Resources

Resources for Park and Recreation Professionals

With help from our members and research partners, we make the following resources and tools available to equip parks and recreation departments, municipalities, urban design and landscape architecture firms, and advocacy organizations to enhance capacity and build equitable, healthy, and engaged communities.

Member Exclusive
Technical Tool
Benefits of Pittsburgh Parks System
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
Part of a suite of tools developed by PIttsburgh Parks Conservancy (PPC). PPC analyzed the plan and developed the benefits case for the investments.
Member Exclusive
Technical Tool
10 Steps to Becoming Partners in Neighborhood Parks
Providence Parks and Recreation
This manual serves as a framework for creating a friends group that can partner with your city or town to create the park of your dreams.
Member Exclusive
Technical Tool
Friends of the Park Handbook
Ellen Bruenderman
A guide to forming a "Friends of the Park" group and helpful tips and resources for how to reach your group's goals.
Member Exclusive
Technical Tool
Park People Sparking Change
Park People
Explores impacts in under-served neighborhoods to spark change in local parks; identifies strategies by community members and partner organizations.
Member Exclusive
Plan
Austin’s Cities Connecting Children to Nature
Outlines partnership strategies and steps for cross-sector planning to ensure all children have abundant and equitable access to nature.
Member Exclusive
Technical Tool
The Active Communities Tool (ACT): An Action Planning Guide
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
A guide to improve built environments and promote physical activity, and create a cross-sector action plan consistent with community context.
Member Exclusive
Technical Tool
The Active Communities Tool (ACT): Assessment Modules
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
Help users assess strengths and weaknesses of community plans, policies, and resources for improving built environments for physical activity.
Member Exclusive
Report
Todays Older Adults Initial Report of Results
Stephanie T. West, Ph.D. Recreation Management Appalachian State University
Survey sent to adults 50+ to gain a better understanding of the current activity behaviors and attitudes of older adults along with their greatest challenges.
Case Study
Girls Play, LA
City Parks Alliance
The City of Los Angeles's Department of Parks & Recreation's "Girls Play, LA" focuses on fitness for girls in under-served communities.
Case Study
FY17 LWCF ORLP Selected Projects
National Park Service
A description of 16 Selected Projects and associated award amounts for FY17-18 LWCF-ORLP