Utica Parks and Recreation Master Plan
The City of Utica has an extensive park system with 20 parks and recreation facilities, which includes more than 675 acres of municipally owned and operated parkland. Three main parks are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Roscoe Conkling Park, which features a golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Thomas R. Proctor Park and Frederick T. Proctor Park each designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., and the Memorial Parkway which features tree lined medians dappled with landscaped memorials and monuments.

Ingalls Planning & Design was selected to lead a consultant team to develop a comprehensive parks and recreation plan for the City. The Team analyzed the condition of the overall park system including 19 parks, 3 pools, and the Memorial Parkway and trails throughout the City. The Plan was guided by the following objectives:  
  • Identify future recreational needs, goals, programming, and maintenance requirements for each individual existing park through demographic analysis, peer city comparison, and community engagement ;
  • Recommend improvements for currently undeveloped park lands;
  • Develop a conceptual design for a citywide trail system connecting city parks and open space with the Mohawk River and Erie Canal;
  • Preserve and enhance the City’s historic park elements;
  • Provide a conceptual master plan for each park with clear guidance regarding proposed improvements and capital needs;
  • Create a prioritized list of projects that the City can undertake to meet the recreational needs of its citizens; and
  • Provide a ​database to help the City manage the parks system.