Rejuvenating Neighborhoods and Communities Through Parks—A Guide To Success www.NRPA.org National Recreation and Park Association © 2011 All Rights Reserved 26 Park User Survey (total of 74 surveyed) • 74% of those surveyed had visited the park before. • 56% were female. • Half were between 45 and 59 years old. • 83% were District of Columbia residents. • 88% were black or African-American. • 58% had the same ZIP code as the park. • 75% rated the park as either good or excellent. • 82% spent 30 minutes or more at the park. • 69% spent 15 minutes or less to get to the park. • 75% walked, jogged, or rode a bike to the park. Observation: Physical activity recommendations hold that for cardiovascular benefits, activity can be done in 10-minutes increments. The fact that most respondents used active transport to get to the park demonstrates that having safe, attractive neighborhood parks within a half mile of the user can increase activity. • When asked what improvements should be made, more than 50% wanted improved seating; 46% wanted something to be done about loitering; and 55% wanted improvements to the stream. • 80% of those surveyed said the best way to notify them about happenings in the park is through newspapers and flyers in and around the park Observation: Clearly those who use Marvin Gaye Park rely on the written word and word-of-mouth. This was echoed in the go-along interviews, where most respondents said they found out about recreational opportunities by flyers, newspapers, and word-ofmouth. In an increasing number of places, more attention is paid to electronic and social media. • When asked, “On a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being always, how often do you feel safe while visiting the park?” more than 70% responded they felt safe most of the time or always. • 82% noticed the changes occurring in the park. • When asked, “Was there ever a time you didn’t feel safe coming to MGP?” more than 70% did not feel safe one year to 10 years ago. Observation: This speaks to a combination of capital improvements and an effective program. Within the past year, lights had been installed throughout the park, the playground was in place, and there were concerts and weekly programs. Childrens Playground Survey (total of 37 youth surveyed) • 91.4% were black or African-American. • 89.2% were district residents. • 89% had visited the playground before. • 69% rated the playground good or excellent. • 56% were girls. • 83% of respondents were between 5 and 11 years old. • Only 3% visited the playground alone. Most visited with other children or family members. • The favorite part of the playground was the swings. • 37% felt safe sometimes; 25.7% felt safe most of the time; and 34% felt safe always. • The most cited reasons for not feeling safe were violence and people hanging around. Observation: Links to ParkUser survey responses indicated that improvements could be made by discouraging loitering. • 52% of youth felt the playground was not clean. Observation: This can become a teachable moment, connected with environmental stewardship. • More than 50% of youths surveyed spent 30 minutes or more at the playground. • More than 80% of youths walked, jogged, or rode a bike to the playground. • 83% took less than 10 minutes to get to the playground. Observation: Looking at these last three points, it appears that if there is a neighborhood playground, walking to and from it totals almost an hour of activity for the user on each visit. Parent Playground Survey (total of 27 adults surveyed) • 44% were female. • More than 90% were district residents. • 85.2% were black or African-American. • The majority of parents (70%) spent one hour or less at the playground with their children. • 92% walked, jogged, or rode a bike to playground. Observation: Once again, this result speaks to how using active transport can make individuals more active. • 90% took less than 10 minutes to get to the playground, • More than half (53%) felt safe either most of the time or always when visiting the playground. • Two-thirds rated the playground as good or excellent. Results of Surveys Conducted at Marvin Gaye Park Autumn Saxton-Ross, Ph.D., of Washington Parks & People conducted three surveys of park participants: park users, playground users, and parents, with the following findings.
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