May 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 8
E D ITO R'S LETTER
This Much We Know
I
hAVe AlWAYs been reluctAnt to get too wrapped up in generalizing about age
groups. Too often we run the risk of being flat-out wrong, insulting, or both. But,
when a demographic tidal wave of 72 million enters its retirement years, it's just too
large to ignore. This is especially true for the field of parks and recreation.
And that's not to say it's an easy subject to take on.
Our cover story this month reflects the complexities
of reporting on Baby Boomers, those born between
1946 and 1964. We do know their traits and aspirations, and on balance, they are admirable. One trait
of this generation, we learned, is its aversion to labels and monikers that typecast them. Marketers of
goods and services know all too well the pitfalls of
calling them seniors, mature citizens, active adults,
or golden this-or-that. Maybe such sensitivity is to
be expected, given the size of the group. But for the
purposes of parks and recreation, geography, education, and income, all are key indicators of who
tends to be active and who is not. Many don't want (or
can't) retire, most are significantly more active physically than preceding generations, and they want to
give back to society. We also know that they are the
best educated and wealthiest generation in U.S. history (partially made possible from the great wealth
transfer from the Greatest Generation, the parents
of Boomers). That's a handy set of characteristics by
which many park and recreation agencies can work.
As our cover stories by Beth Beard and Maureen
Hannan point out, Boomers are already making their
presence known.
But as any demographer worth his or her spreadsheets knows, there is always the subset of older
Americans-Boomers and their immediate predecessors-who don't fit such an overall image. The
confluence of low income, place of residency, and
health issues are certain to limit access to parks and
recreation resources. Either encouraging participation at facilities or taking the programs to the more
homebound citizens is going to be the prime challenge and opportunity for park and recreation agencies everywhere.
With a mandate to further the parks, recreation,
and conservation efforts that advance the quality of
life for all people [emphasis mine], you can expect
NRPA to be at the forefront of these efforts. After all,
how a society treats its oldest members is one of the
greatest measurements of its integrity.
Philip hayward
editor
6
Parks & Recreation M A Y
2 0 1 2 w w w . N R P A . O R G
May 2012 - Parks & Recreation
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2012 - Parks & Recreation
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