The Detroit Recreation Department (DRD) faced a variety of challenges in serving the city's nearly 900,000 residents, including budget cuts, the impact of urban blight and renewal, and an uneven distribution of facilities throughout the region. In an attempt to revitalize the economy of Detroit—the tenth-largest city in the U.S.—the DRD sought to reenergize its parks and recreation centers, which it viewed as economic assets. The DRD enlisted PB's assistance in developing a strategic master plan that would govern the long-term management and capital development of its park and recreation center properties and facilities.

In May 2006, the DRD completed a year-long effort to draft the first-of-a-kind plan. This master planning process enabled the department to make informed decisions as to the use of existing park assets to meet current and projected needs of all segments of the community, to develop appropriate funding strategies, and to promote the efficient use of resources during capital development.