2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review | 27 ADDITIONAL NRPA RESOURCES The 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review and NRPA Park Metrics are just two tools offered by NRPA that champion the work of park and recreation professionals across the United States. The NRPA Research team focuses its efforts on two major areas: • Collecting and analyzing data to help park and recreation professionals make optimal decisions on operations, programming and spending • Developing data to help park and recreation professionals make the case for greater and more sustainable funding Included in the vast suite of NRPA Research resources are: • Engagement With Parks Report: This annual NRPA research survey probes the public’s use of parks, the key reasons that drive their use and the greatest challenges preventing greater usage. Each year, the study examines the importance of public parks in our lives, including how parks compare to other services and offerings of local governments. Recent findings show that 275 million people accessed their local parks or recreation facilities during the past year; nine in 10 U.S. adults agree that parks and recreation is an important local government service; and 84 percent of people consider high-quality park and recreation amenities as a principal factor when choosing a place to live. • NRPA Park Pulse Polls: Each month, the NRPA Research team polls 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older representing a cross-section of the population to explore their views on topics related to the park and recreation field. Questions span from the serious to the more lighthearted — but all demonstrate the power of parks and recreation. Athletes compete in the Bluegrass 10,000 race on the Fourth of July, which has taken place for more than 30 years in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY WALLOT
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