Imagine Westwood's New Park

Please Note (11/14/24)

The park design process is pausing indefinitely due to the ongoing lawsuit over the 50th & Rainbow Development. The development project will fully fund design and construction of the new park. The lawsuit outcome will determine if the park process continues forward or is cancelled.

Thank you to the hundreds of Westwood residents that have shared their input and priorities for the park!

Initial Design Concepts

After an extensive site analysis and community engagement effort, the design team has prepared three initial design concepts for the new park and are looking for feedback.

Please scroll down to review the community input summary and three concepts, followed by a brief survey.

Community Input Summary

  • We collected over 250 survey responses online and over 100 more in-person at Oktoberfest. This is what we heard:

  • The park should include diverse circulation routes, including walking loops, pollinator paths, exploration trails.

    “I hope there will be a pavilion, walking trails and benches so that this park can be a space for ALL ages to gather and connect for decades to come.”

  • The park should include spaces for neighborhood gatherings, community events and explore incorporating a tennis court as unique as the one at Joe D. Dennis Park.

    “Excited to hopefully have a great new park we can use that fits modern needs for kids and families. It will make the area much more desirable to go to instead of driving to other parks.”

  • The material palette should feature natural materials and landscapes, as well as opportunities to connect with nature.

    “I would love for this park to be more nature exploration. We already have the new school for a turf field, concrete areas.”


  • Play features should use natural materials and include climbing, swinging and sliding. Nature play should inspire imagination and exploration. No sand please.

    “I hope we will keep this space more of a natural feel. The new school playground space is always busy, and it is great, but with the turf and concrete it does not feel natural. I hope this new park space can be and feel "green" and people can feel the respite that comes with being in natural spaces.”

  • The park should include a covered comfortable gathering pavilion with bathrooms.

    “Shade, gathering spaces, open fields, and a bathroom are important. I can't think of how many times we had to leave because a kid needed to go to the bathroom.”

Explore The Design Concepts

These are not final designs, but three initial design sketches, each inspired by community ideas and created to spark your imagination.

The new park should reflect Westwood’s values, needs, and dreams. The park will offer spaces to play, relax, and gather—designed for everyone in Westwood. We invite you to explore three initial design options and share your thoughts. Your feedback will help us make Westwood’s New Park a place that truly feels like home.

  • Concept 1: Meanders

    Meanders emphasizes flowing paths linking a series of open spaces that range from mowed activity lawns to passive meadows and rain gardens. A large central lawn anchors the park entrance on 50th St. and is flanked by natural play areas under the large oak trees and a picnic pavilion in the center. The picnic pavilion will include a plaza, bathrooms and fireplace. The play features extend down the hillside toward a new entrance across from Westwood View. The edges of the site are buffered with natural areas and winding paths for calm walks and nature exploration. A second, smaller shade structure frames the 51st St. entrance and secondary lawn.

    (use arrows to scroll right/left)

  • Concept 2: Activity Loops

    Activity Loops is organized around a winding, looping circulation path that distributes activity across the site, serving as a cohesive thread that ties together a series of play and gathering spaces. Both the north and south entrances of the site feature large open lawn areas and pavilion structures. The north lawn at the 50th Street entrance gently slopes towards a spacious picnic pavilion and plaza that are situated under the existing oak trees and is anchored by a wood platform seating structure that offers elevated views and opportunities for performance. The pavilion includes restrooms, and the plaza offers flexible seating and a fire pit area. The southern lawn offers an expansive area ideal for informal sports and gatherings, complemented by a smaller pavilion. Expansive areas of natural planting infill areas between activity zones and echo the character of the regional landscape.

    (use arrows to scroll right/left)

  • Concept 3: Central Activity

    Central Activity seeks to consolidate park activity and programming along a central promenade, with dense planting to define and enhance its edges. Secondary circulation routes weave through these planted areas and along the hillside to create opportunities for discovery and exploration. An expansive rectangular lawn creates a link between the park and the proposed restaurant/café to encourage various types of activity and a diverse range of users. The play area is smaller and nested along the lawn’s edge, beneath the existing oak trees. The picnic pavilion features a sloping green roof and includes bathrooms and a stepped plaza that anchors the south end of the lawn. Central to the site is a tennis court embedded within the landscape and is framed by large limestone retaining walls that enclose the area. The south end of the site is anchored by a smaller plaza that features a shade structure and activity lawn for recreation.

    (use arrows to scroll right/left)

Concept 1: Meanders (above)

Concept 2: Activity Loops (above)

Concept 3: Central Activity (above)

These are big-picture visions, not final designs.

Take our quick survey to help us shape the next steps in the design process. Your feedback will guide us in creating a park that truly feels like home for our community.

Thank you for being a part of this process!

Stay tuned for more updates, and follow along as we bring this vision to life.

About the Park

The Park Planning Process

After gaining City of Westwood approvals in Fall 2023, City Council embarked on the process to design and construct the new feature park in January 2024. Read more about the process here.

The Park Steering Committee

The City created a 15-person Steering Committee to represent the greater Westwood Community and guide the park design process. The Steering Committee is comprised of City Officials; Westwood Residents ranging from children to seniors; a resident of Mission Woods; Johnson County Developmental Supports; and Karbank Real Estate Company.

The Community Engagement and Park Design Team

PORT was hired by the City of Westwood to lead the community engagement and park design process and is joined in this effort by Phelps Engineering, Apex Engineers, Studio Ludo and Dharam Consulting.

The Park Site

The 3.86-acre park site will span between W. 50th St. and W. 51st St. on the former grounds of the Old Westwood View Elementary School.