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
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Parks Listening Tour Survey Results
Sasaki Research led by Gretchen Keillor, Planner with support from Brie Hensold (Agency + Planning) and Ken Goulding, Sasaki.
Part of a suite of tools developed by PIttsburgh Parks Conservancy (PPC). Park survey results citywide, by race, by income, by City Council districts.
Member Exclusive
Report
Nurturing Neighborhoods
By Clement Lau-American Planning Association
LA County’s master planning effort for six of its most "park-poor" unincorporated communities, bridging sustainability, social equity, and parks.
Report
Investing in Equitable Urban Park Systems: Case Studies & Recommendations
City Parks Alliance
Learn from seven cities that are leading the way with data-driven approaches to guide park investments, engage communities, and build better parks for all.
Case Study
San Francisco: Cal Enviro-Screen 3.0
San Francisco Recreation and Parks, San Francisco Parks Alliance
The approval of a park revenue measure drove the development of an equity analysis, which leveraged a statewide open data set provided by the EPA.
Case Study
Pittsburgh: Parks for All
Pittsburgh Park Conservancy, Pittsburgh Parks and Recreation
An equitable investment plan was driven by data and coupled with residents’ input and priorities, resulting in the passage of a park tax referendum.
Case Study
Philadelphia: Rebuilding Community Infrastructure
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Rebuild, funded by a sugary beverage tax, aims to revitalize neighborhood parks, recreation centers, playgrounds, and libraries.
Case Study
New York City: Framework for an Equitable Future
NYC Parks
NYC Parks analyzed capital investment data from the past 20 years and established long-term community partnerships that sustain investment in the city’s parks.
Case Study
Minneapolis: Community Outreach Department and 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan
Minneapolis Parks & Recreation
Minneapolis' Community Outreach Department uses data-driven racial and economic equity criteria to close park funding gaps and distribute funds.
Case Study
LA County: Park Needs Assessment
Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD)
Learn how a park needs assessment and an engaged community led to the passage of a new tax-based parks measure that provides funds to high-need areas.
Case Study
Detroit: Parks & Rec Improvement Plan
City of Detroit Parks and Recreation
Learn about Detroit's equity-focused park planning team, which used equity data to create an improvement plan for 40 neighborhood parks.