Enhancing community well-being and economic vitality

Recreation and Trails

Research has found that time spent outdoors in nature improves both physical health and mental well-being. Communities with ample opportunities for outdoor recreation, such as urban and rural trail networks, have stronger communities and economies, especially as outdoor recreation has become a major draw for tourism in the Intermountain West. Additionally, proximity to active outdoor recreation opportunities is often a deciding factor in where individuals and families choose to locate.

When thoughtfully planned and managed, recreational areas, trails, and activities can be a major amenity and benefit the community and the environment. Outdoor recreation spaces can cultivate:

  • Increased health and wellness of a community through physical activity, social interaction, and time spent in nature
  • Expanded active transportation networks through urban trail systems
  • Economic and community development through recruitment and tourism

Designing engaging outdoor recreation spaces

Our Expertise

At Io we specialize in design for outdoor recreation, including the following types of projects and scope of services:

Trail Master Planning

Whether it's a fitness loop, urban trail connection, or an entire trail system master plan, we work on trail design at a variety of scales and contexts.

Bike Parks

Our skilled trails design team has experience with public and private bike parks, including the popular Trackline Bike Park in Ogden.

Parks for Wellness

We design parks with community health and wellness as our focus. Our parks include features like outdoor fitness trails, sports courts, and community gardens.

Playgrounds

For us an important aspect of outdoor recreation is the addition of unique play experiences for children of all ages in public spaces.

Let's Talk

Would you like to find out more about our process, and how to work with us? Follow the link below to answer a few questions about your project and we’ll reach out to you with more information on next steps.

What Clients are Saying...

It was such a great pleasure working with Shalae and Io LandArch on not only one but two Extreme Makeover: Home Edition builds. She was able to listen, and hear, our needs as the client, quickly turn around a clear, cohesive plan, and execute that plan and vision during the install of the landscape. The final landscaping product truly complemented the architecture of the house and successfully blended traditional garden motifs with contemporary styling and modern amenities.
Andy Monaco
Io LandArch has successfully provided a variety of services for Ogden City - from documenting historic landscapes to preparing the master plan for a major redevelopment project. Io created the design concept for the Ogden Business Exchange, a redevelopment project that is transforming a historic but vacant stockyard into a state-of-the-art business park. Io's design weaves in the rich history of the site and it's proximity to natural amenities to create a truly unique sense of place.
Sara Meess
Project Coordinator, Ogden City Business Development
Io has been a tremendous help to the City of South Salt Lake as they have worked over the years to help plan and design numerous city buildings and parks. We are grateful for this consistency and reliability as we complete many projects in phases. Io's attention to detail and quality and willingness to listen to our needs ensures we are always happy with the end product.
Sharen Hauri
Urban Design Director, City of South Salt Lake
Ogden Contemporary Arts were lucky enough to work with Io LandArch on our outdoor sculpture park, PLATFORMS. Shalae was critical to pulling off this community project. She offered their services as an in-kind donation and even went as far as recommending volunteer options, as we are a nonprofit with limited funds. The outcome was astonishing. What was once a lot of overgrown weeds, chain-link, and trash, is now a welcoming park scattered with beautiful native plants and whimsical winding pathways. Ogden is lucky to have such a community-oriented landscape architecture firm in our community.
Venessa Castagnoli Executive
Ogden Contemorary Arts
Io LandArch worked with me over the course of a winter to develop the ideas I had for my yard and the vision I had for living in it. They added artistic and historical elements that are appropriate for the style and time period of my house. I appreciate their monitoring of the installation process so that the end product was as successful as the exciting plans suggested it would be. I am really happy with the results!
Amelia Jones