Parks and recreation NATIONAL DATABASE REPORT
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Parks and recreation
NATIONAL DATABASE REPORT
2014
Po w er ed B y
Executive Summary
Across the country, park and recreation agencies increases and other support from local or state
provide people with the resources they need to governments. By employing the Eco-Benefit Cal-
build sustainable, healthy communities with culator and Custom Reports functions of PROR-
opportunities for all. Offering a broad range of AGIS, you can demonstrate specific, positive
programs and services to support the natural impacts on the environmental, public health
environment, encourage nourishing lifestyles and social equity benefits that your agency’s pro-
and level the playing field for all members of the grams, parks and facilities bring to a community
community, park and recreation agencies often — strengthening your case.
do much more than their local officials may re-
alize. In their work, professionals in this field as Impacting Communities
well as citizen advocates help establish a strong As more agencies add their information to the
foundation for the nation as a whole. PRORAGIS database, patterns begin to emerge
that show trends in the ways that park and recre-
To help communicate this message of impact, ation agencies impact their communities. Often,
NRPA developed the three pillars — Conserva- these trends directly align with the pillars, clearly
tion, Health and Wellness, and Social Equity — illustrating these key areas of influence deliv-
which together showcase the ways in which park ered by parks and recreation and allowing agen-
and recreation agencies help build and strength- cies to measure how their programs compare
en their communities. to others in relation to the pillars. For example,
in 2012 and 2013, health and wellness, fitness
But while the broader benefits of parks and rec- and team sports programs topped the charts as
reation are generally easy to convey, it’s often programs offered by agencies. In 2013, more
much more difficult to quantify this information agencies offered community gardens, where
in ways that translate to more funding and sup- families were able to grow healthy foods and
port. PRORAGIS™, the Park and Recreation Op- lessen their environmental impact. Also in 2013,
erating Ratio and Geographic Information Sys- more departments offered feeding programs for
tem developed by NRPA, is a resource to help before-school programs than ever before.
you do just that.
Reading This Report
Now in its fifth year, the PRORAGIS database tool We divided responses into median (middle 50
has become the most comprehensive and largest percent), lower quartile (lowest 25 percent) and
collection of detailed data on municipal, county upper quartile (highest 25 percent) divisions to
and state park systems in the U.S. With thousands help you determine where your agency stands in
of data points and more than 500 completed pro- the spectrum of responses. Although hundreds
files, PRORAGIS contains reliable, detailed data of agencies have logged data into the PRORAGIS
on a wide range of park agency metrics, allowing system, each park system may not answer every
agencies to compare their operations and offer- question; this accounts for the fluctuating num-
ings to other agencies of similar size and popula- ber of responses in each data set.
tion as they self-evaluate. NRPA encourages park
systems to update their information every year to Figure 1: Jurisdiction Operating Budget
keep data as current as possible. Each year, as Improvement in these budgets from 2012 to
participating agencies update their profiles and 2013, continuing the trend seen in 2011 to
new agencies register, PRORAGIS becomes an 2012. Lower-quartile, median and upper-quar-
ever-stronger tool that agencies can use to learn tile groups all increased from 2012 to 2013.
and apply insight into trends and realities of park Continues the encouraging trend from previous
systems across the country. years of increasing budgets.
Figure 2: Jurisdiction Capital Budget
By comparing and evaluating your program of- Similarly, these budgets have also continued
ferings, operation cost per resident or direct to increase from 2012 to 2013, as was seen in
revenue per capita, you can develop sound, 2011 to 2012. Increased for lower quartile, me-
fact-based arguments when asking for budget dian and upper quartiles.
2 National Recreation and Park Association
Figure 1 Jurisdiction Operating Budget
Thousands
$120,000
$100,000
2010
$80,000
2011
$60,000 2012
$40,000 2013
$20,000
$0
Lower Quartile Median Upper Quartile
Figure 2 Jurisdiction Capital Budget
Thousands
$30,000
$25,000
2010
$20,000
2011
$15,000 2012
$10,000 2013
$5,000
$0
Lower Quartile Median Upper Quartile
To see what PRORAGIS can do for you, visit:
www.nrpa.org/PRORAGIS.
ew?
W h a t ’s N
Better Navigation: A completely redesigned, user-friendly interface with more intuitive organization
makes for smoother navigation and easier data entry. In addition, more reliable and secure access
allows agencies to control who can enter and edit data.
