Community Recreation, Fitness and Parks
STRATEGY 1
Communities should develop new, and enhance existing, community recreation, fitness, and park programs that provide and promote healthy physical activity opportunities for diverse users across the lifespan. (RFP-1)
TACTICS:
Conduct periodic evaluation of existing community physical activity programs to ensure that all community members have the opportunity to engage in evidence-based/informed physical activity promoting programs, and develop new programs as gaps in coverage are identified. (RFP-1.1)
Provide and prioritize evidence-based and evidence-informed physical activity program interventions in the community recreation, fitness, and park contexts that are targeted toward preventing and managing common chronic disease conditions. (RFP-1.2)
Objectives:
- By 2025, community park departments and recreation organizations will identify and implement evidence-based and evidence-informed physical activity programs that reach the awareness of 50% of adults and seniors through public and private sectors.
- By 2025, a majority of parks and greenspaces should have at least one free physical activity program per week.
Work with the public health and medical communities to promote evidence-based or evidence-informed exercise is medicine or park prescription programs, which encourage youth and families to be physically activity indoors and outdoors. (RFP-1.3)
Objectives:
- By 2025, community recreation, fitness and parks organizations will provide practicing primary care providers with information for patients about available community-based physical activity programs and parks with physical activity facilities from the public and/or private sectors.
- By 2025, community recreation, fitness and parks organizations will partner with primary care providers to promote routine physical activity.
Develop partnerships with school districts and local businesses to offer physical activity programs before and after school/work, with special attention given to diverse and underserved populations. (RFP-1.4)
Objectives:
- By 2025, Community Recreation, Fitness and Parks organizations will partner with school districts and private sector entities to develop shared use programs to make recreational facilities available to the community outside of school hours and school use.
- By 2025, partnerships between the Community Recreation, Fitness and Parks Sector and the Sports and Education Sectors will increase the percentage of youth participating in physical activity out-of-school.
- By 2025, partnerships between the Community Recreation, Fitness and Parks Sector and the Sports and Education Sectors will support adults and seniors engaging in organized sports and other physical activity programs, especially in underserved communities.
STRATEGY 2
Communities should improve availability of and access to, safe, clean, and affordable community recreation, fitness, and park facilities to support physical activity for all residents. (RFP-2)
TACTICS:
Rehabilitate and upgrade existing public and non-profit community recreation, fitness, and parks facilities to encourage widespread use across the communities they serve, particularly in disadvantaged communities. (RFP-2.1)
Objective:
- By 2025, community park departments and recreation organizations will identify and implement evidence-based and evidence-informed physical activity programs that reach the awareness of 50% of adults and seniors through public and private sectors.
Design and build new public and non-profit facilities, such as recreation and fitness centers, parks, trails, playgrounds, waterways to expand access to physical activity in communities, especially those with limited recreational opportunities. (RFP-2.2)
Objectives:
- By 2025, the percentage of urban residents that have a park or publicly accessible space to be physically active within a ½ mile radius of their home will increase by 10%.
- By 2025, the percentage of residents that have a recreation or fitness facility to be physically active within a ½ mile radius of their home will increase by 10%.
Partner with government, community organizations, and businesses to fund and support practices and policies to maintain the infrastructure of community recreation, fitness, and parks facilities and spaces. (RFP-2.3)
Objective:
- By 2025, the percentage of communities that have a documented policy or community coalition to maintain or build infrastructure of community recreation, fitness, and parks facilities and spaces will increase by 10%.
Become engaged in community planning efforts to ensure the presence of sidewalks and other physical connections that allow people to walk to community recreation, fitness, and park facilities. (RFP-2.4)
Objective:
- By 2020, the percentage of communities that have a documented plan or community coalition to maintain or build pedestrian or active transportation infrastructure will increase by 10%.
Increase access to existing community facilities and properties, such as schools, hospitals, businesses, and community organizations, through shared use or open use policies and agreements, increased operating hours, and affordable user fees and scholarships. (RFP-2.5)
Objectives:
- By 2025, the percentage of communities that have a documented policy or use agreement plan for community facilities and properties will increase by 10%.
Adopt strategies that improve safety and security of community recreation, fitness, and park facilities (especially in low-resource, geographically isolated and/or high-crime communities), including lighting, design features, and community policing. (RFP-2.6)
Objectives:
- By 2025, a majority of recreation, fitness, and parks facilities will be upgraded to modern safety and security standards to increase real and perceived safety.
STRATEGY 3
Community recreation and park organizations, the fitness industry and private business should recruit, train, and retain a diverse group of leaders, staff, and volunteers to promote, organize, lead, and advocate for initiatives that encourage physical activity in their communities. (RFP-3)
TACTICS:
Encourage interdisciplinary curricula in physical activity, fitness, recreation and parks, public health, and urban planning in institutions of higher education to increase physical literacy among future professionals. (RFP-3.1)
Objectives:
- By 2020, an inter-organizational, interdisciplinary taskforce will be established to promote physical activity literacy among future professionals.
