How Many t u O of- s r e n Tow Are in Your Parks? Engaging tourists and commuters in your community with your parks and programs can expand your agency's reach and revenue By Peter Harnik and Abby Martin W hen it comes to comparing urban parkland, a rock-solid baseline has always been " acres per thousand, " as in, how many acres of parkland does your city have for every thousand residents? But often that's not exactly the right question. In many cities, residents are only a part of the picture. A city's official population is, effectively, its nighttime population: the number of folks who sleep there, not counting those in hotels. But that number is not the most relevant for park managers since parks are generally daylight facilities. The better fact is acres of parkland for every thousand daytime urbanites (residents plus commuters plus tourists). The distinction is not trivial. Nor is there a standard multiplier by which it can be estimated - it's got to be actually counted. In some cities, the nonresident population truly soars, while in others it barely registers a bump. W W W. N R PA . O R G | M AY 2 0 1 4 | Parks & Recreation 49