Updated GIS: The new layout includes two new tools (Identify and Query) to help users navigate maps
and get information more quickly. The Identify feature allows users to click on a map feature to see
key attributes. With the Query tool activated, users can complete in-depth searches keyed to particular
conditions (e.g, “view all parks smaller than 25 acres”). Users can also measure areas and distances,
search for locations, and examine topographic and street maps.
Eco-Benefit Calculator: This ever-expanding calculator helps park professionals understand
the complex and intangible — yet valuable — assets that parks, land, programs and facilities
offer to a community. Using mathematical algorithms, the Eco-Benefit Calculator estimates
the dollar value of your park or facility in terms of health, ecology, local business revenue,
tax revenue and other factors. Using this tool, park professionals can gain a clearer picture
of a park or facility’s true worth to a community or region. Additional enhancements will
soon include values for stormwater mitigation, aquatic environments, health and well-
ness, and crime reduction for teens.
2014 Parks and recreation national database report 3
Table of contents
Responsibilities
5 Many park systems oversee more than just parkland and recreational programs.
Staffing and Volunteers
6 Park personnel and volunteers work hard to keep community residents active and make
park systems a regional asset.
Budget
8 Budgets have shrunk, but park professionals are making the most of fewer dollars.
Programming and Attendance
10 Although park programming and attendance have dropped over the last several years,
departments still offer a wide variety of programs that keep people healthy and engaged.
Operations, Maintenance and Benchmarking
12 Gauge your agency’s spending by examining the maintenance costs, facilities and budgets
of other agencies across the U.S.
GIS and Mapping
14 New mapping tools make the GIS mapping system more flexible and
user-friendly than ever.
Trends in Regional Park Systems
16 Information from the PRORAGIS database allows PRORAGIS
administrators to spot the trends that help you justify
spending, make decisions and plan for the future.
This special report and the PRORAGIS database are produced by:
National Recreation and Park Association
22377 Belmont Ridge Rd.
Ashburn, VA 20148
703.858.0784
www.nrpa.org
4 National Recreation and Park Association
Responsibilities
Today’s park and recreation departments have more on their plates than just park maintenance and
recreational programming. Park systems have diverse responsibilities that range from overseeing spe-
cial events (85 percent) — such as themed 5K runs and summer concerts — to managing open space
(80 percent), maintaining jurisdiction public areas (55 percent), overseeing outdoor sports event
complexes (59 percent), operating aquatic centers (50 percent), supervising historic properties (50
percent) and running community gardens (46 percent). Use this chart to see how your park agency’s
responsibilities stack up against those of other agencies across the country.
Figure 3 Responding Agencies That...
97.4%
96.7%
Provide recreation programming and services
95.3%
95.4%
98.3%
96.7%
Operate parks and facilities
97.1%
98.6%
81.6%
80.7%
Actively manage open space
81.2%
80.4%
51.1%
49.0%
Maintain jurisdiction public areas
58.2%
54.9%
63.8%
Manage major aquatic complex
57.9% 2010
57.4%
50.2% 2011
43.4% 2012
45.1%
Manage historic properties 2013
46.8%
49.5%
35.8%
41.2%
Administer community gardens
39.3%
46.0%
62.4%
Administer or manage tournament/event quality 59.9%
outdoor sports complexes 64.2%
59.1%
77.5%
80.5%
Conduct major jurisdiction-wide special events
80.5%
85.1%
58.8%
Provide environmental education or natural 56.6%
history interpretive programs 54.7%
52.8%
2014 Parks and recreation national database report 5
Staffing and Volunteers
Staff and volunteers form the backbone of any park and recreation agency, so the PRORAGIS survey
asks for detailed responses on all aspects of agency personnel — from the number of full-time staff
members to the number of volunteer hours worked and information on salaries and wages.
In 2013, staff filled more full-time positions (Figure 4) across all quartiles than in 2010 to 2012. In
addition, the number of part-time employees (Figure 5) also rose since 2011 for the lower quartile —
and increased dramatically in the case of the upper quartile, where an average of 300 non-full-time
positions rebounded back to 2010 levels after dipping over the previous two years. Taken together,
both data sets indicate that departments are hiring, but they are hiring part-timers more frequently
than full-timers.
