Pub Date : 2024-08-10DOI: 10.18666/jpra-2024-12590
Nicholas A. D. Pitas, Jeff Rose, Lauren Mullenbach, Aaron Hoyle-Katz
People experiencing homelessness make extensive use of public greenspace, and recent years have seen increased interest in park agency-based strategies to address homelessness and its symptoms. However, there is a relative lack of literature addressing the equitable management of these spaces with consideration for park users experiencing homelessness, and much of the existing work has been conducted from the perspective of a single user group. In this research we triangulate the perspectives of people experiencing homelessness, housed members of the public, and park district employees through a series of focus group interviews. This work provides unique context and multiple angles of approach to a challenging issue as we seek to understand perceptions and priorities within the context of park and public space management. Specifically, we addressed three research questions focused on (a) the current and ideal role of a park and recreation agency in addressing homelessness in the community, (b) the characteristics of positive and negative interactions between agency employees and people experiencing homelessness, and (c) management priorities and challenges in this context. Our results indicate substantial common ground, some ambiguity, and a number of concrete priorities for equitably managing parks and public spaces in this context. All three stakeholder groups agreed that the current agency role was limited in scope, and largely focused on enforcement and quality control over parks and the recreation experience. Whereas park district employees advocated for a more proactive approach to homelessness, people experiencing homelessness and housed members of the community favored maintaining a limited role for the park district. Positive interactions mirrored those between park agency employees and other users, and were characterized by an emphasis on the essential humanity of people experiencing homelessness, and the formation of longterm familiarity and relationships. Negative interactions on the other hand were largely related to enforcement of rules and regulations, and patterns of previous negative interactions. Safety was identified as the top priority by all three user groups, with the public also prioritizing a welcoming and aesthetically pleasing park environment. Key challenges included a lack of resources, and the complexity of the issue of homelessness.
{"title":"The Management of Parks and Public Spaces in the Context of Unsheltered Homelessness: Perspectives from Three Key Stakeholder Groups","authors":"Nicholas A. D. Pitas, Jeff Rose, Lauren Mullenbach, Aaron Hoyle-Katz","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2024-12590","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2024-12590","url":null,"abstract":"People experiencing homelessness make extensive use of public greenspace, and recent years have seen increased interest in park agency-based strategies to address homelessness and its symptoms. However, there is a relative lack of literature addressing the equitable management of these spaces with consideration for park users experiencing homelessness, and much of the existing work has been conducted from the perspective of a single user group. In this research we triangulate the perspectives of people experiencing homelessness, housed members of the public, and park district employees through a series of focus group interviews. This work provides unique context and multiple angles of approach to a challenging issue as we seek to understand perceptions and priorities within the context of park and public space management. Specifically, we addressed three research questions focused on (a) the current and ideal role of a park and recreation agency in addressing homelessness in the community, (b) the characteristics of positive and negative interactions between agency employees and people experiencing homelessness, and (c) management priorities and challenges in this context. Our results indicate substantial common ground, some ambiguity, and a number of concrete priorities for equitably managing parks and public spaces in this context. All three stakeholder groups agreed that the current agency role was limited in scope, and largely focused on enforcement and quality control over parks and the recreation experience. Whereas park district employees advocated for a more proactive approach to homelessness, people experiencing homelessness and housed members of the community favored maintaining a limited role for the park district. Positive interactions mirrored those between park agency employees and other users, and were characterized by an emphasis on the essential humanity of people experiencing homelessness, and the formation of longterm familiarity and relationships. Negative interactions on the other hand were largely related to enforcement of rules and regulations, and patterns of previous negative interactions. Safety was identified as the top priority by all three user groups, with the public also prioritizing a welcoming and aesthetically pleasing park environment. Key challenges included a lack of resources, and the complexity of the issue of homelessness.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141920302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-10DOI: 10.18666/jpra-2024-12245
Hans Klein-Hewett
Many park professionals use classification systems to simplify complex park spaces into efficient and manageable descriptions. In the United States, the most common classification systems use park size and service area as determinants of a park’s class. While those variables are important in urban spaces, they often fail to capture the unique realities of rural parks. This can lead to misunderstandings, as rural parks are frequently evaluated, programmed, and planned using urbanormative assumptions. To address that gap, this paper proposes a new Iowa Rural Park Classification System (IRPCS) that focuses on park function, a crucial determinant of rural park use due to the distances between rural destinations. The development of the IRPCS involved collecting data from 749 recreation spaces across an eight-county study area in central Iowa. This data was then analyzed using iterative decision trees to identify, test, and refine the variables that differentiate each park class. While ultimately abandoned due to limitations in flexibility, these decision trees played a valuable role in shaping the final park classes. The IRPCS differentiates rural parks from their urban counterparts by highlighting the unique variables and characteristics that make them essential utilities. This focus will spark further research and discussions dedicated to rural parks. Additionally, the IRPCS establishes a rural-specific park lexicon, enabling park managers and planners to discuss and analyze rural parks with greater precision.
