Local community residents benefit from green spaces as they create mental, physical, social, and environmental health impacts for communities and stakeholders. Planning and managing green spaces and local parks require evidence-based education and assistance.

 

Texas AgriLife Extension’s Urban and Municipal Park program provides technical assistance and continuing education for community leaders, community boards, park practitioners, volunteers, and friends groups. Extension faculty use relevant, unbiased research methodologies to assist communities with park practices such as: the master planning process for parks and trails, community engagement processes, user surveys, maintenance planning, activating environments, CPTED (Crime Prevention through Design), Playability, and park and open space policies.

 

Faculty also provide materials and programs on relevant issues such as: sprawl and open space concerns, GIS and mapping, understanding and improving park use, park accessibility and trail linkages, green practices in parks, and managing parkland via co-production and a partnership approach and funding and policies to support local parks.