Figure 4 Full-Time Positions Authorized
120
Lower Quartile
100 Median 97
91 Upper Quartile
80
73
60
55
40 39
27 27
20
20
9 8 10
7
0
2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 5 Non-Full Time Positions Authorized
350 Lower Quartile
321 300
300 Median
Upper Quartile 239
250
200
200
144
150
110 103
100 77
41 40
50 34
20
0
2010 2011 2012 2013
6 National Recreation and Park Association
Figure 6 Total Full-Time Equivalents Available
200
180 Lower Quartile
180
Median
160
Upper Quartile
140
118
120 109
99
100
80
52
60
40
33
40 26
15 13
20 9 11
0
2010 2011 2012 2013
Volunteering (Figure 7) has remained somewhat steady in the past two years, with slight volunteer
increases in the median quartile and a small drop in volunteers in the upper quartile (where volunteer
numbers dropped dramatically between 2010 and 2011). As for volunteer hours, the number of annu-
al hours jumped in all three quartiles compared to the last two years.
Figure 7 Recreation Department Volunteers
7A Number of Volunteers 2010 2011 2012 2013
Lower Quartile 50 25 35 35
Median 225 150 175 200
Upper Quartile 1,333 575 788 733
7B Number of Hours Worked by Volunteers 2010 2011 2012 2013
Lower Quartile 1,000 253 463 850
Median 6,000 3,981 4,383 4,663
Upper Quartile 40,031 18,000 22,645 26,125
7C Number of Hours Worked per Volunteer 2010 2011 2012 2013
Lower Quartile 12 8 7 10
Median 22 20 19 22
Upper Quartile 40 60 43 48
Tailor your comparison
For the most complete comparison of your agency’s workers against staff and volunteers in
other similar agencies, use the Custom Report feature on your PRORAGIS profile, which will
help account for variations in seasonal employment, geographic location, agency responsi-
bilities and other factors.
2014 Parks and recreation national database report 7
Budget
Budgets across most local jurisdictions have tightened in the past six years, making it difficult for
park and recreation departments to secure the funds they need. To help justify your budget pro-
posal and keep valuable programs and operations running smoothly, compare your spending and
revenue to that of similar agencies.
Total operating expenditures (Figure 8) have dipped but remain fairly constant with past years.
While 2011 reveals a drop that most departments experienced as tax resources dried up, 2012
shows a slow return of funding; we don’t yet know if that trend will continue. Because more small
agencies have joined in contributing to PRORAGIS in the past couple of years, we see more fluctua-
tion in the distributions.
Figure 8 Total Operating Expenditures (in 000s)
$20,000
Thousands
$18,000
$16,000
$14,000
$12,000
$10,000
$8,000
$6,000
$4,000
$2,000
$0
2010 2011 2012 2013
Lower Quartile $1,178,134 $1,090,848 $1,410,188 $1,034,033
Median $5,076,683 $3,652,900 $4,197,927 $3,575,026
Upper Quartile $17,833,720 $9,515,617 $10,056,771 $8,830,587
Figure 9 Annual Direct Revenue (in 000s)
$7,000
Thousands
$6,000
$5,000
$4,000
$3,000
$2,000
$1,000
$0
2010 2011 2012 2013
Lower Quartile $371,206 $269,705 $390,249 $210,575
Median $2,152,000 $1,026,854 $1,275,307 $958,925
Upper Quartile $5,765,397 $3,891,576 $3,360,671 $3,237,188
8 National Recreation and Park Association
Through the last four years, annual direct reve-
nue — revenue from classes, programs, mem- Figure 11A Total Capital Budget
berships, concessions, permits, rentals and oth-
er nontax sources — shows a downward trend $7,000
Thousands
that may reflect how families across the country $6,000
have cut back on leisure spending. Attendance $5,000
figures have also dropped, indicating a strong $4,000
correlation between fewer users and less reve-
$3,000
nue. Data also experienced fluctuations due to
$2,000
more small agencies reporting to PRORAGIS in
$1,000
the past two years than in the years before.
