Abstract
This report identifies objectives and goals that clearly define and identify necessary actions that meet cities needs for parks, open space and recreation facilities and relevant programs that are vital to the success of a recreation and parks master plan. It is also inclusive of relative facilities that are considered an integral part of the city's infrastructure, operated parks and funded recreation systems which serve to attract eminence growth, quality of life of all citizens, enhance health and enrich the environment.
Introduction
Parks, open space and recreation opportunities mean many different things to many people. They provide multitudes of benefits to both the natural environment and people. Parks include pocket and small neighborhood parks, Greenways, trails, regional parks, large planned urban and forested areas surrounding urban towns and cities. Recreation facilities take in ball fields, gymnasiums, playgrounds and tennis courts. Open spaces on the other hand can be as diverse as forests, gardens, agricultural land, institutional grounds and arboretums. All these facilities provide people with informal and formal gathering places to build community, relax, socialize, connect with the natural world and socialize. Urban parks, open space and recreation plans are components of the cities’ comprehensive plan. The plans are updated annually to remain relevant to the needs of communities to comply with the state management requirements in order to remain eligible for endowment programs. They also provide environmental benefits such as buffering between natural and built environments, storm water management, wildlife habitat and erosion control.
Scope and Purpose
Planning is very imperative to the success of any attempt to conserve habitat or to provide recreation opportunities. Planning therefore engages people, opponents alike and supporters as well who ensure that right actions are taken for the right reasons at a given time. For the purpose of planning, park, recreation and open space creation is normally divided into two categories: passive and active recreation.
Design and Planning Guidelines
Guidelines and standards set out are formulated to provide a basis for reservation of open space, parks and recreation facilities and to give distribution and planning designs. There are actually two sets of standards that are applied simultaneously in planning work. The key fundamental goal of realizing good planning is the collection of data. Good, quantitative information and data will enhance proper results of the proposed planning effort, assist in justifying needs in grant application and also help inform the budget discussion. Planning therefore helps with:
- Evaluating the success of programs
- Coordinating interests while settling conflict
- Prioritizing actions and needs
- Building and defending budgets &
- Detecting and responding to trends
Urban planning of parks, open spaces and recreation facilities is a cycle. A finished plan outwardly reflects the consent of the participants. Planning therefore requires vision so does the planning for parks and recreation facilities. In urban areas, it includes the new towns and the metro area which is intensively developed. Parks, recreation facilities and open space should be easily accessible from the workplace, homes and where applicable. The standard provision of open space is estimated to be at a minimum of 10 ha per 100,000 persons in the district open space that is: (1m per person). Planners play a key role in ensuring that these facilities are secure and safe, are socially and culturally relevant, well preserved and designed, equitably and physically accessible and that they are appropriately located in all regions. Besides the governments’ involvement in the planning of these parks, open space and recreation facilities, members of the public also have a role to play in safeguarding these areas and ensuring that they are used appropriately.
The natural landscape ought to be preserved in order to provide the basis for design. There are numerous organizations and agencies that are involved in parks; open space and recreation facilities among them are the department of housing and urban development and department of interior including, national fish, national park and the wildlife services. These agencies and organizations produce wide-ranging plans for their areas of jurisdiction. Open space, parks and recreation plans can be organized into various categories, I will therefore focus on three general categories: The site-specific master plan, the policy plan and program plans or operations and maintenance plan. All these plans to merge to form a hierarchy which spells out the order or rank to various plans although they seem to differ in scope, function, level of detail and time frame yet they ought to explicate and be consistent with each other.
Relevance of Sources Used
I have used the Urban planning for dummies book by J. Wiley & Sons Canada to critically analyze the nature of parks, open space and recreation facilities in urban areas. The second source used is the Land use planning made plain book from the University of Toronto which I have used to explain the planning of these facilities and how they are strategically located. My third source is Environment and social justice book by Taylor Dorceta which I’ve used to outline the design and planning guidelines used in providing a basis of the reservation of parks, open space and recreations. The fourth source is the Geography in America at the dawn of the 21st century book from the Oxford University that I have used to outline the importance of planning of these facilities for legal teams. Lastly, I have used an article, Environment and social justice: an international perspective by Taylor, Dorceta to show the importance of preserving the natural landscape of parks, open space and recreation facilities.
Conclusion
Based on the study, I will posit that parks, open space and recreation facilities play a key role in preserving natural resources in urban areas. The planning of these facilities involves both the government or legal teams and also members of the public in realizing the opportunities and benefits of these facilities.
Bibliography
Yin, Jordan. 2012. Urban planning for dummies. Toronto: J. Wiley & Sons Canada. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&A N=437628.
Leung, Hok Lin. 2002. Land use planning made plain. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Taylor, Dorceta E. 2010. Environment and social justice: an international perspective. Bingley, UK: Emerald.
Gaile, Gary L., and Cort J. Willmott. 2003. Geography in America at the dawn of the 21st century. Oxford [u.a.]: Oxford Univ. Press.
Luttik, Joke. "The value of trees, water and open space as reflected by house prices in the Netherlands." Landscape and Urban Planning 48, no. 3 (2000): 161-167.
