellbeing of the city. To meet this commitment to its residents, the City focused the Parks and Recreation Master Plan around the following identified goals: