Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
Episodes
Today’s episode is a special edition of Open Space Radio — we’re diving behind the scenes of the upcoming 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, which is happening September 24-26. We’re releasing this episode a little earlier than we typically do, in hopes that those of you who are attending can tune in as you fly, drive or hike your way to Baltimore. F...
There’s a chance you’ve been scrolling through your social media outlet of choice, doing some online shopping or reading your favorite email newsletter, when you see an advertisement for something that seems like it’s speaking directly to you. You’re wondering how the all-knowing internet knows you need this thing — but it does. And you do. That’s digital marketing. Digital marketing is any marketing that is done o...
In this episode we are taking on some listener requests for more podcasts on park and recreation programming (P.S. we’d love to hear your requests for episodes, so email Roxanne or Cort with your ideas!). Today, we’re looking at intergenerational programming – what it is, how it’s working in the field and how...
Three million dollars. That’s how much Kyle Giersdorf just won at the Fortnite World Cup — a video game competition held at the Arthur Ashe tennis stadium in New York. That’s right. He won $3 million playing video games in a place typically reserved for the US Open. eSports, or video game competitions...
I think it’s fair to say that many times when people enter a career field, they do so with intentions of advancing in that career and continuing to progress, learn and grow. Of course, there are those moments of complacency that can creep up, and often we’re so busy with the work at hand that we don’t even think about the next steps in our career. Sometimes it’s just that taking that step toward your own professional development...
It’s no secret that working in parks and recreation comes with its share of unpredictable, funny moments. You must really be ready for anything — and many times these moments provide those deeply-satisfying laughs you can feel throughout your entire body (whether it’s instantly or one of those “this will be funny when we look back on it” moments). We’ve been asking you to share your funniest moments while on the job with ...
Happy Park and Recreation Month! Throughout July, we celebrate all of the great things that are happening in local parks and recreation centers nationwide. This year’s theme for Park and Recreation Month is Game On, and we’re excited to have some fun all month long! On today's episode we’re joined by SaulPaul, a musician with a message. SaulPaul was a keynote spea...
We’re talking about a gross topic on today’s episode of Open Space Radio, but fortunately I’m joined by a few people who are on a mission to clean things up. Today we’re talking about cigarette butt litter, and how both Keep Tennessee Beautiful and Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful are doing their part in their state to reduce the amount of cigarette butt litter, which contains really toxic chemicals that can be detrimental to ...
On today’s episode of Open Space Radio, we’re talking inclusion. And, in celebration of June being Pride Month, we’re talking specifically about LGBTQ+ inclusion in parks and recreation. In our research about LGBTQ+ issues and parks and recreation, we came across a blog by Jason Shriner, the marketing manager for the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation right here in Virginia. Jason’s blog talk...
We have a lot of celebrations coming up this summer. Family Health and Fitness Day is this Saturday, June 8, Olympic Day is June 23, and the entire month of July is Park and Recreation Month! With all of these celebrations in mind, we wanted to highlight the ways in which parks and recreation are part of creating a culture of fitness, as well as making sure that everyone has access to fitness opportunities, regardless o...
This month, NRPA has been tackling all things related to marketing and communications. Our May issue of Parks & Recreation magazine was filled with articles and tips about Read more
Today’s episode is slightly bittersweet. The exciting part is that we’re chatting with Barbara Tulipane, NRPA’s president and CEO, about the incredible 11 years she has spent helping transform NRPA into what it is today. But we can’t help being saddened that we’re having this discussion because of her upcoming retirement in June. On this episode, we talk with Barbara about what she’s learned during her tenure as our fearl...
I know you know this feeling. You’re sitting at your desk, or out in the field, and you’re really in the zone. You’re on a deadline for something — and it’s coming up — but the juices are flowing and your productivity is on high. Then it happens. That dreaded reminder pops up and tells you that in 15 minutes you’ have to halt your momentum and go to another meeting. But, instead of looking at meetings as a n...
On today's episode, we're talking about playground design and how design that keeps a community’s spirit in mind benefits the community as a whole. Our guest on the show is Todd Lehman, owner and "design guy" at Cre8Play. You may recognize Cre8Play from the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference, where they won Best in Show for their playground exhibit. Todd seemed to have a passion for play in his blood (his ...
Five years ago, NRPA launched Commit to Health – a program that would grow to positively impact 500,000 youth annually through healthier eating and increased physical activity. In today’s episode, we take a moment to celebrate this monumental achievement and look back at where we started and where we’re headed. Commit to Health is NRPA’s program to implement healthy eating and physical activity (HEPA) standards in ...
On today’s show, we’re talking about one of NRPA’s Top Trends in Parks and Recreation for 2019: The prediction that park and recreation recycling programs may soon end. We’re joined by Brendan Daley, the Director of Strategy and Sustainability for the Chicago Park District, which is leading the way in recycling and other sustainability practices, and Rich Dolesh, NRPA’s Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, who made t...
On today’s episode, we’re talking about the need for parks and recreation to adapt to younger generations and a changing society. We’re joined by Mark Foote, the aquatics superintendent for the City of Chandler Parks and Recreation in Arizona — who you may recognize from one of our past episodes, “What Are Your Park and Rec Pet Peeves?” Mark discusses why he thinks it’s especially important in parks and recreation to be a...
When Derwin Hannah moved from South Carolina to Baltimore, Maryland, 22 years ago, he couldn’t help but notice that things weren’t the way they should be. He noticed that the kids were playing in the street and that the local park, ABC Park, was being overrun with criminal activity and not being cared for. Derwin, who grew up in a large family of 10, wanted the kids in this Baltimore community to have the chance of experiencing ...
In this episode we are talking about the case — or really the many, MANY cases — for open space. While it would take several libraries to thoroughly go through all the reasons why open space is important, we went to the expert on land use policy and economic development issues. Ed McMahon is the senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Ed is a sought after thought leader and author on economic development...
On today’s episode, we’re talking about park conversions. In recent history, we’ve seen some pretty remarkable conversions of abandoned or unused commercial and industrial space — such as the internationally acclaimed High Line in New York City and The 606, a rails to trails conversion in Chicago — into vibrant public spaces. But the reverse is happening, too. Even though parks and open space are vital to every community,...
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