Page last updated on March 6, 2024 at 9:36 am
For more information, please contact
Rebecca Swift, Natural Resources Coordinator, Parks and Recreation, rebecca.swift@bloomington.in.gov, 812-349-3587
The Challenge
The Covid-19 pandemic has seen an uptick in people enjoying public outdoor spaces to safely escape quarantine and relieve some “Zoom fatigue.” Locally, Bloomington offers 34 parks, a golf course, ice arena, two pools, three community centers, a fitness and recreation center, three natural resource properties, 13 ball fields, 22 tennis courts, 24 basketball courts and approximately 30 miles of trails. Promoting the availability of all these free, accessible spaces to community members of all ages and backgrounds throughout the city is challenging!
The Idea
When it became obvious that the problem was due to limited access to data and information regarding parks and trails, and recognizing the great strides that technology and mobile applications have made in recent years, connecting the dots was simple: create a free, user-friendly mobile application that could show people where parks, trails and points of interest are located. The Parks and Recreation Department partnered with OuterSpatial - an existing app used by other outdoorsy cities like Bend, Oregon - to deliver Bloomington-specific information that could act as a recreational-space guidebook for residents, and promote upcoming Parks and Recreation events and volunteer opportunities.
The Cost
The cost to the City for operating the OuterSpatial platform was negotiated early in the app's introductory development stage. Parks staff worked on adding content, collecting GIS data, uploading pictures and more for approximately one year before they debuted the app to the public on April 5, 2021. The Parks and Recreation Department and Information and Technology Services will continue to regularly add and update content on the mobile app so users can expect to have the most accurate information available.
The Benefit
For the public, having the OuterSpatial app provides many benefits including:
- Being able to plan a visit to a park or trail and make the most of a visit once there
- Using the app to navigate while on trails
- Locating parking, restrooms, picnic areas and other park amenities
- Accessing information about ecological, geological and historical points of interest
- Staying up to date with Bloomington Parks and Recreations events and volunteer opportunities
- Receiving notifications about hazards, closures and other timely information
- Sharing experiences and photos and connect with others who love city parks and trails, and
- Informing Bloomington Parks and Recreation about maintenance and other issues
Bloomington Parks and Recreation has already received feedback from individuals who discovered new parks and trails that they did not know existed located near their homes that they did not know existed. Had they not implemented this new technology, the City would be missing out on the opportunity to connect residents and visitors to all the wonderful Parks and Recreation assets our City has to offer!
For more information and to begin your adventure, visit OuterSpatial.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT OUTERSPATIAL!
Metadata
City Department(s): Parks and Recreation, Information and Technology Services
City Point of Contact: Rebecca Swift (Natural Resources Coordinator, Parks and Recreation) and Max Stier (GIS Specialist, Information and Technology Services)
Partner(s): OuterSpatial
Partner Point(s) of Contact: Ryan Branciforte (CEO OuterSpatial), Jereme Monteau, Nate Irwin
Type of Innovation: Technical/Data Analysis
Date Implemented: April 5, 2021