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
Guide to Activate Undeveloped Parks of Austin
Austin Parks and Recreation and Central Texas Interfaith, Design Workshop
This is a road map for community members to temporarily activate undeveloped park sites in Austin.
Member Exclusive
Technical Tool
Milwaukee Parks Foundation Grant Application Guidelines
Milwaukee Parks Foundation
Milwaukee Parks Foundation offers grants to grassroots groups seeking to improve parks. Application guidelines and evaluation criteria are outlined.
Member Exclusive
Technical Tool
Milwaukee Parks Foundation Project Tracker Template
Milwaukee Parks Foundation
This project tracker is used by Milwaukee Parks Foundation and Milwaukee County Parks to track progress, funding, and tasks for joint projects.
Technical Tool
The Spectrum of Community Engagement to Ownership
Facilitating Power; Movement Strategy Center
Leaders across multiple sectors can use this spectrum to assess and revolutionize community engagement efforts to advance community-driven solutions.
Technical Tool
Community PARKnerships guidelines
Austin Parks and Recreation Department
Austin Parks and Recreation Department Community PARKnerships guide to naming, on-site dedication, and donor recognition of Austin parks.
Member Exclusive
Technical Tool
FireSmart BC Landscaping Guide
FireSmart BC/City of Vancouver
This guide from British Columbia includes an extensive list of fire-resistant plants, and tips on making your landscaping more wildfire resilient.
Technical Tool
Community First Toolkit
High Line Network
Toolkit to help park organizations address inequities and shape public spaces that bring social, environmental, and economic benefits to communities
Technical Tool
The Hospital Green Space Cost Savings Calculator
Nature Sacred
Estimate how much your institution could save costs associated with burnout among hospital staff by establishing a hospital biophilia intervention.
Member Exclusive
Technical Tool
Vancouver Park Board Best Management Practices Cutsheets
Vancouver Park Board
Contains BMPs for a variety of naturalized meadows, including no mow, low mow, enhanced low mow, and wildflower, as well as design and layout options.
Technical Tool
Inclusive Healthy Places Companion Guide for Park and Recreation Professionals
Gehl (gehlpeople.com);The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)
Offers a comprehensive approach to leverage inclusion and health equity that inform the planning, design, development and evaluation of public spaces.