How Does Awareness Affect the Use of Parks and Recreation Facilities and What Factors Affect Awareness?

Robby Layton North Carolina State University

Research and policy have long focused on proximity as key to community equity and use of parks and recreation (P&R) amenities. For example, there is a nationwide movement to ensure a park within a 10-minute walk of every person in America. Recent research indicates that awareness of the facilities and programs available within an individual’s community may be more important than proximity. A goal of the study was to explore how awareness may be assessed and enhanced to increase use of parks and facilities. The research explored objective proximity, perceptions of proximity, awareness of availability, and other variables.

Key potential variables were identified in the literature. Aggregated data from over 98,000 community survey responses from 119 public agencies in the U.S. administered since 2000 were obtained from practice. A geo-spatial study of data from two park and recreation agencies applied regression models to examine correlations between awareness as a stated factor in non-use and the quality and quantity of amenities present in the proximity of an individual’s home.

Results indicated that after lack of personal time, not being aware of offerings was the second most common reason for non-participation, ahead of lack of desired facilities and costs. Significant differences were found in participation barriers related to age, race, and income. Little association was found between objectively measurable aspects of a park system around homes and park use. Among a variety of park measurements (such as distance to closest park, number of parks and amount of parkland nearby) the quality of the park and its features was the variable most significantly associated with non-use.

In conclusion, increasing awareness may prove to be more than adding to or modifying the physical environment. Agencies need to address quality and promote awareness to increase use of parks, matching strategies to the intended users.