$0
2010 2011 2012 2013
In 2013, about every slice of the direct reve- Lower Quartile $107,750 $26,000 $100,000 $48,676
nue pie (Figure 10) has remained steady over Median $791,150 $405,700 $600,000 $506,047
Upper Quartile $6,100,928 $2,450,000 $3,000,000 $2,542,838
the past three years, even as agency fees and
charges are down overall. That may be in part
because more agencies are outsourcing their
revenue-generating programs (for instance,
hiring contractors to run fitness programs). The
graph showing departments’ total capital bud-
gets (Figure 11A) also reflects more small-agen- Figure 11B Amount of Renovation Need
cy reporting and mirrors the fluctuations in op-
erating budgets. Thousands
$8,000
$7,000
Amount of renovation needs (Figure 11B) is $6,000
closely tied to new capital needs (Figure 11C). $5,000
Many agencies had to delay renovations and $4,000
repairs as a result of the recession, and since $3,000
$2,000
2010, departments (particularly large ones)
$1,000
saw major cuts in available funds. Agencies
$0
seem to be shifting from renovation requests 2010 2011 2012 2013
to having older facilities that need total re- Lower Quartile $200,000 $150,000 $250,000 $200,000
Median $1,750,000 $800,000 $2,000,000 $836,406
placement. In addition, there was a significant
Upper Quartile $7,000,000 $4,800,000 $6,500,000 $4,000,000
increase in bonds and levies for park and recre-
ation departments in 2013, and more than 80
percent were successful.
Figure 10 Sources of Direct Revenue Figure 11C New Capital Need
Facility entry fees/memberships Programs and class fees and charges $16,000
Thousands
Facility rentals Facility or property leases $14,000
Concessions, resale items Sale of real property $12,000
Other $10,000
0.06% $8,000
4.83% 9.90% $6,000
1.97% $4,000
22.59% $2,000
16.15% $0
2010 2011 2012 2013
Lower Quartile $351,200 $108,375 $312,000 $390,000
44.49%
Median $2,050,000 $1,937,500 $2,000,000 $2,100,000
Upper Quartile $10,000,000 $10,100,000 $15,000,000 $9,900,000
2014 Parks and recreation national database report 9
Programming and Attendance
It’s through programs, classes, organized teams and social services that park and recreation
departments connect with and teach local residents. Park and recreation professionals can use
the graphs on these pages to find out how their agency’s programming, program spending and
attendance stack up against other agencies’ offerings across the country. For tailored compari-
sons to agencies with similar racial, age or socioeconomic populations, log on to your PRORAGIS
profile to run a comparison.
Soon, park and recreation departments across the country will be able to use our GIS program to
examine distributions of race, age or socioeconomic populations within their district.
Figure 12 Total Annual Attendance, Programs, Classes, and Small Events
160
Thousands
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
2010 2011 2012 2013
Lower Quartile 4,414 3,659 6,000 4,443
Median 25,812 15,160 21,025 18,000
Upper Quartile 137,334 68,039 101,970 98,175
In 2013, the total annual number of par- Figure 13 Total Park Attendance
ticipants attending programs, classes
and small events (Figure 12) dropped, 2,500
Thousands
likely a reflection of smaller depart-
2,000
ments entering their data. Use PRORAG-
IS to find much more accurate data by 1,500
accessing the online Custom Reports or
1,000
by looking at the Miscellaneous Ratios in
the Aggregate Custom Analysis Reports. 500
Total park attendance (Figure 13) is also
0
down, possibly because of the increased 2010 2011 2012 2013
smaller department participation in the Lower Quartile 57,000 35,847 55,000 50,000
PRORAGIS survey. Median 400,000 300,000 300,000 176,535
Upper Quartile 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,198,083 1,000,000
10 National Recreation and Park AssociationFigure 14 Programs Offered by Agencies Park Programming and Attendance Trends
78.8%
Visual arts and crafts 75.7%
76.9% What are some of the overall trends we’re seeing?
75.7%
Fewer agencies are offering programs such as per-
68.5% forming arts programs, martial arts, trips, tours,
Performing arts 64.1%
63.9%
58.5%
organized sports, golf and water safety (Figures
90.2%
14 and 15). The number of agencies offering or-
Health and wellness 84.7% ganized team sports, fitness, health and wellness,
86.2%
85.0% and environmental programs, however, remains
88.4% strong, indicating the importance of these values
86.7%
Fitness
85.7% to communities and their park and recreation de-
86.5% partments for keeping area residents healthy and
70.8%
67.9%
teaching about local environmental health.
