The Las Vegas City Council has many priorities when it comes to future planning for the city’s residents. One of these priorities is to promote a healthy lifestyle for all segments of the community. One way that this priority is addressed is through the city’s Leisure Services Department, which provides parks, recreation facilities, swimming pools, and activities for youth, seniors, the disabled community and the entire family. To ensure that these services are best serving the city’s residents, the City Council conducted a community survey to gain insight into residents’ thoughts on city facilities and programs as well as their recreation habits.

The survey, conducted in late 2005 and early 2006, was distributed door-to-door to randomly selected households within city limits. In addition, surveys were mailed by the city to randomly selected households. Each household member age 10 and older was asked to complete a separate survey so that feedback would cover a broad spectrum of the population. The distribution resulted in the return of 1,781 surveys, which included residents of all city wards.

The survey helped to identify residents’ priorities. In terms of facilities, respondents listed as their priorities: maintain existing facilities, upgrade existing facilities and build new facilities. A significant number of respondents feel that additional outdoor facilities are needed in their area. This comment was especially true in City Council Wards 3, 5 and 6.

Residents’ priorities for programming include youth programming, senior programming and general health and fitness programming. “Family activities” also ranked highly as a recreation option that residents both do and want to do. Family-friendly outdoor facility choices such as water play parks and family picnic areas also ranked high among the list of facility priorities.

City residents listed swimming, hiking, weight training and visiting a gym as their top “active” recreation pastimes and reading, listening to music, family activities, arts and crafts, gardening and gourmet cooking as their favorite “passive” recreation activities. These results were consistent with some of the facilities that individuals desired to see in the community. For example, respondents listed outdoor and indoor swimming pools and paved trails high among the list of desired facilities.

The survey did find some inconsistencies. For example, respondents indicated an interest in basketball courts and sports fields; however, basketball, football and soccer ranked relatively low when respondents were asked what activities they currently participate in or would like to participate in.

The survey did discover that Las Vegas residents really do enjoy their parks. According to the survey, citizens consider parks as the best place to spend their leisure time, second only to home.

The city will use these survey results to help assess the need for new and improved parks, facilities and programs in order to maintain and improve the quality of life that city residents have come to enjoy. View the complete survey results online.