Parks and recreation is essential to the physical, social, environmental and economic health of a community. Local leaders and planners often link the availability of high-quality park and recreation amenities to the achievement of community equity.

Awareness of park and recreation offerings is critical to drive greater use of such facilities. Making sure residents are fully aware of the park and recreation amenities and programming available to them, where to find them and what activities are offered — as well as residents’ perception of the quality and other characteristics of a park — are all important factors in whether they will utilize a park and its facilities.

Greater awareness of parks and recreation is associated with:

• Improved public health and wellbeing
• Increased public support and stewardship for green spaces and the environment as a whole
• Greater advocacy, political support and public funding for park and recreation facilities.

The Awareness and the Use of Parks report explores the role awareness plays in driving park and recreation usage.  Further, the report studies the steps taken by two cutting edge park and recreation agencies to promote greater awareness of their offerings. Finally, the report presents a series of steps and a checklist that park and recreation leaders should consider when executing an awareness strategy.

Read the Report

 

 

NRPA commissioned GP/RED to conduct the research behind the Awareness and the Use of Parks.  You can dig even deeper into their awareness research with this full report.