Martial arts
68.6%
59.5%
2010
Fewer agencies are also offering summer camps
73.3%
Trips and tours 69.7% 2011
— only 73 percent in 2013, down from 77 percent
69.8%
67.2% in 2012 and more than 80 percent in 2010 — al-
2012
82.9%
though those that do offer summer camps saw av-
2013
Organized team sports 82.6%
83.2%
erage camper attendance per week rise from 98
80.0% participants in 2012 to 125 in 2013.
61.5%
55.1%
Golf program
56.0% Program fees and charges per participant dropped
52.4% significantly (from a median of $25 to $30 in the
80.0%
76.5%
last three years to a median of less than $9 in
Tennis programs
79.7% 2013), likely due to an attempt by agencies to in-
73.4%
crease participation as well as fewer overall pro-
77.1%
Water safety 66.0% grams offered.
68.8%
67.2%
64.7% What does this mean for my agency? Increases
Environmental 59.1%
58.4%
in social services show that these services are
64.2% needed and used. Park professionals can use
these figures — found in more detail in their online
PRORAGIS Custom Report comparisons — to show
Figure 15 Recreation Opportunities Offered how such programs meet community needs and
By Agencies ensure social equity. By examining social service
81.5% offerings within PRORAGIS, park professionals can
78.6%
Summer camp
76.5% determine if their facilities, staff and resources are
72.7%
adequate to meet the social equity needs within
46.5%
44.9% their community. This can assist in developing the
Before- and after-school programs 48.0%
41.8% 2010 total cost of service, allowing the department to
40.0% determine the level of subsidization needed.
33.1% 2011
Preschool
39.0%
32.7% 2012 Likewise, an agency’s figures for health and fitness
9.5%
6.4% 2013 programs and environmental offerings can show
Full daycare 9.0%
6.9% park planners where additional programs, events
69.2%
or classes would benefit both individuals and the
Specific teen programs 62.6%
62.8%
larger community.
60.1%
77.0%
72.9%
How can I know if our agency’s programming is
Senior programs
72.4%
70.4%
worthwhile? Check out the cost-versus-revenue
66.5%
benchmarks on page 13 and compare median
Programs for people with
disabilities
59.6%
61.8%
revenue per visitor, program fees and charges per
59.9% program participant, and operative expenditures
37.8%
43.1%
per visitor with your own figures. For instance, the
Community gardens
41.1%
46.3%
median operating expenditures per capita was
73.1%
$77. Use these benchmarks to begin examining
Major special events 79.3%
82.2%
your own spending.
86.5%
2014 Parks and recreation national database report 11Operations, Maintenance and Benchmarking
This section features just some of the facts and figures describing the size, type, acreage and popu-
lation served that NRPA has collected through the PRORAGIS database. By comparing your agency’s
facility sizes (Figure 16) and type (Figure 17) to the facilities at other similar agencies, you could make
the case for adding certain types of facilities or for increasing budgets for certain expenses. For an ap-
ples-to-apples comparison that’s tailored to your agency, use the Custom Reports tool to find agencies
in your area with comparable budgets and populations.
Figure 16 Square Feet Per Facility, Fiscal Year 2013
Facility Type Lower Quartile Median Upper Quartile
Recreation/Community center 10,169 24,978 50,129
Fitness center 1,600 4,000 9,000
Senior center 4,963 10,000 12,500
Figure 17 Facility Types, Fiscal Year 2013
Median Jurisdiction
Departments Offering
Population Per Facility
Playground 96.1% 3,840
Diamond fields (e.g., baseball/softball) 92.0% 3,403
Rectangular fields (e.g., football/soccer) 89.1% 4,242
Tennis court (outdoor) 85.3% 4,283
Basketball court (outdoor) 84.6% 6,644
Recreation/community center 74.3% 24,645
Swimming pool (outdoor) 59.7% 30,376
Community gardens 47.1% 32,529
Dog park 47.1% 50,852
Golf course (9 holes) 34.7% 29,631
Swimming pool (indoor) 32.8% 61,322
Tennis court (indoor) 9.8% 22,852
12 National Recreation and Park AssociationFigure 18 Acres of Park Maintained
2013 Operating Expenditures per Acre of Land
2013 Acres of Parkland Maintained Per FTE
Managed or Maintained
Lower Upper Lower Upper
Median Median
Number of Acres Quartile Quartile Quartile Quartile
250 or less 6,454 16,523 34,000 2.7 5 9.8
251 to 1,000 3,487 8,974 18,747 6 8.7 19.6
1,001 to 3,500 1,855 4,808 6,904 9 21.6 54.7
More than 3,500 1,213 3,001 3,846 18.4 32.8 66.3
Use the data from Figure 18 to estimate where your agency stands in its spending per acre and in a
staff-to-acres ratio. Keep in mind that factors include equipment used, percentage of parkland that’s
developed, degree of maintenance required and topography. Acres of parkland maintained per full-
time equivalent dropped lower than in recent years, perhaps reflecting an upward turn in hiring.
