Understanding motivations of potential partners to develop a public outdoor recreation center in an urban area

Gateway to Outdoors: Partnership and Programming of Outdoor Education Centers in Urban Areas

“…These outdoor education centers also are the reflection of the state government's support, practice, and policies in promoting outdoors and overall state culture and atmosphere. Outdoor recreation and education heavily rely on effective partnerships to serve the urban population [5,36]. Partnerships allow organizations to accomplish their initiatives more quickly by dispersing responsibilities and resources among the participating parties [5].…”

“…Along with sharing resources, parks and recreation agencies benefit by showcasing their facilities and outdoor amenities to the community and participating agencies [39]. With increased exposure to outdoor recreation through community partnerships with parks and recreation agencies, community outdoor equipment retailers and outfitters are likely to see increased sales, and recreation nonprofits have higher membership and participation rates [5].…”

“…In recent years, multiple states have created offices of Outdoor Recreation intending to form and sustain partnerships in the outdoor recreation sector [41]. The results indicated that personnel aims Outdoor recreation and education heavily rely on effective partnerships to serve the urban population [5,36]. Partnerships allow organizations to accomplish their initiatives more quickly by dispersing responsibilities and resources among the participating parties [5].…”

“…Both consumptive (e.g., fishing and hunting) and non-consumptive (e.g., hiking and kayaking) outdoor activities contribute to such conservation and restoration efforts through recreation-related spending, including equipment and license purchases. However, the declining outdoor recreation participation in the United States has been a concern for many agencies involved in managing public recreation areas [5]. The lack of diversity is also a concern in promoting outdoor recreation.…”

“…Considering a broader use of green infrastructure or ecosystem service in urban areas, outdoor education centers also could promote ecosystem health and human well-being in the community [10] and further the understanding between urban green space and public health within the context of environmental justice [11]. However, due to the limited resources, many outdoor education centers and sustainable programs must rely on partnerships to leverage resources, such as facilities and equipment, staff, skills, and expertise, to accomplish shared goals [5].…”