Community Park Design and Construction
Description
Community parks are expected to do more than ever. They must support recreation, provide gathering spaces, connect trails, incorporate natural features, and serve a wide range of community needs all within the limits of available land, budgets, and long-term maintenance.
When those elements work together, a park can become the heart of a neighborhood. When they do not, the result can be disconnected paths, underused spaces, and amenities that fail to deliver their intended value.
This live, interactive webinar explores the fundamentals behind successful community park planning and design. Learn how to identify different types of recreational public spaces and select features that respond to site conditions and community needs.
Experienced landscape architects and trail planning professionals will examine the design and integration of landforms, water features, gardens, gathering areas, recreational facilities, paths, and trails. You’ll also explore how within-park circulation can connect to broader local and regional trail networks while creating a safe, functional, and engaging user experience.
Whether you are designing a new park, improving an existing space, or planning trail connections, you’ll gain practical strategies for creating public spaces that feel connected, purposeful, and built to serve their communities for years to come.
Register now!
Agenda
Webinar instructions will be emailed 24-48 business hours before the date of the webinar.
Please log into the webinar 10-15 minutes before start time.
Tuesday, February 16, 2027
10:00 am – 1:00 pm CST
Agenda:
Presented by Ryan Geismar, David Whittaker, Keith Maung-Douglass, Amy Norval, Shannon Blakeman, and Robert Searns
Recreational Public Spaces: Identifying and Defining (R. Geismar & D. Whittaker)
- Playgrounds
- Neighborhood and community parks
- Greenspace
- Recreational facilities
- Trails and paths
Identifying and Designing Park Features (K. Maung-Douglass, A. Norval, S. Blakeman)
- Land features
- Water features
- Gardens
- Gathering and assembly spaces
Trails and Paths (R. Searns)
- Within-park paths and trails
- Connective local and regional trails
- Creating an outstanding trail experience
Webinar Instructions
All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited.
Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.
Webinars are presented via GoToWebinar, an easy-to-use application that can be run on most systems and tablets. Instructions and login information will be provided in an email sent close to the date of the webinar. It is highly recommended that you download, install and test the application before the webinar begins by clicking on the link in the email.
GoToWebinar App requirements:
Windows 10 or higher, macOS 11 or higher, Linux, Google Chrome OS
Web Browser:
Google Chrome (most recent 3 versions)
Microsoft Edge (most recent 3 versions)
Internet connection: 1 Mbps or better
Hardware: 2GB of RAM (minimum), 4GB or more of RAM (recommended)
For more information, visit the Support section at www.gotowebinar.com
Credits
Engineers
3.0 PDHs
Architects
3.0 HSW CE Hours
AIA - American Institute of Architects
3.0 HSW LUs
Landscape Architects
3.0 HSW CE Hours
LACES - Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System
3.0 HSW PDHs
APA/AICP - American Planning Association/American Institute of Certified Planners
CM | 3.0*
This webinar is open to the public and is designed to qualify for 3.0 PDHs for professional engineers, 3.0 HSW continuing education hours for licensed architects, and 3.0 HSW continuing education hours for landscape architects in all states that allow this learning method. Please refer to specific state rules to determine eligibility.
HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education sponsor for engineers in Florida (Provider License No: CEA362), Indiana (License No. CE21700059), Maryland, and New Jersey (Approval No. 24GP00049300). HalfMoon Education is deemed an approved continuing education sponsor for New York engineers, architects and landscape architects via its registration with the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System (AIA/CES) and the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA/CES). Other states do not preapprove continuing education providers or courses.
The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System has approved this course for 3.0 HSW LUs (Sponsor No. J885). Only full participation is reportable to the AIA/CES.
The Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System has approved this course for 3.0 HSW PDHs. Only full participation is reportable to the LA CES.
*HalfMoon Education is an approved CM Provider with the American Planning Association. This course will be registered for CM | 3.0 for Certified Planners once 2027 course registration is available. This course listing at halfmoonseminars.org will be updated regarding registration status.
Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the webinar for those who attend the entire course and score a minimum 80% on the quiz that follows the course (multiple attempts allowed).
On-Demand Credits
The credits listed above apply only to the live webinar. This course in an on-demand format may not qualify for the same credit in some states. Please refer to specific board rules to determine if an asynchronous, on-demand course is appropriate. The following credits will be included in the on-demand format:
3.0 HSW LUs (AIA)
3.0 HSW PDHs (LA CES)
Speakers
Shannon Blakeman, PLA, ASLA
Partner at CARBO Landscape ArchitectureMr. Blakeman is a Principal and Managing Partner at CARBO. Before joining the firm, Mr. Blakeman worked in North Carolina, gaining experience in park, commercial, institutional, and municipal projects. Over 25 years, he has developed a broad knowledge base in detail design, large-scale site planning, and master planning. His well-rounded approach to the design process provides thoughtful design solutions. As a Partner, Mr. Blakeman provides team leadership throughout the design process, fosters positive client relationships, develops conceptual themes, and ensures quality implementation. He facilitates efficient and effective communication between workgroups, clients, and multi-disciplinary team members. He is also responsible for business development in the public and private sectors within the region, working to grow the firm’s presence.
Mr. Blakeman earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture at Louisiana State University in 1999. He is a Registered Landscape Architect in the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, & Florida, and a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Mr. Blakeman has also been active in the local ASLA chapter, serving on the Executive Committee from 2006 to 2019.
Ryan Geismar, PLA, ASLA, LEED-AP
Associate Principal, Visualization SpecialistMr. Geismar is a Landscape Architect with cross-discipline education in architecture. This broadened perspective lends itself well to complex urban design and place-making, where multiple cultural, social, natural and historical influences often intersect in the built environment. He regularly collaborates with civic groups, community stakeholders, and multi-disciplinary design and technical teams to develop enduring connections between people and places. As an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP, Mr. Geismar co-founded the Vacant Lots: Occupied (VLO) platform to align private, public, and academic collaborators to support local communities in re-envisioning the best and highest use of under-utilized parcels. The program has received a number of local and state awards for its effective planning and transformation of underutilized parcels for maximum social and environmental impact. Further, Mr. Geismar’s strong visual communication skills help convey complex conceptual and technical ideas to broad and diverse audiences. His compelling visualization has a proven track record of garnering community support and assisting fundraising.
Keith Maung-Douglass, PLA, ASLA
Associate at CARBO Landscape ArchitectureMr. Maung-Douglass joined CARBO in June of 2017 after completing a 2-year research and design fellowship at the LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio. Mr. Maung-Douglass received a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Temple University in 2013 and Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Roger Williams University in 2005.
Before moving to Louisiana, Mr. Maung-Douglass was an intern with Biohabitats, Inc. in Baltimore, MD. For this internship, Mr. Maung-Douglass was tasked with the design, construction, and operation of a small-scale wetland treatment system that would filter water from Baltimore Harbor. While there, Mr. Maung-Douglass also worked on various other ecological restoration and landscape design projects.
During his time at the Coastal Sustainability Studio, Mr. Maung-Douglass worked on the Changing Course design competition, the design of an interactive coastal Louisiana exhibit for the Center for River Studies, the creation of visualizations for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and a range of in-house projects related to coastal Louisiana and the August 2016 flood.
Mr. Maung-Douglass is a certified Master Naturalist through the Louisiana Master Naturalist Association and is also an active member of the Capital Area Native Plant Society.
Amy Norval, PLA, ASLA
Associate at CARBO Landscape ArchitectureMs. Norval received her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from Louisiana State University in 2013. Since graduation, Ms. Norval has gained professional experience on projects across southern Louisiana and has worked closely with various suburban and rural municipalities gaining skills in community engagement. She approaches each project with an emphasis on designing with the community while fostering environmentally sustainable methods and practices. Her active projects range from universally inclusive neighborhood playgrounds to large-scale stormwater parks. Ms. Norval is also an active advocate for her profession and has served on the executive committee of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Throughout college and internships, she has had the privilege of traveling locally and abroad to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the direct implications of design within a community. As a southeastern Louisiana native, she has a deep appreciation for the culture that has evolved from our dynamic coastal landscape. She understands the need for creative design in the face of climate change and has worked extensively on stormwater management projects at varying scales.