Benchmarking
Our benchmarking ratios table (Figure 19) can be used to compare your own direct revenue per capita
or acreage of parkland per 1,000 people. Because these figures are given as ratios, these bench-
marks can be used to compare unit costs for small park and recreation departments as well as for
large urban departments.
Figure 19 Miscellaneous Benchmarking Ratios
2010 Median 2011 Median 2012 Median 2013 Median
Operating expenditures per capita $82 $74 $85 $77
Operating expenditures per FTE $94,797 $95,851 $95,237 $84,859
Operating expenditures per acre of land
$6,397 $6,539 $6,538 $7,357
managed or maintained
Acreage of parkland per 1,000 population 14.9 10.5 11.1 9.1
Acres of parkland maintained per FTE 15.6 15.2 13.5 9.1
Revenue per capita $27.56 $19.22 $24.92 $17.04
Revenue as a percent of total operating expense 32.0% 28.2% 30.1% 26.9%
Revenue per visitor $4.52 $3.76 $4.60 $5.11
Total operating expenditures per visitor $14.47 $12.27 $14.17 $16.25
Total capital plus total operating expenditures
$101.14 $85.58 $105.27 $90.46
per capita
Tax cost per capita $47.66 $29.55 $48.30 $54.95
Program attendance per program staffing (FTE) 2,576.7 2,376.9 2,202.8 2,717.0
Program fees and charges per program
$25.74 $31.33 $24.67 $8.84
participant
2014 Parks and recreation national database report 13Geographic Information System and Mapping
Tools embedded within our GIS mapping program can help park professionals plan for programs and
facilities that boost Health and Wellness, Conservation and Social Equity for their communities. For
instance, GIS views reveal proximity of facilities to population centers where underserved people are
in need of places to walk or bike. Other reports may reveal the types of facilities and diversity of trails
offered to residents, and perhaps indicate a need for certain types of new trails or facilities for fitness
and exercise.
Other mapping functions can assist with operations and maintenance issues. Measuring tools may
help in planning for maintenance needs, such as mowing, landscaping and construction requirements.
The Identify tool (Figure 21) allows users to quickly view information about parks and facilities directly
from the map interface. The new Query tool (Figure 22) can help planners quickly locate outdated
facilities that need renovation or replacement.
Just introduced and under continuous improvement, the Population Layers tool (Figure 23) will help park
and recreation departments analyze their community demographics to make better planning decisions.
A population layer showing age distributions could reveal where programs for kids or seniors are needed
most — areas with high percentages of children may need more playgrounds or summer camps, while
areas with more seniors might consider installing warm-water therapy pools for individuals with arthritis
or other conditions associated with aging. Soon, GIS users will be able to view obesity rates layered onto
their map, helping park planners better distribute fitness trails, gym facilities and health classes, and
a crime-rate layer may help with planning and staffing skateparks or other youth facilities. Information
about parks and facilities is exportable to Microsoft Excel using the new Reports feature (Figure 24).
Figure 20 User-Friendly Mapping Interface
As an open-source platform, the new mapping interface functions similarly to desktop-GIS software and has the ability
to connect to external data sources. Here, in this area within Montgomery County, Maryland, parks are shaded dark
green, trails are marked and facility locations are indicated by red dots.
14 National Recreation and Park AssociationFigure 21 New “Identify” Tool Figure 22 New “Query” Tool
With the new “Query” tool, users can search for parks
or facilities that meet certain conditions or criteria —
such as park size or year the park opened. In this ex-
After clicking the “Identify” button on the upper tool- ample, a query shows all parks smaller than five acres
bar, users can easily access detailed information about in a section of Montgomery County, Maryland. Use this
a park or feature by clicking on it. Simply highlight the tool to perform quick searches in your own parks inven-
layers you wish to appear in the map and click the “Iden- tory to help with estimating maintenance costs or study
tify” button; then, click on any park or facility for the pop- park distribution.
up information box.
