Parks Summary - Master Plan

Overview

As you move throughout Brookfield, the natural views and the feeling of a "City in the Countryside" that residents experience in Brookfield are a result of the City's long standing commitment to the preservation of parks and open space.

The Brookfield Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department is responsible for the management of approximately 1,800 acres of land containing 24 parks and over 1,000 acres of open space consisting of wetlands, woodlands and other important natural resource features. This total acreage equals approximately 10% of the total land area of the City.

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Corridors
The eight primary environmental corridors (3,000 acres) that wind through the community contain a wide variety of important natural, recreational, aesthetic, and cultural resources which are essential to maintaining both the ecological balance and natural beauty of the area and contribute significantly to the quality of life that residents have come to enjoy. The potential linkages and connections created by these corridors is very important to the community as evidenced by the ongoing commitment by the Common Council to fund the development of the Greenway Trail System. 
Master Plan Updated for Year 2035
In 2011, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) completed the City of Brookfield 2035 Park and Open Space Plan update which was previously adopted by the Common Council in 1990 and 2001. The plan contains recommendations for the acquisition and development of parks and trails, as well as for the preservation of wetlands, woodland and flood plains, most of which are located within the environmental corridors.
Upon full implementation of this updated plan, the City would provide a variety of parks and related outdoor recreation facilities; a variety of open space sites; and a system of recreation trails associated with primary environmental corridors connecting the City's parks and linking these parks to the regional trail system and local destination points. Specific recommendations include:
  • Acquisition and development of a new neighborhood park in the South Gateway area (south-central, Section 34).
  • Acquisition and development of a new special use/neighborhood park in the Quarry Lake area (east-central, Section 13).
  • Development of neighborhood park facilities at Imperial Park (northwest, Section 4) and Meadows of Brookfield Park (southeast, Section 26).
  • Development of additional recreational facilities at Lilly Heights District Park.
  • Acquisition of land from the Elmbrook School District for expansion at Mary Knoll Park.
  • Development of additional facilities at Brookfield Manor Park, Krueger Park, Mary Knoll Park, and Mitchell Park.
  • Development of “pocket parks” in Target Intervention Areas, including the Town Square Park near Brookfield Square Mall.
  • Continued development of a City-wide trail system in accordance with the Greenway Corridor Recreational Trail Plan Update. (See Greenway Trail System)
The plan also recommends that all environmental corridors and isolated natural resource areas be protected through public acquisition or through conservancy zoning, zoning for compatible recreation uses, and/or through deed restrictions. The plan also recommends that all wetlands within primary environmental corridors and all wetlands of five acres or larger outside primary environmental corridors be acquired by the City. The plan recommends that the City acquire about 792 acres of environmentally sensitive lands for resource protection purposes.