{"title":"Classifying Rural Parks: A Case Study in Iowa","authors":"Hans Klein-Hewett","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2024-12245","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2024-12245","url":null,"abstract":"Many park professionals use classification systems to simplify complex park spaces into efficient and manageable descriptions. In the United States, the most common classification systems use park size and service area as determinants of a park’s class. While those variables are important in urban spaces, they often fail to capture the unique realities of rural parks. This can lead to misunderstandings, as rural parks are frequently evaluated, programmed, and planned using urbanormative assumptions. To address that gap, this paper proposes a new Iowa Rural Park Classification System (IRPCS) that focuses on park function, a crucial determinant of rural park use due to the distances between rural destinations. The development of the IRPCS involved collecting data from 749 recreation spaces across an eight-county study area in central Iowa. This data was then analyzed using iterative decision trees to identify, test, and refine the variables that differentiate each park class. While ultimately abandoned due to limitations in flexibility, these decision trees played a valuable role in shaping the final park classes. The IRPCS differentiates rural parks from their urban counterparts by highlighting the unique variables and characteristics that make them essential utilities. This focus will spark further research and discussions dedicated to rural parks. Additionally, the IRPCS establishes a rural-specific park lexicon, enabling park managers and planners to discuss and analyze rural parks with greater precision.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141920466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-24DOI: 10.18666/jpra-2024-12091
An Uesugi
Outdoor activities have been shown to have numerous positive impacts. As chil-dren's time spent in nature decreases, it is important to move beyond just encour-aging children to go outside and instead urge the entire family to spend time to-gether in natural surroundings. While cultural norms influence family behavior, there is currently insufficient research on family leisure in Asian countries to allow comparisons. The purpose of this study is to clarify the outdoor leisure constraints of Japanese parents with children and examine the relationship between these con-straints and participation frequency in outdoor leisure activities with children. A web-based survey was employed to obtain responses from parents (n = 193) whose children were between 3 and 11 years old. This study clarified four constraining factors affecting Japanese parents: psychological, physiological, and environmen-tal; accessibility; commitment; and time. Accessibility constraints were a key driv-er in predicting the frequency of participation in outdoor leisure activities.
