The City of Fairfax launched a new website Monday— Our Parks, Our Future—where citizens can engage, communicate and collaborate with the Fairfax Parks and Recreation Department and other residents on a new parks master plan for the city.

The community engagement website, developed by MindMixer, is designed to get the community involved in the planning process. Along the way, Our Parks, Our Future will be used as an online tool to generate new ideas and feedback from citizens using this interactive and accessible platform.

Feedback from the engagement website will be used by the city in order to prioritize future projects.

“Our Parks, Our Future gives contributors a chance to share new ideas, second others’ ideas, expand upon existing ideas and give feedback on initiatives, working with Fairfax leaders on a variety of topics online anytime, anywhere,” said Fairfax Mayor Scott Silverthorne.

The discussion will start with topics, such as the following, and branch off from there based on input:

• What is your vision for the future of parks, recreation, trails, open spaces, cultural arts and community events in Fairfax?

• What are the most important park facilities to have within walking distance from your home?

The site also measures and tracks participation, identifying the most interested citizens and most compelling topics. MindMixer’s tools make it easy for administrations to communicate back with citizens, and they deliver measurable results and invaluable insights for the planning process.

“Our tools go beyond just technology. Our mission is to build community contributors. Ideas, voices and perspectives are shared to facilitate deeper and better conversations that yield actionable insights and a stronger community,” said Nick Bowden, CEO of MindMixer.

As part of its service, MindMixer consults and collaborates with clients to identify issues that are critical to stakeholders in order to update topics and content for their websites.

For more information, call 703-385-7858 or email parksrec@fairfaxva.gov. Residents can also watch the City of Fairfax mayor’s video introduction at http://youtu.be/F2m9bOFtvoA.