Features

Big Winners in Las Vegas

A recap of award winners recognized during the 2015 NRPA Annual Conference.

Read more

Exhibit Hall Creativity on Display

One of the largest indoor playgrounds was created in the Mandalay Bay South Convention Exhibit Hall. 

Read more

Education Sessions: Where Theory Meets Practice

Variety in content and presentation styles continues to be the hallmark of the educational experience at NRPA’s Annual Conference. 

Read more

Preparing for Action

Keynote speaker, Gil Penalosa, and Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, inspired and invigorated some 7,500 members during the Opening General Session at the 2015 Annual Conference in Las Vegas. 

Read more

2015 NRPA Annual Conference: Inspirational and Invigorating

The 2015 NRPA Annual Conference in Las Vegas was special for many reasons and reinforced the feeling that the hard work of park and recreation professionals deeply matters to the communities we serve. 

Read more

Social Equity in Parks for the Transgender Community

What can we do to make the transgender community feel welcomed in our parks and recreation facilities?

Read more

Welcome to Chicagoland

Chicago Park District, in fruitful collaboration with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and community support groups, endeavors to cultivate a world-class park system in the American Midwest. 

Read more

Additional Articles

NRPA Connect Hot Topics

Find out what hot topics have been trending on NRPA Connect!

Read more

Notable News

 Stay up to date on what’s happening in parks and recreation with the latest news from around the field. 

Read more

Embracing a Multicultural Community of Recently Immigrated Older Adults

Seattle Parks and Recreation  is embracing newly immigrated adults and their families through its Food and Fitness program. 

Read more

Parks and Recreation Help Step It Up!

Three of the Surgeon General’s Step It Up! walking initiative goals are particularly pertinent to the field of parks and recreation. What are the goals and how can we capitalize on this initiative?

Read more

Women Busted for Bare Breasts in Public, Not Men

 Can women who choose to go topless claim protection under the First Amendment? Read on to find out. 

Read more

Letters

Let us know what you think about what you read each month in Parks & Recreation magazine! 

Read more

How Young Professionals Engage Underserved Communities

P&R magazine hears from three of NRPA’s talented young professionals who share how they engage with underserved communities.

Read more

Walk It Out! Urban Walking Trails for Seniors in Harlem

Learn how NYC Parks and Harlem Hospital Center are helping African-American seniors in Harlem enjoy a physically and socially healthier lifestyle. 

Read more

Professional Development Calendar

NRPA is dedicated to providing learning opportunities to advance the development of best practices and resources that make parks and recreation indispensable elements of American communities. 

Read more

Member Spotlight: Bernard Buchanan

Bernard Buchannan, recreation leader at Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Miller Community Center, talks about his life and career.

Read more

What Is Your Agency’s ADA IQ?

Test your Americans with Disabilities Act IQ with a brief quiz.

Read more

Show Us the Money

NRPA, working with the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, recently completed an assessment of the economic impact of local and regional park agency spending. Here’s a sample of what we’ve learned so far. 

Read more

Summer Feeding Programs and the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill

Eighty park and recreation agencies helped to alleviate childhood hunger during this past summer. Read about how agencies, large and small, are having an impact. 

Read more

Helpful Hints for Creating Great Park Signage

When creating signage, there are some basic tips to make navigating your park easier for visitor of all ages and abilities. 

Read more

A Garden Oasis on Chicago’s South Side

A flourishing community garden on Chicago’s South Side takes “locally grown” concept to an urban environment. 

Read more

Is the Pope for Parks?

He’s informal, witty and personable, but does Pope Francis really like parks? 

Read more

Seeing the Big Picture

Outgoing NRPA chair, Detrick Stanford, looks beyond the fiscal impact of parks and recreation to the passion that drives what we do every day. 

Read more

Ten Million Kids Outdoors and Counting

NRPA, NWF and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are working on a program to continue growing the number of kids involved in nature-based activities.

Read more

Parks and the Economy

This month’s numbers offer a glimpse at the economic significance of spending by local and regional public park systems in the United States.

Read more

Archive Throwback: January 2002

A look back at the January 2002 issue reveals that offering a quality of life Chicagoans desire has and continues to be the focus of efforts by the city’s mayor and its parks district.

Read more

Safe Routes to School National Partnership: Working to Make Underserved Communities Safer for Walking and Biking

Fatality rates are twice as high for people walking in low-income versus upper-income metro areas. Safe Routes to School National Partnership sheds light on why and how we can make walking and biking safer in these areas.

Read more