{"title":"A Study of Parents’ Perceived Constraints on Participating in Outdoor Leisure Activities with Their Children in Japan","authors":"An Uesugi","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2024-12091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2024-12091","url":null,"abstract":"Outdoor activities have been shown to have numerous positive impacts. As chil-dren's time spent in nature decreases, it is important to move beyond just encour-aging children to go outside and instead urge the entire family to spend time to-gether in natural surroundings. While cultural norms influence family behavior, there is currently insufficient research on family leisure in Asian countries to allow comparisons. The purpose of this study is to clarify the outdoor leisure constraints of Japanese parents with children and examine the relationship between these con-straints and participation frequency in outdoor leisure activities with children. A web-based survey was employed to obtain responses from parents (n = 193) whose children were between 3 and 11 years old. This study clarified four constraining factors affecting Japanese parents: psychological, physiological, and environmen-tal; accessibility; commitment; and time. Accessibility constraints were a key driv-er in predicting the frequency of participation in outdoor leisure activities.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141806351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-09DOI: 10.18666/jpra-2024-12397
J. Gollob, Clay King, Berwood A. Yost, Eliot Jennings
Community recreation centers (CRCs) are gaining popularity across the country. While many support the argument that CRCs improve quality of life by building social capital and improving the physical health of residents, that support does not necessarily translate into community support for the funding and construction of CRCs. Some communities undertake surveys to try to gauge the support for CRCs but have had mixed results on the insights provided by those surveys. Furthermore, public perceptions about the accuracy and usefulness of survey data could lead to stakeholder disregard for the data produced by them. This case study focuses on the benefits of a robust partnership between a local community and a regional university in developing a survey research project to analyze support for building a CRC. In this paper, we emphasize the value of producing trusted data and provide lessons on how community-university partnerships can achieve similar objectives. The first lesson is that community-university partnerships, by emphasizing local connections, can help foster trust in survey research projects. Second, strategic community-university partnerships can derive additional benefits such as division of labor, expertise, and cost savings. Third, by embracing the above two benefits, collaboration is not only possible, but can produce tailored survey research projects that provide stakeholders insights into critical questions. Finally, community-university partnerships that are structured around shared values can help communities solve critical policy issues effectively and efficiently. This case study details these lessons through an examination of a robust community-university partnership that led to the passage of a ballot referendum to build a CRC. This community-university model of collaboration provides a framework for communities and universities to work together to serve the public good.
{"title":"Community-University Partnerships: The Benefits of Collaboration in Measuring Public Support for a Community Recreation Center","authors":"J. Gollob, Clay King, Berwood A. Yost, Eliot Jennings","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2024-12397","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2024-12397","url":null,"abstract":"Community recreation centers (CRCs) are gaining popularity across the country. While many support the argument that CRCs improve quality of life by building social capital and improving the physical health of residents, that support does not necessarily translate into community support for the funding and construction of CRCs. Some communities undertake surveys to try to gauge the support for CRCs but have had mixed results on the insights provided by those surveys. Furthermore, public perceptions about the accuracy and usefulness of survey data could lead to stakeholder disregard for the data produced by them. This case study focuses on the benefits of a robust partnership between a local community and a regional university in developing a survey research project to analyze support for building a CRC. In this paper, we emphasize the value of producing trusted data and provide lessons on how community-university partnerships can achieve similar objectives. The first lesson is that community-university partnerships, by emphasizing local connections, can help foster trust in survey research projects. Second, strategic community-university partnerships can derive additional benefits such as division of labor, expertise, and cost savings. Third, by embracing the above two benefits, collaboration is not only possible, but can produce tailored survey research projects that provide stakeholders insights into critical questions. Finally, community-university partnerships that are structured around shared values can help communities solve critical policy issues effectively and efficiently. This case study details these lessons through an examination of a robust community-university partnership that led to the passage of a ballot referendum to build a CRC. This community-university model of collaboration provides a framework for communities and universities to work together to serve the public good.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141665356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-06DOI: 10.18666/jpra-2024-12057
Hannah Falcone, Cindy L. Hartman, Jayson Seaman, Andrew D. Coppens, E. Sharp, Sarah Jusseaume, Molly Donovan
Changing demographics in rural states have been on the forefront of policymakers' minds. Trends such as high median age, low birth rates, and pronounced youth outmigration compound larger challenges of workforce and community development. Many rural states are promoting recreational and natural amenities as an attraction, hoping to lure established adult newcomers or returnees to resettle. However, it is unclear precisely how rural stakeholders perceive recreation to be an effective tool in attracting and retaining youth and young adults, beyond official branding strategies and campaigns. This study sought to identify macrosystem-level messaging circulating in stories told by stakeholders in education, workforce, and quality of life domains about how recreation relates to youth future orientation and decision making. Thirty-two data collection events (interviews or focus groups) with leaders in the policymaking, state administration, and youth-serving program areas in New Hampshire (NH) were conducted in 2020-2021. Themes were achieved using a story-based methodological approach guided by a master narrative conceptual framework, which states that macrosystem-level messaging impacts individual agency and decision-making. Four themes surrounding recreation emerged: 1) recreational opportunities are storied as less impactful on youth future orientation than educational and employment opportunities; 2) statewide branding focusing on outdoor recreational amenities and experiences may not be accessible or appealing to youth; 3) youth lack meaningful community engagement and leadership opportunities, resulting in low youth voice in community development initiatives; and 4) there is an assumption that youth will ultimately leave rural areas for educational, employment, and recreational opportunities elsewhere and return later as established adults. We make recommendations for recreation providers and stakeholders, including: 1) growing youth community attachment through recreation spaces and places in rural areas, 2) providing more inclusive forms of youth-focused state and community branding, 3) advocating for youth-focused recreation and civic engagement policy/programming, and 4) developing messaging resisting narratives insinuating recreation is unimportant in youth decision making and future orientation. Rural communities following these recommendations may enhance youth quality of life and contribute to a demographically diverse and thriving population.
