Features
The Great Drama of Great Park
More than a decade of political turmoil, mismanagement and an uncertain financial landscape has created an ongoing saga surrounding construction of California’s Great Park, even as the project inches toward completion.
12 Steps to Sponsorship Success
Twelve steps to a better understanding of how to put together sponsorship offerings, what words to use, and the entire process from thinking about sponsorship to going about getting one.
Breaking Down Barriers - Parks and Recreation Connecting with Public Health
The growing awareness of the essential role of parks and recreation in health and wellness is leading to increasing collaboration between parks and recreation and public health professionals.
Additional Articles
Streamline Purchasing with Cooperatives
In an economic climate where parks are pushed to do more with less, cooperatives can easily assist with purchasing needs.
Member Spotlight: Janet Bartnik
Janet Bartnik shares about how her parks and recreation career has evolved and her approach to community engagement and collaborative partnerships.
Can Data Help Predict the Future of Your Community?
Get access to online engagement and data tools to help with making more informed decisions.
NRPA Sustainability in Action
For the third year running, the NRPA Green Team earns top honors in the sixth annual Loudoun Green Business Challenge.
Golden Myths
Gold Medal Head Judge, Mike Abbaté and Gold Medal Committee Chair-Elect, Marybeth Thaman dispel several of the myths that have grown up around the Gold Medal Award.
Latino Residents Champion for Green Justice in Little Village
Residents of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood worked for 15 years to reclaim and restore blighted property in their community and transform it into a vibrant local park.
The Power of the Permit
Some background on the Aspen Institute’s Sport and Society Program and its Project Play initiative's recommendation to local governments to use the “Power of the Permit” to promote equitable, safe and enjoyable sports experiences for all youth, in every community.
Friends Groups: People with Passion for Parks
Friends groups - local citizens with a passion for parks - are an often-underutilized source of community talent and support.
Lessons From the Road to Leadership
Tiffany Johnson, CPRP, MPA, lays out the path she took on the road to a leadership position within parks and recreation.
Physician Nixes Post-Injury Return to Football
The case of Class v. Towson University illustrates the tendency of federal courts to defer to the reasonable medical judgment of an agency’s designated physician when an “otherwise qualified” and/or “direct threat” determination for a disabled participant is based on competent and individualized medical evidence.
2016: The Year of Park Champion Advocacy
Following up on the success and lessons learned from last summer's launch of the Park Champion advocacy initiative, NRPA's Policy Team declares 2016 the year of Park Champion advocacy, expanding the initiative to a year-round movement.
Guiding the Way to Playground Design
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation's guidebook provides regional staff with options when it comes to developing unique, appropriate and fun new playgrounds.
Part Two: Marielle Anzelone Plans a PopUP Forest
Part two of Parks & Recreation's conversation with Urban Ecologist, Marielle Anzelone about her plans to install a PopUP Forest in New York City's Times Square.
Freedom to Fail, Space to Grow
Research suggests that recreation professionals should be providing children in sports programs with praise and encouragement for their effort, problem-solving ability and persistence and determination — for having a "growth mindset" — instead of simply for their innate ability. But, exactly what is a growth mindset and how is it nurtured?
NRPA Takes Top Honors
The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) recently honored NRPA’s Marketing, Communications and Magazine department with five coveted Association TRENDS awards.
A Park for All Abilities
Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department in Texas drew on the skill sets and backgrounds of a variety of professionals — from medical, educational and design and manufacturing fields — to create its Play for All Abilities Park.
Notable News
Stay up to date on what's happening in parks and recreation with the latest news from around the field.
Having a Heart
In addition to a wide range of leisure activities, Cherokee Recreation and Parks Agency in Woodstock, Georgia, offers four distinct community outreach programs throughout the year, each benefiting a different segment of its population.
Great Expectations
NRPA's Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Publishing and Editorial Director, Gina Mullins-Cohen, a former resident of Orange County, California, provides some additional insight about the Great Park project, one of this month's feature stories, and shares news of recent awards Parks & Recreation and the Marketing Department have earned.
A Banner Year
Susan K. Trautman, CPRP, Chair of NRPA's Board of Directors, celebrates the accomplishments of 2015 and encourages everyone to ensure their voices are counted in 2016.
Free Play Across the Globe
Some interesting findings from a 2009 study that sought to answer the question "What can the free-play habits and choices of children all over the world tell us about this most instinctual activity?"