In 1988, there wasn’t much in the way of parks or recreation opportunities in Allen, Texas. Back then the city had no recreation centers and fewer than 600 acres of parks to serve a

Ask any water-park operator about the park’s top priority, and hopefully he or she will say guest safety. Danger is inherent anytime millions of gallons of water are mixed with thousands

As winter approaches, many parks and recreation centers have concerns about possible flu or virus outbreaks. For example, during the winter of 2012-2013, a serious flu outbreak occurred,

In the densely populated Boston suburb of Somerville, Mass., open space is at a premium. Residents gravitate to natural areas, even if those spaces are undeveloped city lots on side

Being a manager is not easy because it usually involves both tasks and people. The latter are considered the greater challenge for managers because too often organizations view employees in much the same way as material resources—a commodity.

On a snowy January 4 in 1981 I carefully maneuvered my pickup truck down the interstate, heading back to Bowling Green State University.

You know what the problem is with you kids today? You know everything, and if you don’t know, you look it up on that dang phone of yours and then you know it within a minute. When I

In the not-so-distant past, a visit to one of the many sites owned and managed by municipal parks and recreation departments would have been considered “going to the playground.”

As park and recreation professionals, we communicate with many different types of people on any given day: co-workers, parents, children, individuals with special needs, senior citizens,

I recently received a call from a reporter who was investigating a court case in New Jersey involving a coach and a former player. At the heart of the matter were communications

When it comes to being extra-persnickety about maintenance, I would have to say that cleaning hot tubs ranks high on the risk-management list.

Whenever somebody starts to talk about natural turf, multi-use sports fields for parks and recreation use, I start to get a multi-level headache.

In many ways, downtown Westminster in Maryland has changed little in the last 100 years. Located in Carroll County, the city’s street-level shops and upper-floor apartments capture a

The Fayetteville-Springdale area around Lake Fayetteville Park in Arkansas is surrounded by tall grass prairie and oak savanna, first encountered by early travelers and settlers more than 2 centuries ago.

In 2006, the housing bubble burst, and few places in the country were hit harder than California’s Central Valley. Grand visions of verdant communities vanished in the blink of an

As I look out onto the amber waves of the waning fall prairie landscape, in an area humans have deemed as “Spring Valley,” I can’t help but recall a time when my fellow bison and I were

From a service perspective, the Borough of Fair Haven’s Recreation Department in New Jersey faced a small conundrum in regard to adult programming. The quaint, riverfront town had

Recreation departments are under increased pressure to satisfy the demands for a broad range of leisure activities for participants of all ages.

In recent years, the trend in local government is to operate recreation facilities more like private-sector businesses. Facilities are often built and operate with great success initially, but

Do you think of parks and recreation facilities as critical infrastructure? There is no denying the nation’s sports and recreation facilities are valuable, and they already provide us with a lot. For

LIFETIME WARRANTY — sofSURFACES carries the strongest playground surfacing warranty in the industry. Not only does our warranty cover durability and installation, but it also covers meeting fall protection standards – for life. 

In many areas of the U.S., outdoor sports facilities, including basketball courts and tennis courts in parks, can remain open year-round.

Soil salinity refers to the concentration of total dissolved salts in the soil. The dissolved salts release cations (positive charge) and anions (negative charge) to water.

How can parks departments, school districts and others who manage recreational facilities balance the conflicting needs of their many user groups (players, parents, athletic directors,

Although high summer temperatures just ended, anytime is a good time to make sure your irrigation system is running at its peak potential. An irrigation audit ensures you are not

As municipalities consider switching from legacy lighting to energy-efficient and controllable state-of-the-art LED sports lighting, it’s important that they begin with a clean slate. 

The Brazilian athlete Pelé popularized a nickname for soccer: “the beautiful game.” As a landscape architect and life-long soccer player, these two worlds came together in 2016

You may have noticed that when you order a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in Anchorage, Alaska, it is exactly the same as the one you purchase in Miami, Fla. This is also true for a cup

As many people can attest, building a successful sports and events complex has its challenges. Among the toughest decisions are where the money will come from, which amenities should be included, and

Contrary to conventional logic, establishing and managing recreational turf for parks, playgrounds, and sports fields is very easy in Alaska. With relatively few diseases and insects

Floods have no jurisdictional boundaries. Storm and flood waters demand land-use decisions on neighboring properties, in neighboring communities, and throughout watersheds.

As expected, the neighborhood known as Battery Park City along the southwestern edge of Lower Manhattan puts a premium on space. The 92-acre community comprises residential areas, high-rise

BOULDER, Colo.– The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) announced that Patricia Rojas-Ungar will lead its advocacy agenda as the vice president of government affairs. Patricia is

At high schools and universities throughout the United States, the fall and springtime months are characterized largely by the sports played during those seasons. In the fall, it’s football.

Las Vegas, Nev. – At the World Waterpark Association’s (WWA) Annual Symposium and Trade Show this year, WhiteWater celebrated winning a Leading Edge Award alongside the City of

Partnering with cities and school districts, Goals is developing symbiotic relationships all over the south. The organization provides financially viable sports facilities to local communities by

Baltimore, MD—Mahan Rykiel Associates (MRA), a Baltimore based landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm, won a National American Society of Landscape Architects

Vancouver, BC—Play has always been, and will always be a part of human culture—from childhood to adolescence to adulthood, we all revel in a fun day out at a park. To find out more

Boulder, Colo. – With support from the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and specifically the Outdoor Foundation (OF), the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) will

McHenry area residents will vote Nov 6. on a potential property tax increase to cover $30 million in improvements to the city’s recreation center. The proposed layout of the new aquatic center would include a lazy river, diving well, leisure swimming area, water slides and spray pad.

More than 350 dealers, customers and special guests descended on Bandit Industries’ world headquarters in Mid-Michigan in September to celebrate 35 years of continued success, and to

Updated statistics from the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA) released today by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) show that the outdoor

Skater owned and operated, American Ramp Company builds over 200 skateparks annually throughout the world and is the only firm that offers 4 distinct product lines. Quality, selection and credibility distinguish ARC as the clear leader in the industry.

Play Moves Us in a big way and is inherent in our culture here at Burke. We are constantly studying play, evolving our products and pushing ourselves to be better - all to bring a higher level of play to the communities we serve.

At the Public Restroom Company, We're Known Throughout The Nation For Building Better Places to Go.

WhiteWater was born in 1980 with one clear purpose, to create places where families unite and make joyful lasting memories.