{"title":"s Recreation Part of the Story? Stakeholders’ Narratives about Youth Retention in a Rural State","authors":"Hannah Falcone, Cindy L. Hartman, Jayson Seaman, Andrew D. Coppens, E. Sharp, Sarah Jusseaume, Molly Donovan","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2024-12057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2024-12057","url":null,"abstract":"Changing demographics in rural states have been on the forefront of policymakers' minds. Trends such as high median age, low birth rates, and pronounced youth outmigration compound larger challenges of workforce and community development. Many rural states are promoting recreational and natural amenities as an attraction, hoping to lure established adult newcomers or returnees to resettle. However, it is unclear precisely how rural stakeholders perceive recreation to be an effective tool in attracting and retaining youth and young adults, beyond official branding strategies and campaigns. This study sought to identify macrosystem-level messaging circulating in stories told by stakeholders in education, workforce, and quality of life domains about how recreation relates to youth future orientation and decision making. Thirty-two data collection events (interviews or focus groups) with leaders in the policymaking, state administration, and youth-serving program areas in New Hampshire (NH) were conducted in 2020-2021. Themes were achieved using a story-based methodological approach guided by a master narrative conceptual framework, which states that macrosystem-level messaging impacts individual agency and decision-making. Four themes surrounding recreation emerged: 1) recreational opportunities are storied as less impactful on youth future orientation than educational and employment opportunities; 2) statewide branding focusing on outdoor recreational amenities and experiences may not be accessible or appealing to youth; 3) youth lack meaningful community engagement and leadership opportunities, resulting in low youth voice in community development initiatives; and 4) there is an assumption that youth will ultimately leave rural areas for educational, employment, and recreational opportunities elsewhere and return later as established adults. We make recommendations for recreation providers and stakeholders, including: 1) growing youth community attachment through recreation spaces and places in rural areas, 2) providing more inclusive forms of youth-focused state and community branding, 3) advocating for youth-focused recreation and civic engagement policy/programming, and 4) developing messaging resisting narratives insinuating recreation is unimportant in youth decision making and future orientation. Rural communities following these recommendations may enhance youth quality of life and contribute to a demographically diverse and thriving population.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141377495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-04DOI: 10.18666/jpra-2024-12372
Maria Lepore-Stevens, Elizabeth A. Foster
Research has shown that summer camps provide unique opportunities for positive youth development, due in part to the emotionally safe environments they can provide (Garst et al., 2016; Henderson et al., 2005; Sibthorp et al., 2010). Emotionally safe environments consist of “a combination of inclusion, belonging, trust, care, and the absence of bullying and exclusion” (Wong et al., 2022). Summer camp programs can also be emotionally safe places for young people to develop self-determination skills, while school may not provide the same safety, particularly for students with visual impairments (Garst et al., 2011; Opie, 2018; Sibthorp et al., 2010). This research utilizes a theoretical framework of positive youth development to investigate emotional safety for children with visual impairments at summer camp. This research on emotional safety was part of a larger mixed- methods study on self-determination at an educational sports camp for youth with visual impairments. Athletes and coaches at an educational sports camp for youth with visual impairments in the mid-Atlantic United States completed qualitative questionnaires regarding self-determination at camp. Five randomly selected athletes also participated in semi-structured interviews. Both questionnaires and interviews highlighted instances of meaningful adult interaction, emotional support, and inclusion throughout the week of camp. Additionally, the data resulting from questionnaires and interviews revealed that comfort in asking questions and relationships between athletes contributed to an emotionally safe environment. Limitations included low sample size, compounding impact of multiple years of camp attendance, differences between this camp and other similar camps, and familiarity of the researcher. The present study supports the prior research on summer camp, finding that low child-to-staff ratios, emotional support, and inclusion contribute to emotionally safe environments (Garst et. al, 2011; Henderson et al., 2005). Additionally, at a summer camp for youth with visual impairments, relationships between athletes and comfort asking questions supported emotional safety.
