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Parks + Playgrounds

Providing Equity For Parks And Recreation Facilities
Alternatives for calculating levels of service

By David Barth

 

Cities and counties throughout the United States are struggling with calculating and maintaining Levels of Service (LOS) for parks and recreation facilities. Populations are increasing, land is becoming more expensive, and competition is growing for scarce tax dollars. Furthermore, there are no commonly accepted LOS standards for parks and recreation facilities. The historical standard of ten acres per 1,000 residents is not achievable by most communities, and modern parks systems are far more complex than in the past. Also, there are no standards for facilities such as bike trails, skateboard parks, cultural centers and other types of recreation facilities frequently desired by residents.

How-To Guide
The purpose of establishing LOS standards for parks and recreation facilities is to ensure equal opportunity for residents. Although measuring equal opportunity will never be an exact science, five measures can help provide a reasonable assessment:

·         Amount of park land (acreage)
·         Distance or travel time (access)
·         Capacity of facilities (facilities)
·         Quality of experience (quality)
·         Availability of programs and activities (programs).



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