Active Living Task Force

The City of Lakewood appointed the Lakewood Active Living Task Force (Task Force) in June of 2014.

The charge for the Task Force was to conduct a comprehensive study and to create actionable recommendations meant to ensure Lakewood remains a community that is oriented towards active living, featuring cutting edge programming and opportunities that will continue to make Lakewood an attractive option for all age groups. Task Force members met diligently over the course of twelve months, gathering knowledge and expertise from local professionals in the planning, health, and research fields and conducting independent background research and benchmarking against other communities throughout the United States.

Primary research was performed through a targeted survey of recreation and active living providers in and around Lakewood. This Providers’ Survey, explained in greater detail in the Task Force Background Research portion of this report, yielded insight to the provider’s experience in Lakewood, and illuminated needs and opportunities that ultimately informed the recommendations in this report.

Trends revealed by the providers’ survey include that many providers face program limitations due to barriers associated with physical space, funding, social perceptions, and other resource barriers. Furthermore, the survey highlighted that many providers felt that they would benefit from coordinated assistance in addressing various organizational and administrative needs, obtaining and synthesizing user data, and in advertising. Better communication and coordination among providers and between providers and municipal institutions was also a trend.

The Lakewood Active Living Task Force shared its recommendations report with Lakewood City Council on Feb. 1, 2016. Here’s the report.