June 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 73

PHOTO COURTESY OF GREATER HUNTINGTON PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT

Playground fun at the St. Cloud Commons
Lodge, Greater Huntington Park & Recreation District in West Virginia.

Play spaces, nature play spaces,
pocket-play spaces and/or inclusive
play spaces that bring unique play
features to new or revitalized parks.
Sport field/court enhancements
that improve or create unique
sports fields or courts that encourage community use, small-sided
play and/or creative games in places that lack opportunities for formal sports participation.

Evaluation
As part of the program, NRPA evaluated the impact of these funded
renovations to determine if improving access to play spaces in these
underserved communities resulted
in increased activity at the space and
if it led to other benefits, such as increased connection to others and the
outdoors. Two primary data activities
were conducted. The first data-collection activity involved conducting systematic observations of play and recreation in communities (SOPARC).
SOPARC is an observational tool that
measures number and demographics
of park users and their type and level of physical activity. The second
data-collection activity involved conducting intercept surveys from adults
regarding their use of the parks.
Through the SOPARC evaluation, we found that parks with
renovated play areas saw an increase in visitors engaging in moderate-to-vigorous activity. In addition, park staff believed that the
observation tool helped them learn
more about peak use times, which,
in turn, was used for scheduling
programming and events.
The intercept surveys showed

that the park renovations had a positive impact on nearby communities and an increase in the number
of respondents who indicated they
and their children were exercising
and playing more. Park department
personnel indicated that their involvement in conducting the intercept surveys helped them connect
with community members, learn
firsthand how the renovations have
impacted park use, identify additional park improvements that are
wanted by community members
and understand how to better communicate with the community.
Results of the evaluation show
that the play space renovations
have had a positive effect on park
use and park-based physical activity. The increased exposure to natural settings and improved physical
activity can have long-term positive
impacts on health outcomes. These
large-scale infrastructure improvements are a significant capital investment, but our evaluation suggests that this investment is paying
off through increased use of these
neighborhood play areas and subsequent community engagement.

2019 Program
The 2019 Meet Me at the Park program will empower communities
to provide accessible, inclusive play
spaces in 25 markets across the United States through creative, innovative and scalable solutions. Adding
to the success of the past two years,
the 2019 program is expected to exceed NRPA and Disney's goal of
providing 1 million kids and families
with greater access to play.
NRPA is also launching the " Meet
Me at the Park this Summer " campaign, which highlights the role parks
play in summertime fun and important out-of-school activities. This campaign includes " Ten Ways to Get Out
and Play This Summer, " full of ideas
and activities that families can participate in at their local parks.
By coming together with the
Meet Me at the Park program, Disney and NRPA are providing kids
and families with access to healthier lifestyles and safe, inclusive and
innovative play spaces to enjoy for
years to come.
Sandy Slater, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Concordia
University Wisconsin (sandra.slater@cuw.edu).

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Parks & Recreation

June 2019 - Parks & Recreation

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