{"title":"“It’s Comfortable at Camp”: Emotional Safety at a Summer Camp for Youth with Visual Impairments","authors":"Maria Lepore-Stevens, Elizabeth A. Foster","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2024-12372","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2024-12372","url":null,"abstract":"Research has shown that summer camps provide unique opportunities for positive youth development, due in part to the emotionally safe environments they can provide (Garst et al., 2016; Henderson et al., 2005; Sibthorp et al., 2010). Emotionally safe environments consist of “a combination of inclusion, belonging, trust, care, and the absence of bullying and exclusion” (Wong et al., 2022). Summer camp programs can also be emotionally safe places for young people to develop self-determination skills, while school may not provide the same safety, particularly for students with visual impairments (Garst et al., 2011; Opie, 2018; Sibthorp et al., 2010). This research utilizes a theoretical framework of positive youth development to investigate emotional safety for children with visual impairments at summer camp. This research on emotional safety was part of a larger mixed- methods study on self-determination at an educational sports camp for youth with visual impairments. Athletes and coaches at an educational sports camp for youth with visual impairments in the mid-Atlantic United States completed qualitative questionnaires regarding self-determination at camp. Five randomly selected athletes also participated in semi-structured interviews. Both questionnaires and interviews highlighted instances of meaningful adult interaction, emotional support, and inclusion throughout the week of camp. Additionally, the data resulting from questionnaires and interviews revealed that comfort in asking questions and relationships between athletes contributed to an emotionally safe environment. Limitations included low sample size, compounding impact of multiple years of camp attendance, differences between this camp and other similar camps, and familiarity of the researcher. The present study supports the prior research on summer camp, finding that low child-to-staff ratios, emotional support, and inclusion contribute to emotionally safe environments (Garst et. al, 2011; Henderson et al., 2005). Additionally, at a summer camp for youth with visual impairments, relationships between athletes and comfort asking questions supported emotional safety.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141266143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-04DOI: 10.18666/jpra-2024-11637
Norsyafika Sadri, Ahmad Faiz Mohamad Yusoff, Mohd Hafiz Hanafiah
The role of zoos in wildlife management has been revolutionized from basic conservation sites into research institutions, public education, and recreational destinations for public visitors. Building upon this evolution, the present study delves into the intricate interrelationships between public zoo experiential service quality, the perceived image of these institutions, experiential satisfaction, and visitors' intentions to revisit. Questionnaires were administered to 330 visitors via purposive sampling at the Kuala Lumpur National Zoo. The study hypotheses were supported, highlighting the significant and positive inter-relationship between interaction quality, physical environment quality, enjoyment quality, educational quality, zoo image, experiential satisfaction, and visitor’s revisit intention. The study provides practical managerial implications for the public zoo in delivering superior services, essential in improving visitor satisfaction. Excellent service quality ensures visitor satisfaction, enabling zoo management to meet visitor's expectations and encourage return visits, thus enhancing the zoo’s sustainability. The study results urge public zoo management in developing and implementing out of the box market-orientated service strategies by enhancing the interaction, enjoyment, educational quality, and physical environment perceived by future visitors.