- By 2020, community parks departments and recreation organizations will create internships in the public and private sectors of these same organizations to foster service learning opportunities and establish career connections and opportunities.
Create evidence-based, evidence-informed, and best practice resources to educate and credential recreation, fitness, and park leaders and staff who deliver physical activity programming in community settings. (RFP-3.2)
Advocate for strong governor advisory panels on physical activity to ensure development of state-level physical activity policies and partnerships between government, community-based organizations, and the private sector. (RFP-3.3)
Objective:
- By 2020, a majority of states should be in the process of creating an advisory panel with community, recreation, university, fitness and parks professionals and representing diverse populations to ensure development of state-level physical activity policies, partnerships, and programs involving government, university, community-based organizations, and the private sector.
STRATEGY 4
Community recreation and park organizations, the fitness industry and private business should advocate for increased and sustainable funding and resources to create new, or enhance existing, physical activity facilities and services in areas of high need. (RFP-4)
TACTICS:
Develop partnerships to increase and protect dedicated funding for community recreation, fitness, and park facilities and services, especially in areas of high need. (RFP-4.1)
Objectives:
- By 2020, community parks departments and recreation organizations will develop and expand partnerships that would enhance funding for facilities and programming.
- By 2020, community recreation, fitness and parks organizations will protect and further increase national, state, and local partnerships whose charge is to advocate for and protect dedicated funding sources for community recreation, fitness, and park facilities capital improvements and services by 20%.
- By 2020, public and private community recreation, fitness and parks organizations will work towards increasing capital and operational funding for community recreation, fitness, and park services – restoring them to pre-Great Recession levels or greater.
Identify and pursue creative and alternative sources of funding for community sites and places for physical activity from local business, community foundations, and partnerships. (RFP-4.2)
Objective:
- By 2020, public and private Community Recreation, Fitness and Park organizations will increase the range of community recreation, fitness, and park funding sources derived from local business, foundations, and public-private partnerships.
Advocate for tax incentives to promote the development and use of community-based facilities and spaces for physical activity programs. (RFP-4.3)
Objectives:
- By 2020, the Community Recreation, Fitness and Parks Sector will partner with the Healthcare, Business and Industry, and Education sectors to develop policies that would provide incentives for individuals to engage in more physical activity.
- By 2020, the Community Recreation, Fitness and Parks Sector will partner with the Healthcare Sector to increase the number of private provider incentives through insurance programs.
Promote federal and state mechanisms (e.g., grant matching programs, easements) to leverage local dollars and other resources to build capacity for physical activity in communities with low capacity, but high need. (RFP-4.4)
Objective:
- By 2020, state and national organizations will work towards increasing the number of matching federal and state capital funding mechanisms (e.g., grant matching programs, Land & Water Conservation Fund) available to low income, diverse communities by 20%.
Promote policies and strategies that specifically support funding for community trails, multi-use recreation and fitness facilities, playgrounds, and public access to waterways. (RFP-4.5)
Advocate for the establishment of Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation in each state to develop policies and partnerships between federal, state, and local land management agencies and encourage partnerships that promote physical activity. (RFP-4.6)
STRATEGY 5
Community recreation and park organizations and the for- and not-for-profit fitness industry should improve monitoring and evaluation of participation in community-based physical activity programs to gauge their effectiveness in promoting increased levels of physical activity for all. (RFP-5)
TACTICS:
Measure and evaluate the impact and efficacy of community-wide campaigns, programs, and policies on physical activity levels of diverse segments within local populations. (RFP-5.1)
Objective:
- By 2025, a majority of fitness, recreation and parks agency or organizations should biannually assess by age group and gender the number and percentage of community members served by existing programs, including those offered by the private sector. After each assessment, goals and plan should be developed to increase or maintain participation at a level of 50% of local population. All assessments should be published online.
Evaluate community recreation, fitness, and park facility/environment construction, redesign, and upgrades in terms of their impact upon public use and physical activity by diverse individuals in those settings. (RFP-5.2)
Expand efforts to monitor contributions of recreation, fitness, and park facilities and services to physical activity and related health outcomes through existing (e.g., Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) and potentially new surveillance systems at a community level. (RFP-5.3)
Objective:
- By 2020, a majority of local departments of recreation and parks will conduct routine surveillance of the use of physical activity facilities using systematic direct observation. These efforts should have a dedicated funding stream in local budgets.
Examine associations between sector-level capacity measures (e.g., number and type of facilities and services) and physical activity and health outcomes among diverse groups within local populations. (RFP-5.4)
Evaluate the impact of private businesses of the community recreation, fitness and parks sector to better understand the impact of tax incentives/membership subsidies upon physical activity levels as well as the cost-effectiveness/efficiency of these policies. (RFP-5.5)
Objective:
- By 2020, community parks and recreation organizations will partner with federal, state and local governments should sponsor research that rigorously evaluates promising physical activity promotion programs, dedicating 5% percent of all research dollars towards physical activity research, commensurate with the importance of physical activity to health.