Ms. Norval also maintains an interest in Louisiana native and naturalized plants and local recycled materials as they are used in stormwater management practices and coastal sustainability.
Robert Searns
Robert Searns and Associates, Inc. in Littleton, COMr. Searns has a four-decade history of visualizing, planning, and getting trails and greenway projects built. He was project director of Denver’s Platte River and Mary Carter Greenways, both national-award-winning projects. He helped plan the Grand Canyon National Park Greenway, played a key role on the Memphis Wolf River Greenway, and authored the Commerce City, CO, Walk, Bike, Fit Plan. He has written for Planning, Landscape Architecture, LA China, and American Trails magazines and has served as editor-in-chief of Trails and Beyond magazine. He chaired American Trails and was a founder of The World Trails Network as well as being a delegate to the America’s Great Outdoors White House conclave. His current book is Beyond Greenways: The Next Step For City Trails and Walking Routes, published in 2023 by Island Press. This book was chosen as one of THE DIRT’s (American Society of Landscape Architects) 10 best books of 2023. He resides, writes, hikes, and bikes near Denver, Colorado.
David Whittaker, PLA, ASLA, LEED-AP, LFA
Associate Principal, Design ManagerMr. Whittaker has 28 years of experience in landscape architectural design and planning. His professional philosophy and skills include the integration of sustainable design, public process, community building, cultural resources, and art. As a lead project designer, Mr. Whittaker has led many sustainability and regenerative design initiatives both within his firm and in the Greater Cincinnati region. He has worked on several LEED projects and has been a strong regional advocate for the Living Building Challenge. He has participated in site projects from conceptual design through design details and construction drawings, and he has played an instrumental role in creating innovative technical and aesthetically compelling solutions to stormwater management challenges.
AIA Info
AIA Provider Statement:
HalfMoon Education Inc. is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider Number J885. All registered AIA/CES Providers must comply with the AIA Standards for Continuing Education Programs. Any questions or concerns about this provider of learning program may be sent to AIA/CES (cesupport@aia.org or (800) AIA 3837, Option 3).
This learning program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.
AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA/CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.
Course Title: Community Park Design and Construction
Delivery Method: Live Online
Course Description: This three-hour course explores the design and construction of community parks and focuses on specific infrastructure and landscape features, including playgrounds, greenspaces, recreational facilities, water features, gardens, trails and paths.
Learning Objectives:
Learning Objective 1: Learners will be able to define the characteristics and benefits of community parks and recreational public spaces.
Learning Objective 2: Learners will be able to incorporate recreational amenities into park design, including playgrounds, green spaces, and sport courts.
Learning Objective 3: Learners will be able to discuss the design and construction of landscape features such as gardens, water features and community gatherings spaces.
Learning Objective 4: Learners will be able to analyze trail design and for within-park paths, as well as for connective and regional trails.
LUs: 3.0
LU Type: LU|HSWs
Prerequisites: None
Advance Preparation: None
Program Level: Intermediate
Course Expiration Date: 09/13/2027
Complaint Resolution Policy:
Complaints regarding this course can be emailed to fchapman@halfmoonseminars.org or by calling (715) 835-5900. A HalfMoon Education representative will respond within 72 hours to resolve the complaint, which will include, but not limited to, access to another CE activity at no or reduced cost or a full or partial refund. Each instance will be resolved on a case-by-case situation.
3.0 Knowledge Points
Purchase this course using Knowledge Points by clicking the button below.
(Account login required. Knowledge Points can only be redeemed by the owner of the points. Cannot be combined with any other forms of payment)