Parks and Recreation System Planning: A New Approach for Creating Sustainable, Resilient Communities

Abstract

A manual for the next generation of parks and recreation practitioners, Barth weaves together a prescriptive handbook of strategies and examples for systems-oriented master planning in the sector. While it can be read linearly, it is more useful as a compendium of pointers related to the different steps of the master planning process in a parks and recreation context. Operating in three parts, Barth first weaves together a compelling introduction for practitioners about the importance of parks and recreation to ecosystems, health, society, and economy. The next two parts lay out the advantages of a strategic approach to developing plans compared to more traditional methods, and the minutia of practicing parks and recreation system planning and implementation with this more strategic approach. As a landscape architect, project manager, and urban planner with decades of consulting experience, Barth is well suited to provide instructional guidance on this topic.Barth applies a systems theory approach to parks and recreation system planning and manage-ment. The opening chapters make the case for adopting a triple-bottom line lens to parks and recreation systems, grounded in considerable research. The case studies of “high performance public spaces” illustrates the power of this lens to make the economic, social, and environmental case for parks and recreation. For example, Barth shares his experiences in revitalizing Kissimmee Lakefront Park in Florida that improved lake habitat, provided new recreational and social amenities, and catalyzed broader economic development in the surrounding area. This theoretical approach is carried through the later chapters of the book with a detailing of the minute operational elements of a cyclical plan development and review process. In these chapters, the author lays out a blueprint for how to prepare for, develop, and implement a parks and recreation system master plan. There is a plethora of useful framing questions and propositions in these later chapters that will likely make their way into many local government master planning initiatives in the coming decade. Barth emphasizes collaboration at