Local and Regional Parks: Engines of Economic Activity By Kevin Roth, Ph.D. F irst at the NRPA Annual Conference in September and then later in November, we shared exciting news that adds to the already compelling message of how local and regional public parks contribute to their communities. The headline was that spending at local and regional public parks contributed almost $140 billion in economic activity and generated nearly 1 million jobs in 2013. These numbers enhance an already robust list of reasons why public parks are important partners to their communities. W W W. N R PA . O R G | J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 6 | Parks & Recreation 47