Understanding Park Use

Before you can be effective in improving a park, it's critical to understand how and why it's being used - or not used.

• Organizing and Programming Across Cultural Boundaries

  Twenty strategies used by Friends of Meridian Hill, a parks group in a diverse Washington D.C. neighborhood. Submitted by the Friends' President, Steve Coleman.

• Public-Private Partnership Increases and Diversifies Use

  A public-private partnership reversed a decade of neglect in Hartford's central park through successful capital projects, diverse programs and effective fundraising.

• Market Research and Park Use

  User and non-user surveys can help you understand a community's park needs and perceptions. Includes key points to keep in mind when designing a survey.

• Inappropriate Activities

  Discourage "undesirable" situations in your park by evaluating and changing the physical conditions that support those situations. From Toronto Parks & Recreation's Planning, Designing and Maintaining Safer Parks

• Clean-Up Crew: Pocket PC-Packing Students Take Stock of City Parks

  In Hartford, CT, the City Scan Project equips ordinary citizens with high-tech tools to help them improve their neighborhoods and cities. From Government Technology magazine.

• If You Don't Count, Your Park Won't Count

  Estimating the number of city park users can be difficult, but is important in receiving funding. From the June 2005 issue of Parks and Recreation magazine.

• Focus Group Questionnaire & Moderator's Guide

  Two tools used for collecting information about communities along the Baltimore, MD's Gwynns Falls Trail. Developed by Ellen Smith of Baltimore's Parks & People Foundation, with help from Paul Jahnige of Community Resources and Chris Walker of the Urban Institute.

• Appreciative Inquiry

  This process helps to draw out "personal stories" from interviewees, tapping their passion about and pride in a place.

• Evaluating Roger Williams Park

  Lessons in evaluating parks, observation, and making short and long-term recommendations.

• User Survey: Prospect Park Alliance, Brooklyn, NY

  Brooklyn's Prospect Park Alliance developed this simple questionnaire to solicit community input on plans to move and redesign Wollman Skating Rink.

• Sample Surveys for Park Users

  Three simple surveys designed to obtain a basic evaluation of a park; to elicit feelings from visitors to a park; and to get feelings about a park from members of the community. From Project for Public Spaces, Inc. and Philadelphia Green.

• Mapping Park Use and Surveying Park Visitors: A Discussion

  Notes and findings from Prospect Park Alliance and Central Park Conservancy representatives, on increasing park use and understanding the needs of users.

• Accommodating Youth in Public Space

  Recommendations from South Australia's Crime Prevention Unit on how to address the needs of young people who use public space.

• Fundays In Houston's Parks

  Parks and Recreation Director William Smith tells about the development of "Funday" events to draw kids and families to neighborhood parks throughout Houston.

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