Figure 23 New Population Layers Figure 24 County Reports
Under the Reports tab, the new County Report feature
Using new available population layers, view county population allows users to access an Excel spreadsheet detailing
information — such as median age by county or percent of any U.S. county’s parks, trails and facilities. Within the
county population under age 5 — layered onto your map. Al- spreadsheet, users will find information including park/
though this function is currently only available for Virginia, it trail/facility names, addresses, types and other informa-
will be available nationwide soon. Figure 23 shows the per- tion, including trail length for each trail, park acres for
cent of the population under age 5 for counties in northern each park and facility type for each facility. Here, a report
Virginia. Counties with higher percentages of small children for Jefferson County, Kansas, shows parks listed in alpha-
(indicated by red) may use this type of mapping data to adjust betical order as well as park type.
planning and development of parks, facilities and programs.
In the near future, users will be able to view population data
broken down even further to Census tract or block level.
2014 Parks and recreation national database report 15Looking Forward
As PRORAGIS continues to mature, trends tied to the three pillars will continue to highlight significant
work that agencies are doing in each of these areas. User agencies will find that their benchmarked
data will gain more statistical significance as more departments input and update their data for com-
parison, and all participating agencies will find themselves equipped with more hard facts and figures
quantifying their impact that they can share with local officials and community members.
NRPA’s research team constantly studies the PRORAGIS database to find shifts and changes in oper-
ations, services and development — trends that can help you in planning for the future. We use our
extensive resources to determine the causes and meanings behind these trends and what they might
mean for your agency and region. For instance, in recent years, climate changes — including more
frequent and intense natural storms — have affected the planning, design and materials used to build
parks and facilities. In addition, these powerful storms have sometimes resulted in higher costs of de-
velopment and maintenance for park facilities, while possibly reducing discretionary funds. Because
of these reductions, we may see more public-private agreements to support programming, cultural
events and upper-skill-level activities begin to emerge in the coming years.
Below are more current trends that may affect how the park and recreation field does business. Here,
we define “Opportunity” as a trend that creates a win for both progressive departments and users.
“Challenges” may present difficult decisions surrounding current operations, but with proper planning,
can create benefits for everyone. “Conflicts” indicate that a trend runs counter to best practices, so
options need to be carefully considered:
PAST AND CURRENT PRACTICES FUTURE DIRECTION PRESENTS…
Programming and Offerings
Focus on service to users who seek their Due to increasing isolation of people of all ages, ethnic- Opportunity
programs in their facilities. ities and locations, outreach programming to traditional
nonparticipating groups may have significant health and
social benefits for communities.
Increasing awareness of immediate health Growing awareness of long-term physical and mental Opportunity
value from activity participation. health value from an active lifestyle.
Programming focus on organized team Individualized sports, e.g., walking, running, swimming Opportunity
sports and activities. and biking, represent the top 10 activities participated in
by active Americans.
Programming focus on organized team Safety issues (concussions) may impact activities such Challenge
sports and activities. as youth tackle football, resulting in options such as flag
football leagues.
Department roles: facility upkeep and Community roles: public health, social transition for Challenge
recreational activities. youth, conservation initiatives in addition to current roles.
Capital Development and Maintenance
Facilities and parks are viewed as costs to Facilities and parks are viewed as long-term benefits to Opportunity
the budget. jurisdictions.
Reasonably stable national weather The unstable weather patterns in recent years and the Opportunity
patterns in recent decades have dictated increased frequency of violent storm events may affect
facility designs and types of materials. planning and design of parks and facilities as they
increase costs.
Both large and small municipalities have Large amounts of infrastructure development were last Conflict
been accruing maintenance deficits in all funded 45 years ago; infrastructure renovation will make
types of infrastructure (e.g., parks, recre- new development funds scarce.
ation facilities, transportation, water and
sewer systems, and similar).
Environment
Open space and natural areas of de- The pervious surface of open space and undeveloped Opportunity
veloped parks are considered valuable parkland has increasing value for mitigating stormwater
additions to the community. runoff and flooding in communities.
16 National Recreation and Park AssociationYou can also read
