What roles do parks play in the economy?

National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) represents the voice of the people and organizations that strive to create and maintain the green space of parks. This study goes over the economic impact that parks have and shows the value of parks.

Here is an excerpt from NRPA about the impact of parks:

“Not only are parks leading the way in terms of conservation, health and wellness and social equity, they are also engines of significant economic activity. Local park and recreation agencies generated more than $154 billion in U.S. economic activity and supported 1.1 million jobs from their operations and capital spending in 2015. These results, combined with results from studies on the state and national park systems, reveal that public parks account for more than $200 billion in economic activity each year” (National Recreation and Parks Association, 2019).

As shown from the excerpt and image above, parks have powerful impacts on economic activity by generating over $154 billion USD and supporting over 1.1 million jobs. Parks and recreation have even more of an impact on economics when it comes to creating a happy and healthy community. Recreational locations, such as beaches, parks, trails and camps, help to improve mental and physical health, which are all things that people are willing to spend money on. Parks are not only shown to have an impact on economic activity, but also an impact on people’s wellbeing. 

"Beyond the impact of their expenditures, park and recreation agencies generate even more economic value through their promotion of health and wellness, as well as conservation and resiliency that foster higher property values and increase tourism. Most critically, park and recreation amenities are the cornerstones to improving a region’s quality of life, a major factor in enticing employers and workers to an area" (National Recreation and Parks Association, 2019).

The economic impact that parks have is important to consider in design. Knowing that people are willing to spend for parks shows the value of parks. What is the role designers hold in parks? How can designers improve the value and experience that parks provide?

References.

National Recreation and Parks Association. (2019). The Economic Impact of Parks NRPA .pdf. Google Docs. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CfIAKPX4-uqwjQJBqKyTmRw17B1PT_yd/view