Master Plan Complete
D.W. Field Park, Brockton’s largest and most popular open space, is one critical step closer to revitalization for the community and environment. This week, the D.W. Field Park Initiative, led by Southeastern Massachusetts nonprofit Wildlands Trust, released a new master plan that calls for ambitious improvements to Brockton and Avon’s beloved park. The importance of this park to the community is underscored by the participation of over 1,400 people in a park survey, the results of which were used to develop a vision for park revitalization that will progress over the next ten years. The plan sets goals to improve environmental resilience, upgrade user experience, and expand community opportunities.
Wildlands Trust embarked on plan development in 2022, in partnership with the City of Brockton, the Town of Avon, Old Colony Planning Council, the D.W. Field Park Association, and Manomet Conservation Sciences. The engineering firm Environmental Partners was hired to assess stormwater management and produce the final master plan. The Conway School was commissioned to create concept designs for key gathering areas.
Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan wrote in his letter of support for the plan, “With the City of Brockton being the largest Gateway City in Southeastern Massachusetts, and one of the 20 Environmental Justice communities in the state, it is critical that we come together to support initiatives such as this that seek to remedy the gaps in providing our residents with safe, functional green spaces within our community.” Avon Town Administrator Jonathan Beder agreed, stating, “The D.W. Field Park Master Plan is a testament to the power of collaboration and partnership, and we are proud to support this initiative as it continues to progress.”
At 700 acres, D.W. Field Park is one of the largest municipal parks in Massachusetts. Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of park construction, an opportune time to heal degradation caused by time and heavy use and reconsider design elements to meet current needs. The master plan addresses phase one of planning for the Initiative, focusing on the most popular area of the park between Oak Street in Brockton and South Street in Avon. Phase two will address the area of the park north of South Street around the Brockton Reservoir, and phase three will address the southern portion of the park between Pleasant Street and Oak Street.
The phase one plan calls for seven capital improvement projects, including advancing design and reconstruction of the popular D.W. Field Parkway that circumnavigates the park, and six park-wide projects, including expanding access to restroom facilities and developing standardized signage. These project proposals were the result of intensive community and stakeholder outreach, eight studies conducted as part of the planning process, and expertise from designers, engineers, and planners.
With plan in hand, the Initiative now seeks to fund the implementation of these projects from a variety of federal, state, and private revenue opportunities. The park community can read the plan in its entirety and track revitalization progress here at dwfpi.org and by signing up to receive email updates.