Using data and partnerships to determine sports-field placement

By Clement Lau

Park planning has become increasingly data-driven in recent years. For instance, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) collects and analyzes a high volume and variety of data to prepare major plans and studies, with key examples including the 2016 Parks Needs Assessment (PNA), Community Parks and Recreation Plans (CPRP) for the most park-poor communities, and the 2022 Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+). 

Score a victory by incorporating infrastructure to mitigate flooding

By Thomas P. Shay

Many parks, recreation, and athletic facilities serve as community hubs where residents gather to compete, play, socialize, and enjoy the outdoors. These prized community assets can play an even bigger role by incorporating infrastructure to manage stormwater, mitigate flooding, and achieve water-quality goals. Addressing stormwater challenges and needs in parks is a great opportunity for communities across the country, from the water-rich Northeast to the drought-stricken Southwest and everywhere in between. 

Drawing the line for optimal playability

By Mary Helen Sprecher 

The only thing more prevalent than pickleball these days is this question: “Should we line our tennis courts for pickleball, too, or just have separate pickleball courts?”

Universal locker rooms evolve to offer more utility, accessibility, and privacy

By Jefferey Spivey

Much about fitness has changed over the last few years, including the advent of virtual classes and the meteoric rise of pickleball. However, in gym facilities across the country, one of the more noticeable changes has little to do with exercise.

Aquatic-fitness classes explode in popularity thanks to a dedicated instructor

By Mike McLaughlin

Envision 112 people in a pool jumping and shooting baskets, pulling aqua dumbbells through the water and thrusting them into the air, while doing kicking exercises underwater. They smile, laugh, and sing along with the music as energetic instructors run them through a three-hour event. The 2022 Sunflower Aquathon at Shawnee North Family Aquatic Center in Topeka, Kan., was the largest outdoor, aquatic-exercise event in the nation.

Few people have more passion for aqua fitness than instructor Sharlie Peterson, who contracts with Shawnee County Parks + Recreation to teach classes and hold special events at five of the department’s aquatic facilities. The owner/proprietor of Shockwave Aqua Fitness, Peterson has developed a fiercely loyal following, having gained national and international recognition for her classes and events. 

Use shade to increase use of sports facilities

By Mary Helen Sprecher

One of the great advantages of sports is they bring people together. Let’s face it—it’s just plain fun to catch up with friends, whether watching kids in Little League or finishing a great game of pickleball or tennis and wanting to unwind and talk.

In other words, the social experience is its own part of the game. If your park regularly hosts sports (for adults or youth), one of the best ways to drive engagement is to play up the enjoyable aspects of the experience. 

Now, ask yourself: Are your sports facilities doing the same thing? If you haven’t carved out space for people to sit and enjoy sports in progress, the facilities aren’t quite as welcoming as they can be. Here are a few ideas to up the fun factor and bring in the people.

From napkin sketches to developing lasting landscapes

By Douglas Gerber

Whether a master-planning idea emerges from public-outreach efforts, community initiatives, or common needs, an idea takes hold and exploration ensues. These flashes of brilliance may have significant impacts on the built environment, but where to begin? This article will explore how that idea can be developed into a defined program, and then how it can be translated into an enjoyable park, trail, or greenspace. 

The first step is to recognize an idea and then communicate that to the next person. Often, these next people are friends, family members, coworkers, supervisors, or community leaders. 

Creating a rec center with a farmhouse feel

By Zach Bisek and Lauren McKissack

What began as a homestead fueled by the Gold Rush and then turned into an agricultural hub, the town of Berthoud, Colo., has not-so-slowly morphed into a growing destination for young families and modern-day Coloradans looking for a slower pace of life and lower living costs than in its neighboring cities. With both a population growth and shift in culture, Berthoud has become perfectly poised for a new recreation facility. Simultaneously and serendipitously, a long-time farming family, the Waggeners, donated more than 59 acres to be repurposed to serve the community. After conducting an in-depth park master plan and feasibility study led by Wenk Associates Landscape Architects, gaining community support, and passing a bond, the design commenced to build Berthoud’s first recreation center. 

Help players develop a lifelong love for a sport

By John Engh

When I was younger, I couldn’t wait for the next season to start, and it didn’t matter for what sport. Baseball was my first choice, but basketball, football, soccer, and wrestling were all big in my house. My two older brothers were big into wrestling. And while my mom was the real jock in the house, having played two varsity-level sports in high school and college, my dad always loved that there were wrestlers in the house. On any given night there were “wrestle-offs” on the living room shag carpet. Trust me when I say we all had our fair share of carpet burns!

Focus on ability instead of disability

By Heidi Lemmon

Public skateparks have come a long way in the last 25 years; they are no longer single- or even double-use facilities. Chances are your park is being used by skateboarders, BMX riders, scooters, rollerbladers, roller skaters, and even wheelchairs. All genders, all ages, abled and disabled riders, create a huge melting pot of active users who make a skatepark the most welcoming play space in a city. Even the Olympics has added skateboarding, freestyle BMX, and adaptive riding, and there is a lot of buzz about how to design a park to get the most use per square foot. 

Laura Island, a Supervisor for the city of Los Angeles’ Citywide Adaptive Recreation Division, holds multiple events for disabled children at its skateparks through a partnership with Los Angeles Olympics 2028 (LA 28), funded by Play LA Youth, and Adaptive Youth Sports programing, and is thrilled with the results. She says parents and children are excited and grateful for the opportunity to explore their abilities at the same facility and at the same time as their friends and family. She adds that often a sibling or family member who skates encourages a disabled rider by pushing that person in the park. And the city’s adaptive classes, which can accommodate 15 per class, have been a hit.