Glendale Regional Park is located on the west side of Salt Lake City (SLC), Utah. It is a 17-acre park proposed on the site of an abandoned water park, Raging Waters/Seven Peaks Park. Due to the significant repairs needed, no prospective operators were identified to lease the water park from the city. Instead, SLC's Public Lands Department purchased the site and set out to create a publicly accessible outdoor recreation area—a much desired resource for the Glendale neighborhood.

Landscape sustainability—and SITES certification—was an early goal for the team, which achieved SITES Gold pre-certification in September 2023. Administered by GBCI, SITES is a globally recognized standard for sustainable and resilient land design and development. Pre-certification is an optional, incremental pathway for projects in the planning phase to validate their preparedness for certification.

Pre-certified projects demonstrate how their sites will enhance biodiversity and mitigate climate change while conserving resources, improving public health and protecting critical ecosystems. To include community input in the process, the lead design firm, Design Workshop, hosted several open houses and community meetings for in-person input.

Learn more about how the project is planning to create an accessible, community-focused space with SITES.