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.

Report
Surfacing Solutions: How Addressing Conflict and Reframing Challenges as Opportunities Can Create More Equitable and Sustainable Parks
Park People
Takeaways on trends, challenges and strategic directions in Canadian city parks in 2023.
Report
Managing High-Quality Parks Environments: Models and Lessons from Selected Parks in New York City, Chicago, and Cincinnati
University of Buffalo
This report examines the management features of the 21 parks to identify lessons for how to create and maintain a premier waterfront gathering place.
Report
Key Park Equity Policies: Toward a 10-Minute Walk Park Equity Policy Framework
Trust for Public Land
This report outlines policy solutions and examples that help create scaled, sustainable change and address the park equity divide.
Report
Cornerstone Parks Reports on Stewardship and Park Use
Park People
This research from Canada shows that volunteer stewardship in large urban parks makes people happier and healthier and points to the need for equity.
Report
2022 Outdoor Participation Trends Report
Outdoor Foundation
This research study examines interest in outdoor recreation after the COVID pandemic disruption.
Report
Neighborhood Park Service: Strategies to create an equitable and activated park system for the District of Columbia
Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness, with assistance from Catherine O’Donnell, GW Climate and Health Institute
This report provides policy recommendations for how the NPS and Congress can leverage greenspaces to create a better park system in Washington, DC.
Report
The Common Ground Framework: Building community power through park and green space engagement
Trust for Public Land
This paper explores how parks and green spaces can increase a community’s power, particularly communities of historically excluded groups.
Case Study
Development Fees and Park Equity in Los Angeles
Journal of the American Planning Association
This case study evaluates whether the equity-motivated changes in Los Angeles’ park fees ordinance (known as Quimby) resulted in equity gains.
Case Study
Parks That Protect: Leveraging Waterfronts for Resilient Communities
Urban Land Institute
Explores seven leading-edge waterfront park projects from around the world built to protect adjacent neighborhoods from climate threats.
Report
Greenspace in American Cities: How Access to Parks and Nature Can Improve Health and Well-Being
CityHealth, Beaumont Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Trust for Public Land
This report highlights disparities in greenspace access and outlines policy solutions that can ensure that all communities have access to public land.