Parks, Recreation, and Open Space
Services
- Parks
- Trails
- Recreation Facilities
- Sports Fields and Courts
- Public Plazas
- Public Realm
- Placemaking
- Interpretive Planning and Design
Creating engaging, equitable, and sustainable outdoor spaces for all people.
Bolton & Menk has created beautiful, sustainable parks and recreation facilities for more than 300 communities. We engage community members, build on their ideas, and find solutions that work today and tomorrow. Our approach covers the full project – from big picture to the technical details of construction and function. We know listening is the most valuable step in the park and recreation design process and are committed to incorporating sustainable design elements into every project.
Our staff take the time to understand the culture, historical context, needs, and uniqueness of every community. Our project management approach is rooted in communication, collaboration, and trust. These principles are key in managing and delivering park and recreation services that encompass a clear understanding of existing conditions, a vision for the future, and an actionable plan to reach that vision. We believe successful park and recreation design is an economic driver that creates destinations as well as positive transitions to surrounding land use
Proactively planning for your capital investment needs
Our parks, recreation, and open space practice is passionate about park and greenway planning and design. We are dedicated to strong guiding principles developed over the past 30 years to assist in creating engaging, equitable, and sustainable recreational facilities. Through fieldwork and community engagement, we listen to the unique needs of our clients to develop solutions to meet those needs today and tomorrow. More than a team dedicated to the creation of high-quality public open spaces, we have enthusiasm for tapping into the unique cultural and historic context of each community.
Bolton & Menk’s funding group has a proven track record of identifying funding sources for our clients and assisting them in successfully receiving these dollars. We have experience with multiple funding sources, including grants and low interest loans from federal, state, local, and private sources. This experience includes not only the requirements to result in a successful award, but also extends to an understanding of unspoken grant source requirements like environmental and cultural clearance, match dollar options, and other grant administration duties. Our team regularly assists clients with grant administration needs and we have the capacity to aid with categorical reviews, prevailing wage monitoring, and documentation for regulatory compliance.

Master Plan, Central Piedmont Community College
Central Piedmont Community College is expecting a 50 percent increase in the student population by

First Ward Park, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, North Carolina
First Ward Park is a 4.5-acre park spanning two city blocks and is an important

Grand Park, City of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
This 120+ acre park combines sports fields and passive recreation areas into an integrated park,

Barefoot Resort and Golf, City of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The master plan includes four championship golf courses with two clubhouses, a 120-acre Town Center
Building Momentum Through Public and Private Partnerships in Algona
For many Iowa cities, downtown street reconstruction projects begin as responses to aging pavement, outdated
Community Compass: The Transformation of Gracely Park
Community Compass explores Bolton & Menk’s transformative projects shaping the places we live, work, and
Riffing On a River’s Renewal
As public agencies in Oregon and California demolish massive dams along the Klamath and other

Reestablishing the River and Our Connections to it
Norway Lake Dam Removal and Pine River Restoration Project DURING THE 20TH CENTURY, OUR WATERWAYS
Simpsonville Municipal Center Earns Top Project Honor
The Simpsonville Municipal Center has been named one of SCBIZ News Top Projects for 2025—a
Pioneer Park Receives MRPA Award of Excellence
Congratulations to the City of Little Canada for receiving an MRPA Award of Excellence for
The Green Receives 2024 Charlotte Urban Design Award
The Green, an iconic park in Uptown Charlotte, was the recipient of a 2024 City
Trio of Iowa Projects Earn Landscape Architecture Design Honors
Three Bolton & Menk projects received recognition from the Iowa Chapter of the American Society