{"title":"Assessing the Experiential Service Quality, Perceived Image, Experiential Satisfaction, and Revisiting Intentions of Public Zoo Visitors","authors":"Norsyafika Sadri, Ahmad Faiz Mohamad Yusoff, Mohd Hafiz Hanafiah","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2024-11637","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2024-11637","url":null,"abstract":"The role of zoos in wildlife management has been revolutionized from basic conservation sites into research institutions, public education, and recreational destinations for public visitors. Building upon this evolution, the present study delves into the intricate interrelationships between public zoo experiential service quality, the perceived image of these institutions, experiential satisfaction, and visitors' intentions to revisit. Questionnaires were administered to 330 visitors via purposive sampling at the Kuala Lumpur National Zoo. The study hypotheses were supported, highlighting the significant and positive inter-relationship between interaction quality, physical environment quality, enjoyment quality, educational quality, zoo image, experiential satisfaction, and visitor’s revisit intention. The study provides practical managerial implications for the public zoo in delivering superior services, essential in improving visitor satisfaction. Excellent service quality ensures visitor satisfaction, enabling zoo management to meet visitor's expectations and encourage return visits, thus enhancing the zoo’s sustainability. The study results urge public zoo management in developing and implementing out of the box market-orientated service strategies by enhancing the interaction, enjoyment, educational quality, and physical environment perceived by future visitors.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141267103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-21DOI: 10.18666/jpra-2024-12248
David Flores, Jose J. Sanchez, Emily Schlickman, Lorie Strivastava, Maria Victoria Arias, Jianho Cui, Antonio Davila, Jorge Cortez-Solis
Scholars featured in a recent special issue of the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration and others have noted that public lands management has yet to integrate sustainable recreation policy and practice (Cerveny et al., 2022, p. 1). Additionally, there is growing recognition that inter-agency and scientist-citizen collaboration are needed to achieve this goal. In this commentary, we offer an example of minding the science-practice gap through cocreating research. Specifically, we describe how scientists from the US Forest Service and the University of California, Davis, and practitioners from the Los Angeles-based organization Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) operationalized ten essential characteristics of research (DePoy & Gitlin, 2020) in the development of a research proposal and implementation of a study on urban Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) youth perspectives of the outdoors.
{"title":"Minding the Science–Practice Gap to Reach the Goals of Sustainable Recreation Research","authors":"David Flores, Jose J. Sanchez, Emily Schlickman, Lorie Strivastava, Maria Victoria Arias, Jianho Cui, Antonio Davila, Jorge Cortez-Solis","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2024-12248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2024-12248","url":null,"abstract":"Scholars featured in a recent special issue of the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration and others have noted that public lands management has yet to integrate sustainable recreation policy and practice (Cerveny et al., 2022, p. 1). Additionally, there is growing recognition that inter-agency and scientist-citizen collaboration are needed to achieve this goal. In this commentary, we offer an example of minding the science-practice gap through cocreating research. Specifically, we describe how scientists from the US Forest Service and the University of California, Davis, and practitioners from the Los Angeles-based organization Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) operationalized ten essential characteristics of research (DePoy & Gitlin, 2020) in the development of a research proposal and implementation of a study on urban Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) youth perspectives of the outdoors.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141116667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-13DOI: 10.18666/jpra-2024-12293
Elizabeth E. Perry, Clare Ginger, Jennifer Jewiss, Daniel Krymkowski, Robert E. Manning
Agencies focused on protected areas’ conservation and recreation require internal capacity-building to enhance their organizational resilience (the ability to adapt and persist). Yet, internal capacity-building is often underemphasized as agencies attend to external relationships. This omission can lessen an agency’s ability to adapt to emergent stressors and opportunities. Specifically, relationships within an agency’s groups (i.e., divisions)—the intra-organizational mesoscale between individuals and whole organizations—can increase an agency’s ability to efficiently build resilience-enhancing adaptive capacity. The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) adopted this mesoscale in their Urban Agenda goal of One NPS, or building resilience-enhancing, agency-wide internal relationships. We investigated intra-organizational relationships in this context, examining relationships within (i.e., bonds) and across (i.e., bridges) three NPS groups: parks (physical spaces), programs (community outreach), and offices (administrative functions). Pairing qualitative interviews with quantitative social network analysis in Detroit, Tucson, and Boston, we examined internal relationship prevalence, supports, and opportunities. The NPS has program and office presence in each of these three urban areas but different proximities to national park units, which are the typical face of the NPS. Across these urban areas, we found that the parks group exhibits more bonds (park-to-park relationships), the programs group exhibits more bridges (program-to-park or program-to-office), and the offices group exhibits a mixture of bonds and bridges. To further One NPS and organizational resilience, cultivating bridges among the three groups is key. This investigation may inform a more strategic focusing of an agency’s limited resources. We highlight five directions for protected area managers’ consideration toward this aim: build bridges locally among groups; consider group composition when identifying divisions (i.e., programs appear more heterogeneous or dissimilar from each other than do the park and office groups); reflect on parks’ centrality to NPS identity and relationships; seek organizational structures supportive of relationship development; and focus on the organizational mesoscale for resilience-enhancing adaptive capacity. These directions for strategic focusing of organizational resources are based in the longstanding work of the NPS but ultimately transcend this single agency, providing targeted guidance for protected area agencies in building internal capacity toward external, public-oriented goals.
{"title":"National Park Service Internal Structures Toward Agency Resilience: A Mixed-Methods, Multi-Site, Mesoscale Investigation","authors":"Elizabeth E. Perry, Clare Ginger, Jennifer Jewiss, Daniel Krymkowski, Robert E. Manning","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2024-12293","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2024-12293","url":null,"abstract":"Agencies focused on protected areas’ conservation and recreation require internal capacity-building to enhance their organizational resilience (the ability to adapt and persist). Yet, internal capacity-building is often underemphasized as agencies attend to external relationships. This omission can lessen an agency’s ability to adapt to emergent stressors and opportunities. Specifically, relationships within an agency’s groups (i.e., divisions)—the intra-organizational mesoscale between individuals and whole organizations—can increase an agency’s ability to efficiently build resilience-enhancing adaptive capacity. The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) adopted this mesoscale in their Urban Agenda goal of One NPS, or building resilience-enhancing, agency-wide internal relationships. We investigated intra-organizational relationships in this context, examining relationships within (i.e., bonds) and across (i.e., bridges) three NPS groups: parks (physical spaces), programs (community outreach), and offices (administrative functions). Pairing qualitative interviews with quantitative social network analysis in Detroit, Tucson, and Boston, we examined internal relationship prevalence, supports, and opportunities. The NPS has program and office presence in each of these three urban areas but different proximities to national park units, which are the typical face of the NPS. Across these urban areas, we found that the parks group exhibits more bonds (park-to-park relationships), the programs group exhibits more bridges (program-to-park or program-to-office), and the offices group exhibits a mixture of bonds and bridges. To further One NPS and organizational resilience, cultivating bridges among the three groups is key. This investigation may inform a more strategic focusing of an agency’s limited resources. We highlight five directions for protected area managers’ consideration toward this aim: build bridges locally among groups; consider group composition when identifying divisions (i.e., programs appear more heterogeneous or dissimilar from each other than do the park and office groups); reflect on parks’ centrality to NPS identity and relationships; seek organizational structures supportive of relationship development; and focus on the organizational mesoscale for resilience-enhancing adaptive capacity. These directions for strategic focusing of organizational resources are based in the longstanding work of the NPS but ultimately transcend this single agency, providing targeted guidance for protected area agencies in building internal capacity toward external, public-oriented goals.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140983309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-26DOI: 10.18666/jpra-2024-12066
Stephanie T. West, Xingxing Wu, T. Liechty, Julie S. Son, Jill J Juris, Megan Janke, Jen Wong, Guangzhou Chen
