August 2020 - Parks & Recreation - 18

RESEARCH
Data Shows U.S. Public Believes
Strongly in Parks and Recreation
By Kevin Roth

more) in many areas. Because of the
tireless efforts of you and your colleagues, people continue to have opportunities to be physically and mentally healthy throughout the crisis.
The May Park Pulse poll (nrpa.
org/ParkPulse) showed that a vast
majority of U.S. adults found exercising at their local parks, trails and open
spaces essential to maintaining their
mental and physical health during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Further, nearly
3 in 5 poll respondents, including twothirds of parents, told us that it is very
or extremely essential to be able to
walk, jog, hike and/or bike.
We can see the impact of your
work through the delivery of programming not only outdoors, but
also in the home. P&R professionals are providing a wealth of recreation offerings online for people of
all ages and abilities. This includes
physical activity classes, health and
safety courses, health literacy classes
and academic classes. The June Park
Pulse poll found that more than 4 in
5 adults - particularly parents and
younger adults - highly value the
virtual health resources delivered by
local P&R professionals.

P&R professionals are among the
nation's biggest providers of childcare
and youth services. Out-of-school
programs are places for children
to learn and grow and are a critical
source of nutritious meals for many
children. Per the July Park Pulse poll,
9 in 10 U.S. adults want children to
have access to community-based programs and services this summer. The
support for these programs is equal
among parents and nonparents.
As states, cities and towns across
the nation lifted stay-at-home orders
in late spring, many people began to
consider their options for time off.
Health safety concerns over flying,
economic necessity and other considerations will keep many people closer
to home for their vacation plans. Fiftyfour percent of people responding to
the August Park Pulse poll said that
they were more likely to pick a vacation spot closer to home than in prior
years. P&R amenities are the likely
destination for many people taking
time off close to home this summer.
The pandemic has reinforced the
fact that P&R is essential. At the same
time, the resulting economic turmoil
has made the work of many P&R
professionals ever more challenging.
Never before has it been more critical
to tell your agency's story to your local political leaders, funders and the
general public. Combining the data
above with your agency's success stories paints a picture of the essential
nature of parks and recreation.

Data reveals 6 in 7 U.S. adults visited a
park, trail, open space or recreation facility at least once over the past year.

Kevin Roth is Vice President of Research,
Evaluation and Technology at NRPA
(kroth@nrpa.org).

arks and recreation is essential. Hundreds of thousands of P&R professionals, along with a cadre of volunteers and advocates, transform
our cities, towns and counties into vibrant, healthy and resilient communities through high-quality park and recreation opportunities. One
aspect of parks' vitalness is the ubiquity of their usage; 6 in 7 U.S. adults visited
a park, trail, open space or recreation facility at least once during the past year.
For many people, parks and recreation is a daily habit.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has further highlighted how essential your work is. A recent NRPA
Parks Snapshot Survey (nrpa.org/
ParksSnapshot) shows that more than
a third of local P&R agencies across
the nation were critical partners in their
regions' emergency response, from delivering nutritious meals to vulnerable
members of the community and transforming their facilities into emergency
shelters to providing daycare to the
children of essential workers.
But even more so, the value of
parks has shined throughout the public health crisis. In many communities, parks, trails and other open space
amenities served as the sole source of
recreation opportunities during the
past spring. NRPA Parks Snapshot
surveys revealed park and trail usage
surged by upwards of 50 percent (or

Parks & Recreation

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August 2020 - Parks & Recreation

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