September 2017 - Parks & Recreation - 51

By using objective data, planners can
make informed decisions that can improve
many facets of park planning...
tances by making walkable connections and to improve the
safety of routes by assessing the presence and quality of sidewalks and street crossings.
What Next?
FRMP used the data generated by these measures to determine
where additional park entrances could impact the greatest number of county residents. After identifying opportunities to improve walking access, walk audits with community members
and partners are recommended to both field-verify site conditions and understand barriers. During the audits, environmental
and community factors, such as typography, water flow, land
use, condition of nearby property, park visibility and public
safety should be evaluated. Street safety improvements can
be an easy way to increase walking access. The walking audit
should include an assessment of intersections, sidewalks and
other street improvements within the adjacent neighborhood,
as well as how people reach facilities once they are in the park.
The analysis can also be used to identify targeted geographic
areas for rezoning and subdivision application reviews. Ideally,
FRMP would be alerted by the Miami Valley Regional Planning
Commission when it receives applications for sites that fall within the target areas. This process would provide FRMP opportunities to encourage the development of pedestrian-friendly streets
adjacent to parks, connected streets leading to park entrances and
improved pedestrian infrastructure in areas near parks.
FRMP tracks visitation to its parks using sensors and physical
counts. Park users are also surveyed about their transportation
modes and trip origination point. FRMP is considering adding
questions to its survey about how users traveled to its parks to
better understand how many people who drive to the park could
walk if there were safe, attractive routes. It can also compare
visitor count data over time to evaluate how adding new entrances affects overall park attendance.

the data not only affirmed their understanding of park needs,
but also identified additional opportunities. The agency's marketing professionals were enthusiastic about having data to
show taxpayers the impact of their dollars and maps to explain
where and why new projects are needed. By using objective
data, planners can make informed decisions that can improve
many facets of park planning and illustrate the beneficial effect
of parks on the community.
Note: This article expands on three of the Common Measures included in the Improving Public Health Through Public Parks and
Trails: Eight Common Measures report. To see the full metrics, visit
http://go.nps.gov/improving_public_health. Detailed references can
also be found at www.parksandrecreation.org/2017/September/creating-safe-routes-to-parks.
Dee Merriam, RLA, FASLA, is a former Community Planner at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (dmplaces@gmail.com). Eric Sauer is Planning
Manager for Five Rivers MetroParks (Eric.Sauer@metroparks.org). Ian Dunn is
a GIS Analyst for CDC/ATSDR (idunn@cdc.gov). Tegan Boehmer is an
Epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(tboehmer@cdc.gov).

Conclusion
These three park access measures are easy to use. They provide
relevant, actionable data. They can be used to track progress,
compare conditions, evaluate options, guide initiatives and inform the public. We have shared examples of how data can inform the decision-making process. FRMP planners liked that
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September 2017 - Parks & Recreation

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