A Framework for Sustainable Tourism Development in and around National Parks

The proliferation of tourism to U.S. national parks yields increasing demands for service and conservation programs that are well-matched with the broadening view of sustainability management in and around PPAs. As such, there is a critical need for research regarding holistic perspectives on planning and monitoring sustainable development. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is a non-profit, independent organization that develops and manages global baseline standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Criteria. The GSTC Destination Criteria have not been widely applied to PPAs, yet these criteria may offer a useful guiding framework for sustainable tourism development in PPAs. Therefore, this study explores the utility of the GSTC Destination Criteria as a tool for assisting managers at Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) in developing a destination-level sustainability plan. In August 2018, we conducted a sustainability evaluation using the GSTC Destination Criteria. Specific areas of success and improvement were identified, and park managers are using this information to improve the park’s strategic plan. The results of this evaluation are reviewed and critiqued within our broader assessment of the utility of the GSTC Destination Criteria in national park planning.

Reclamation and development of post-industrial sites for recreation as exemplified by projects carried out in Poland in the 1920s and 1950s

The aim of this article is to present spectacular examples of reclamation and development of post-industrial sites, carried out in Poland in the 1920s and 1950s, with emphasis on their recreational function. Examples include a park built between 1889 and 1920 by Wojciech Bednarski in the valley of the former quarry in Podgórze, now the right-bank district of Krakow, and “General Jerzy Ziętek Provincial Park of Culture and Recreation”, now called “the Silesia Park”, created in the 1950s on degraded post-industrial land located within the borders of three cities: Chorzów, Katowice and Siemianowice Śląskie. Both parks are examples of reclaiming brownfield sites for recreational use in order to create attractive leisure spaces. They have become a model and point of reference for other park planning projects in Poland. Their spatial and functional design is exceptionally timeless. The study is mainly based on a review of the literature of the subject.

Placemaking and pastoral park planning in Japan: the Showa case

Purpose The purpose of this study is to critically assess how a National Government Park in Tokyo aims to commemorate the first 50 years of the Showa era (1926–1976), a time of drastic upheaval and societal change, with a naturalistic landscape. Design/methodology/approach The author investigated the park by conducting a literature review, making observations in the park on multiple occasions, conducting a survey of and interviews with park users and compiling photographs. Findings The author found that the park nostalgically highlights the early 1950s as the essence of Showa Japan. These few years represent a lull between the two Showa-era upheavals of war and rapid development and urbanization, and symbolize a last flowering of Japan’s 2,000-year-old agrarian way of life. The nostalgic presentation of Japan’s rural essence presents, the author argues, a different nationalist narrative than the military-glorifying variant that has gained traction since the end of the Cold War. Social implications According to critical theorists, society and space are dialectically related and mutually constitutive. The nationalist vision of a landscape, then – including the park’s landscape – has potential to inform and help shape social beliefs and values. Originality/value While Japanese nationalism is a major topic among Western academics, the literature on nationalist landscapes in Japan – with the exception of “obviously” symbolic sites, such as Yasukuni Shrine – is extremely limited. This paper helps fill the gap.

Planning parks for a multicultural population

As Toronto's population continues to grow increasingly diverse, park planners will be faced with the challenge of implementing changes to the existing parks and recreational facilities in order to accommodate the leisure needs of these new emerging demographics. This is due to the fact that the existing infrastructure does not meet the needs of these emerging groups. However, further research is needed to understand how emerging multicultural communities use park space and how they manipulate the use of existing infrastructure to accommodate their favoured activities. The research in this study is collected through conducting three focus groups, key informant interviews, and secondary research in regards to prevalent literature and municipal plans, policies, and staff reports regarding park planning. This study will have the capacity to assist planners in developing an understanding of how the changing urban population is using park spaces, as well as their recreational preferences and requirements, in order to adequately provide facilities that accommodate space for their specific needs.

Park planning in ethnic minority neighbourhoods : Toronto's priority areas

This paper examines the park planning and design process in ethnic minority neighbourhoods, such as Toronto's 13 Priority Areas. Through the selection of two case study Priority Areas (Jane-Finch and Malvern), an extensive literature review, interviews and youth focus groups, issues in park planning in the Toronto context are identified. Qualitative data collection highlights concerns regarding standardized parks that do not meet the needs of their diverse clientele, inadequate facilities and lack of public participation in park planning. Recommendations for park planning for ethnic minority neighbourhoods include approaching park planning as a process rather than a service, conducting park user surveys, improving access to information, and community mobilization, among others.

Park planning in ethnic minority neighbourhoods : Toronto's priority areas

This paper examines the park planning and design process in ethnic minority neighbourhoods, such as Toronto's 13 Priority Areas. Through the selection of two case study Priority Areas (Jane-Finch and Malvern), an extensive literature review, interviews and youth focus groups, issues in park planning in the Toronto context are identified. Qualitative data collection highlights concerns regarding standardized parks that do not meet the needs of their diverse clientele, inadequate facilities and lack of public participation in park planning. Recommendations for park planning for ethnic minority neighbourhoods include approaching park planning as a process rather than a service, conducting park user surveys, improving access to information, and community mobilization, among others.

Planning parks for a multicultural population

As Toronto's population continues to grow increasingly diverse, park planners will be faced with the challenge of implementing changes to the existing parks and recreational facilities in order to accommodate the leisure needs of these new emerging demographics. This is due to the fact that the existing infrastructure does not meet the needs of these emerging groups. However, further research is needed to understand how emerging multicultural communities use park space and how they manipulate the use of existing infrastructure to accommodate their favoured activities. The research in this study is collected through conducting three focus groups, key informant interviews, and secondary research in regards to prevalent literature and municipal plans, policies, and staff reports regarding park planning. This study will have the capacity to assist planners in developing an understanding of how the changing urban population is using park spaces, as well as their recreational preferences and requirements, in order to adequately provide facilities that accommodate space for their specific needs.