As the U.S. population ages, park and recreation (P&R) professionals face increasing demand to provide age-appropriate and health-promoting programming for older adults. Recent qualitative research suggests older adults are interested in participating in sport programs tailored to their age group. Using socioecological theory as the guiding framework, and leisure constraint theory specifically, the current study explored participation and interest in recreational sport among older adults across the U.S. and their perceptions of how local P&R agencies currently meet, or fail to meet, their needs. Data, collected in 2019 via a nationwide online survey completed by 1,203 adults aged 50 and over, provided insights into the current population of older adults who are diverse in terms of health status, amount of discretionary time, and interest/experience with sport. Although most participants suggested they do not regularly participate in recreational sport, approximately half indicated they would be interested to try a new sport if opportunities were available, and they are motivated by health benefits, social opportunities, and enjoyment of recreational sport. Sports with the most interest were golf, pickleball, and softball. Additionally, participants expressed interest in bowling, hiking, tennis, volleyball, and swimming. Unfortunately, less than 20% of participants indicated they were satisfied or highly satisfied with the sport opportunities for older adults available through their local P&R department. Related to constraints, participants reported that constraints hindering their participation in recreational sport include physical or health-related factors (e.g., not being in good enough shape, not having the sport-related skills), lack of companions with whom to participate, lack of awareness of opportunities, lack of access to fields/facilities, and cost. The findings also relate to leisure facilitators within the constraint negotiation model, and suggests P&R agencies can facilitate sport participation among older adults by promoting the health, social, and fun aspects of participation; offering opportunities targeted at beginners with no skill/experience required; ensuring programs are age-specific and modified to reduce risk of injury; facilitating introductions among players or providing opportunities for individuals to join teams; ensuring that low-cost options exist, and increasing awareness among older adults through channels effective for this age group (e.g., personal invitation, Facebook). The findings highlight the importance of making older adults a priority when planning sport opportunities and understanding their sport-related interests and unique needs.
{"title":"Today's Older Adults: Strategies of Facilitating Sport Participation","authors":"Stephanie T. West, Xingxing Wu, T. Liechty, Julie S. Son, Jill J Juris, Megan Janke, Jen Wong, Guangzhou Chen","doi":"10.18666/jpra-2024-12066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/jpra-2024-12066","url":null,"abstract":"As the U.S. population ages, park and recreation (P&R) professionals face increasing demand to provide age-appropriate and health-promoting programming for older adults. Recent qualitative research suggests older adults are interested in participating in sport programs tailored to their age group. Using socioecological theory as the guiding framework, and leisure constraint theory specifically, the current study explored participation and interest in recreational sport among older adults across the U.S. and their perceptions of how local P&R agencies currently meet, or fail to meet, their needs. Data, collected in 2019 via a nationwide online survey completed by 1,203 adults aged 50 and over, provided insights into the current population of older adults who are diverse in terms of health status, amount of discretionary time, and interest/experience with sport. Although most participants suggested they do not regularly participate in recreational sport, approximately half indicated they would be interested to try a new sport if opportunities were available, and they are motivated by health benefits, social opportunities, and enjoyment of recreational sport. Sports with the most interest were golf, pickleball, and softball. Additionally, participants expressed interest in bowling, hiking, tennis, volleyball, and swimming. Unfortunately, less than 20% of participants indicated they were satisfied or highly satisfied with the sport opportunities for older adults available through their local P&R department. Related to constraints, participants reported that constraints hindering their participation in recreational sport include physical or health-related factors (e.g., not being in good enough shape, not having the sport-related skills), lack of companions with whom to participate, lack of awareness of opportunities, lack of access to fields/facilities, and cost. The findings also relate to leisure facilitators within the constraint negotiation model, and suggests P&R agencies can facilitate sport participation among older adults by promoting the health, social, and fun aspects of participation; offering opportunities targeted at beginners with no skill/experience required; ensuring programs are age-specific and modified to reduce risk of injury; facilitating introductions among players or providing opportunities for individuals to join teams; ensuring that low-cost options exist, and increasing awareness among older adults through channels effective for this age group (e.g., personal invitation, Facebook). The findings highlight the importance of making older adults a priority when planning sport opportunities and understanding their sport-related interests and unique needs.","PeriodicalId":46684,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Park and Recreation Administration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140431881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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