Community Building Resources

    

This resource toolkit has been crafted to equip you and your organization with information meant to support the implementation of the Community Building pillar of the Strategic Plan. Your best resource is eConnect, where you can ask questions and connect with other Park and Recreation professionals who may have the answers to your questions.

Media (Videos, Graphics, Podcasts) 

Videos

Healthy Community Design Video [Center for Disease Control]

Podcasts

Road Signs PedCast [ChangeLab Solutions]
ITE-CIHT Joint Podcast on Health and Transportation [Transportation Radio]

Graphics

Books

Planning for Recreation and Parks Facilities: Predesign Process, Principles, and Strategies [Jack Harper, 2009]
Anatomy of a Park: Essentials of Recreation Area Planning and Design [Donald Molnar, 4th Ed. 2015]
Design for Outdoor Recreation [Simon Bell, 2008]
Outdoor Recreation and the Urban Environment [Stephen Williams, 1995]

Articles, Studies and Reports

Urban Design & Built Environment

Measuring Community Capacity Building [Aspen Institute]
Active Transportation and Parks & Recreation 
 [NRPA]
Benefits of Urban Parks  [International Federation of Parks and Recreation Administration]
Air Quality Effects of Urban Trees and Parks [NRPA]
What Makes a Community Livable? [The American Institute of Architects]
Urban Parks as Partners in Youth Development [The Urban Institute and The Wallace Foundation]
The Role of Parks in Shaping Successful Cities [American Planning Association]
City Parks, Clean Water Report [The Trust for Public Land]
ParkScore [Trust for Public Land]
Living in Cities, Naturally [Benefits Hub]
How Neighborhoods Affect the Health of Older Americans [Population Reference Bureau]

Healthy Lifestyles

Healthy Community Design Video [Center for Disease Control]
Parks Build Healthy Communities [NRPA] 
Designed to Move: Active Cities [Active Living Research via Benefits Hub; Alberta Recreation and Park Association]
From Fitness Zones to the Medical Mile: How Urban Park Systems Can Best Promote Health and Wellness [Trust for Public Land]
The Case for Healthy Places [Project for Public Spaces]
Food Access Research Atlas [USDA]