Dix Park: Difference between revisions

'''Dorothea Dix Park''' is a public park located southwest of downtown [[Raleigh, North Carolina]]. The park occupies approximately 308 acres of land formerly used as the Dorothea Dix Hospital campus and is one of the largest public parks in the City of Raleigh. The site offers expansive views of the downtown skyline and serves as a major open-space and civic amenity.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorothea Dix Park |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dorothea-dix-park |website=raleighnc.gov |publisher=City of Raleigh |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>

The land that now comprises Dorothea Dix Park was established in the mid-nineteenth century as the site of the North Carolina Insane Asylum, later known as Dorothea Dix Hospital. The hospital opened in 1856 and was named for Dorothea Dix, a mental health reformer whose advocacy contributed to the creation of public institutions for the care of people with mental illness.<ref>{{cite web |last=Covington |first=Howard E., Jr. |title=Dorothea Dix Hospital |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/dorothea-dix-hospital |website=NCPedia |publisher=North Carolina Museum of History |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>

Over more than a century, the campus expanded to include numerous buildings, roadways, and utility systems and functioned as a major state psychiatric facility. The hospital played a significant role in North Carolina’s mental health system but was also associated with changing approaches to institutional care over time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mental Health Care in North Carolina |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/mental-health-care-north-carolina |website=NCPedia |publisher=North Carolina Museum of History |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>

=== Closure and state ownership ===

In 2015, the State of North Carolina and the City of Raleigh reached an agreement transferring ownership of the Dorothea Dix campus to the city. The transfer was structured as a purchase by the city for approximately $52 million, with funding supported by local bonds and other financing mechanisms.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorothea Dix Park History |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dorothea-dix-park-history |website=raleighnc.gov |publisher=City of Raleigh |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>

Following acquisition of the property, the City of Raleigh initiated an extensive planning process. In April 2019, the Raleigh City Council adopted the '''Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan''', a long-range framework intended to guide the park’s design, development, and programming over multiple decades.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan |url=https://cityofraleigh0drupal.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/drupal-prod/COR22/DixParkMasterPlan.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=City of Raleigh |date=April 2019 |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>

The master plan emphasizes several guiding principles:

To support planning and oversight, the City created the Dix Park Inter-Departmental Team and a public advisory committee. The park’s development is coordinated across city departments, including Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, Planning and Development, and Transportation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dix Park Advisory Committee |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dix-park-advisory-committee |website=raleighnc.gov |publisher=City of Raleigh |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>

== Dix Park Conservancy ==

The [[Dix Park Conservancy]] is a nonprofit organization established to support the development, activation, and long-term stewardship of Dorothea Dix Park. The Conservancy works in partnership with the [[City of Raleigh]] to raise private funds, coordinate programming, and advocate for the park’s long-term vision.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://dixpark.org/about/our-story/ |website=dixpark.org |publisher=Dix Park Conservancy |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>

The Conservancy operates under a formal agreement with the City of Raleigh and does not own the park property. Ultimate authority over land use and capital decisions remains with the City and the [[Raleigh City Council]].

== Development and implementation ==

Development of Dorothea Dix Park is planned to occur over multiple phases. Initial improvements focused on safety, access, and interim uses, such as temporary event spaces, sunflower fields, and seasonal programming.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dorothea Dix Park Events |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dorothea-dix-park-events |website=raleighnc.gov |publisher=City of Raleigh |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>

== Relationship to city planning ==

Dorothea Dix Park is referenced in the City’s long-range planning documents, including the [[Raleigh 2030 Comprehensive Plan]], as a key civic and recreational asset.<ref>{{cite web |title=2030 Comprehensive Plan |url=https://raleighnc.gov/planning/services/2030-comprehensive-plan |website=raleighnc.gov |publisher=City of Raleigh |access-date=October 24, 2023}}</ref>

* [[Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources]]

* [[North Carolina mental health history]]

[[Category:Parks in Raleigh, North Carolina]]

[[Category:Raleigh, North Carolina]]

[[Category:Urban parks in North Carolina]]

[[Category:Government of Raleigh, North Carolina]]