4 Ways to Enhance your Park and Recreation Center
Author: Austin Stanfel
Parks and recreation centers are vital to the overall health of a community. They provide residents with open green spaces and recreational activities. More importantly, they provide the opportunity for a community to enjoy a shared space where they can have fun together.
People love parks and recreation centers, particularly in urban areas where many people live in apartment blocks. Aside from providing open spaces and a place to have fun and be active, they make the neighborhood look good, and they are an integral part of a community’s infrastructure.
Whether you’re building a new park or recreation center, you should consider their individual, family, community, environmental, and economic importance.
Individual Benefits
Parks and recreation centers promote an active lifestyle for the entire community, no matter what their age. Benefits for individuals include:
● The opportunity to interact with other people in the community
● A place to be active and keep fit
● A calm, sharp mind
● Preventing obesity
● A healthy environment for old and young
● Environmental Benefits
A public community space usually has lots of greenery, many trees, and expansive lawns. This has a beneficial impact on the environment as well as the community. Environmental benefits include:
● Improved air quality
● Water conservation
● Protects fauna and flora
● Minimizes traffic footprint
● Economic Benefits
Parks and recreation centers are also of benefit to the local economy. The businesses nearby will benefit from the people who spend their time in these community spaces, especially when there is playground and fitness equipment.
● Stimulate the local economy
● Increase property values
A communal public space adds remarkable value to a community. Improving the amenities of a park or recreation center and designing it to accommodate the local community’s needs is key to ensuring that it appeals to people and promotes social interaction and physical activity.
Here are four ways to enhance your park or recreation center to be conducive to physical activity and social interaction.
1. Create a Maintenance Schedule
- Be intentional about what plant you grow where
- Trim the greenery regularly
- Regularly check and service playground equipment
- Pick up litter and empty bins
- Clean restrooms regularly
2. Create Dedicated Gathering Spaces
- Sports fields to accommodate local sporting clubs
- Shaded areas or Gazebos
- Playground equipment
- Fitness systems suitable for people of all ages
- Places where people can sit down and eat
- Barbecue areas
3. Have a Designated Dog Park
- Freshwater for dogs
- Free poop bags
- Leash posts
- Play equipment
4. Invest in equipment and furnishing
- Group fitness equipment
- Inclusive Playground equipment
- Comfortable, well-placed benches and tables
- Park and recreation centers are vital to a community and impact health, economic, environmental, and even safety benefits. It is of the utmost importance that they are designed to be a fun recreational space for people of all ages and abilities.
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