Open Spaces, Parks & Recreation
GOAL: To encourage fitness, creativity and enjoyment of the outdoors so that people become more physically active. Policy-makers can strengthen policies and programs that provide more , including parks and recreation facilities.
Open Spaces, Parks, & Rec
1. Increase Access to Recreation Facilities and Open Spaces, Including Parks and Community Gardens
The Issues and the Research: An increasing body of evidence suggests that children who live in communities with —such as parks, ball fields, nature centers, picnic areas and campgrounds—are more physically active than those living in areas with fewer recreation facilities.1 One study that evaluated the relationship between access to a variety of built and natural facilities and physical activity found that the people with the greatest access were 43 percent more likely to exercise for 30 minutes on most days compared with those with poorer access.2 Furthermore, a 2006 study of more than 1,500 teenage girls found that they achieved 35 additional minutes of physical activity weekly for each park that was within a half mile of their homes.3 Another study showed that adults who live near recreation facilities or have aesthetically pleasing places where they can be active have higher levels of recreational physical activity.4,5 For example, the results of a 2007 study of low-income areas found that people who live within one mile of a park exercised at a rate 38 percent higher than those who lived farther away, and were four times as likely to visit a park at least once a week.6
Potential Stakeholders
Policy-makers
State and local elected and appointed officials
School officials (e.g., state boards of education, local school boards and school administrators)
Other Government and Community Stakeholders
Transportation officials
Planning officials
Parks and recreation officials
County and city health officials
Economic (re)development committees
Private businesses (physical fitness centers)
Local colleges and universities
After-school programs leaders
Community garden associations
Policy and Program OptionsConnectivity for increased activity
State and local policy-makers can approve construction of new recreation facilities along trails or public transit routes to make them more accessible to residents. Local governments and developers can consider locating new schools near parks and recreation facilities.
Open spaces for active living
State and local policy-makers can develop policies favoring that can include recreational . can be developed through land acquisition, easements and partnerships with conservation groups. Policy-makers can integrate greenway plans, trails and parks with land-use, transportation and economic development plans, and advocate for subdivision ordinances that require reserving a portion of land for trails and . State and local officials also can increase funding for parks, trails and .
Rehabilitation of blighted areas to create healthier environments
State and local policy-makers can enact policies that assess the viability and sustainability of redeveloping blighted areas and vacant lots into productive economic and recreational opportunities. Policy-makers can call for the conversion of vacant lots into community gardens, parks and other green spaces. Local and state policy-makers can use U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding, which targets development projects in vulnerable communities.
Park expansion and maintenance in order to provide safe places to play
Local policy-makers can support policies that maintain and create new neighborhood parks and in close proximity to residents’ homes.
Joint-use agreements that increase activity options
School and local government officials can develop that allow community members to use school-owned recreation facilities. In turn, communities can offer facilities to schools, such as swimming pools.
Rails to trails for recreation and transportation
State and local government officials can work together to convert out-of-service rail corridors into trails using .
Getting Started
- State and local policy-makers can identify potential spaces that could be turned into areas for physical activity. Policy-makers can meet with urban designers, planners, engineers and school and community leaders to evaluate the availability of and develop a common vision for the community’s physical environment
- State policy-makers can establish statewide strategies for streamlining cleanup processes and provide financial incentives to investors and developers. Local governments can partner with local businesses to sponsor the cleanup and maintenance of parks— highlighting the partnership at city-wide events held at the parks
- Local policy-makers can create a public-private partnership with local gyms and recreation facilities to provide lower-income residents with greater access to facilities at a significantly reduced cost. They can also ensure that the hours of community recreation facilities are extended.
- Through , local policy-makers can collaborate with service and volunteer organizations; faith- and community-based organizations; local colleges and universities; and elementary, middle and high schools to provide recreational activities during after-school hours. In developing a joint-use agreement, leaders can create a steering committee consisting of representatives from each party in the agreement. The committee can review suggestions from residents and community organizations. In addition, all parties can enter into cost-sharing agreements to ensure that additional costs (i.e., utilities and supplies) are fairly distributed. They can support programs that provide training on equipment.
Resources
International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Active Living and Social Equity: Creating Healthy Communities for All Residents. A Guide for Local Government
This report examines the link between health and the built environment, and it describes a number of ways that local governments can remove barriers and promote health equity. Solutions include increasing walkability and pedestrian safety; providing safe bicycle pathways and open spaces; improving transportation infrastructure; and increasing food access and affordability.
http://bookstore.icma.org/freedocs/Active%20Living%20and%20Social%20Equity.pdf
Local Government Commission, Participation Tools for Better Community and Land Use Planning
This site provides tools that can be used to increase public participation in community and land-use planning. Tools include a computer simulation to allow the public to conceptualize what the redesigned area will look like; a visual survey allowing the public to rate an image on a scale of one to 10; and land-use mapping that allows the public to create different development strategies using board games or computer software.
www.lgc.org/freepub/community_design/participation_tools/index.html
National Conference of State Legislatures, The Legislative Role in Healthy Community Design
This report examines state legislation during a two-year period that encourages physical activity and access to healthy food. Much of this legislation was collaborative and required state and local governments to come together to fund, implement and oversee projects.
www.leadershipforhealthycommunities.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=91
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Trail Building Toolbox
This toolbox provides basic information communities need to build trails. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nonprofit organization working with communities to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into trails.
www.railstotrails.org/whatwedo/trailbuilding/technicalassistance/toolbox/toolbox_index.html
The Trust for Public Land, The Excellent City Park System
This report examines the role of parks in residents’ lives and makes suggestions for the creation of more effective park spaces. It outlines “Seven Factors of Excellence” in evaluating parks including a clear expression of purpose; a continued planning and community involvement process; and sufficient assets in land, staff and equipment.
http://cloud.tpl.org/pubs/ccpe_excellentcityparks_2006.pdf
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and Community Development Block Grants Toolkit on Cross Cutting Issues
This Web site provides information about the CDBG program, which provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. The toolkit provides information about financial management; the environmental review process; federal labor standards; rules of fair housing and non-discrimination practices; and statutes, regulations, forms and other documents that guide the acquisition and relocation process for state and local governmental organizations.
www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs
www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/toolkit/index.cfm
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, Recreational Trails Program (RTP)
This Web site provides policy-makers with information about RTP, which gives funds to states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The RTP funds are distributed to states by legislative formula: half of the funds are distributed equally among all states and half are distributed in proportion to the estimated amount of non-highway recreational fuel use in each state.
www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails
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1 Davison K and Lawson C. “Do Attributes in the Physical Environment Influence Children’s Physical Activity? A Review of the Literature.” International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 3(19), March 2006.
2 Giles-Corti Band Donovan R. “The relative influence of individual, social, and physical environment determinants of physical activity.” Social Science and Medicine, 54(12): 1793-1812, June 2002.
3 Cohen D, Ashwood J, Scott M, et al. “Public parks and physical activity among adolescent girls.” Pediatrics, 118(5): 1381-1389, November 2006.
4 Saelens Band Handy S. “Built environment correlates of walking: A review.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 40(7S): S550-66, July 2008.
5 Sallis J and Kerr J. “Physical activity and the built environment.” President’s Council on Physical fitness and Sports Research Digest, 7(4):1-8, December 2006.
6 Cohen D, McKenzie T, Sehgai A, et al. “Contribution of public parks to physical activity.” American Journal of Public Health, 97(3): 509-514, January 2007.
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