Revitalization and local parks.

The condition and quality of a community's parks speak volumes to current residents and potential future residents. Community leaders usually see the environmental, aesthetic, and recreational benefits of parks, but they don't always consider their potential economic benefits. These include enhanced property values, increased tax revenue, and a means of attracting knowledge workers and talent, younger residents and families, affluent retirees, and homebuyers.

Parks and recreation programs are not often developed as products crafted to intentionally maximize these benefits. As a result, Cobalt Community Research's 2013 National Parks and Recreation Indices show marginal performance ratings for most age groups, based on a scale of 0-100 (with 100 as a perfect score).

One key strategy for improving parks is engaging the resident demographics the jurisdiction most wants to retain and attract, and then prioritizing enhancement efforts in those areas. Surveys, focus groups, and very deliberate questions to target demographic groups will help the government identify and resolve "product" gaps and...

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