Our series on innovative trends in playgrounds, public sports facilities, and recreational spaces started with two articles looking at innovative trends in playgrounds. Central to this theme is delivering opportunities for play and joy to #AllAgesAllAbilities.
In those articles, we highlighted some exciting trends in public recreation, particularly playgrounds:
Trends move rapidly these days, but these trends are anchored in the longer-lasting movement to create recreational facilities in more locations across a community. These innovations serve broader interests, abilities, and populations, and increase physical activity and engagement.
We’re excited to share more innovations in public recreation that increase access to recreation and physical activity:
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More nontraditional sports facilities
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Linking mobility with recreation
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Blending arts and recreation
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Converting unused spaces and creating pop-up parks
Whether you're a city planner, government official, parks official, sports minister, or engaged citizen, we invite you to see how these innovations might influence how you plan and execute new recreational facilities and programming in your community. We think you just might find something inspirational!
Rock climbing in an urban park. Photo credit: Drew Withington
Blazing New Trails in Nontraditional Sports
Participation in youth sports was declining in the decade prior to the pandemic. Most kids who play team sports often quit by age 11, and since the pandemic, 30% of those who played say they aren’t interested in playing again. This parallels documented trends in decreased physical activity by youth.
Recreation ministers and programmers are responding by providing new types of recreational activities and facilities to meet new interests beyond the organized sports field. Nontraditional sports such as ultimate frisbee, rock climbing, trampolining, circus classes, and BMX are on the rise.
Take Bristol, CT (USA), for example. Bristol has a robust youth sports program, with youth baseball, football, soccer, tennis, cheer, and more. Yet, for the growing numbers of youth less interested in team sports, there was a clear gap, and community members decided to fill that gap with a pumptrack.
Resident Brian Archibald commented to NRPA “My sons started riding mountain bikes because the traditional ball sports weren’t really working for them, especially [for] my older son. Suddenly, he had a thing that was his. It became his place.”
As the kids' passion for riding grew, they rode more and more in the city’s streets, prompting Archibald and his new nonprofit, Bike Bristol, to approach the Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services (PRYCS). Their idea: build a bike park in the center of the city. PRYCS superintendent, Dr. Josh Medeiros, was intrigued by the idea of getting youth into a new type of sport, especially one with easy access.
Together, PRYCS, Archibald, and others led the community to build a five-mile (eight-km) biking loop in a park near the city’s center. Based on the popularity of the bike trail and the increased need for outdoor recreation facilities in the city, organizers quickly raised funds to build a pumptrack. A National Parks and Recreational Association Youth Sports and Play Grant helped fund the project.
The pumptrack has increased recreational access for local youth and also provides a unique amenity that helps set Bristol apart in the region. With the expanding interest in cycling, we predict that bike-related infrastructure projects will continue to grow.
Linking Mobility with Recreation
Bristol’s mountain bike trails and pumptrack are purposely located and designed to address the most common and significant barriers to sports facing many young people in the city: transportation and cost. The central location makes it easy for young people to get to the track on their own by walking or biking.
We’ve recently seen this strategic design and placement of recreational facilities elsewhere as well. Communities like Port Angeles, WA (USA) and Colögne, Germany are placing recreational facilities—particularly pumptracks—near transportation assets like bike paths, bike infrastructure, and public transportation services to ensure easy access without requiring the use of a car.
Even further, major cities—from London to New York to Paris and Milan—transformed roads into bike and footpaths in order to meet the increased need for public space and recreation required during the pandemic. Many of these transformations have been retained, providing new channels of active transportation and recreation assets.
This pumptrack in Colögne, Germany is located close to public transportation for easy access.
Blending Arts and Adventure Through Treasure Hunts
Treasure hunts have emerged as a fun mix of recreation and art, providing not only an exciting outdoor activity but also an opportunity for artistic expression. Families and friends of all ages can participate in treasure hunts together, or individuals can hunt on their own, relishing solitary time outdoors. Though treasure hunters often cross paths with others and share the magic of the search.
Monkeyshines is an annual treasure hunt in Tacoma, WA (USA) that takes place during the Lunar New Year. The event involves hiding thousands of handcrafted glass orbs, called monkey balls, throughout the city. Then residents, young and old, eagerly embark on a quest to find these treasures while exploring their city and enjoying the creativity and craftsmanship of local artists.
“This is absolutely my favorite time of year,” says resident Erin Watlington. “I’m giddy with excitement.”
In Lincoln City, OR (USA), beautifully crafted glass floats are hidden along the city's shoreline for the Finders Keepers treasure hunt. Talented artists handcraft each glass float cached on the beach, and once you find one, you can receive a Certificate of Authenticity and information about the artist who crafted your float. The hunt not only encourages outdoor activities like walking and beachcombing but also sparks the thrill of discovery and the joy of finding a hidden gem.
Beautiful glass floats waiting to be discovered by treasure hunters. Photo: Jordan May, courtesy of Explore Lincoln City
In the midst of the pandemic, the Tualatin Parks & Recreation Department, OR, (USA) launched a treasure hunt to help people safely get outside and combat social isolation. For the Share the Love program, 175 hand-blown glass hearts created by area artists are hidden throughout the city’s 15 parks, trails, and greenways. The treasure hunt draws both community members and visitors to explore nature while searching for these delicate treasures.
These treasure hunts illuminate the power of combining recreation, art, and community engagement to bring people together and get them outside, excited, and active. With their growing popularity, you might want to get one started in your area.
Converting Unused Spaces Into Pop-Up Parks
Pop-up parks make creative use of whatever space is available to bring recreation to all kinds of sites. Unused or under-used spaces like parking lots and garages, former landfills, and empty lots provide opportunities to bring recreation facilities closer to where people live and work.
Pop-up parks by nature tend to be temporary, though they can inspire the will to create permanent recreation assets in their place.
Pop-up parks take many forms, including playgrounds, cardboard tunnel “sandboxes” like those supported by Nonprofits Pop-Up Adventure Play in New York City, and small greenspaces that provide habitat refuges and places for city dwellers to connect with nature.
One exciting example is the Junk Yard Bike Park built by the privately owned Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center in Buena Vista, CO (USA). The riverside property is a former landfill. Riders can drop into the park off an old school bus, send it over junk cars, and ride four different lines suiting different riding skill levels. The park also features a pumptrack!
A landfill turned bike park converts junk into jumps in this creative Beuna Vista, Colorado park. Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center
Modular Pumptracks Provide Pop-Up Park Facilities
Modular pumptracks provide the perfect recreational facility for pop-up parks, since they can be relocated, reconfigured, and reassembled.
Hastings District Council in New Zealand recently secured a PARKITECT pumptrack, supplied by Parklife for use in a rotating series of pop-up parks at various locations within their district.
Scooters and cycling are among the top 10 most popular activities for youth in New Zealand, so pop-up pumptrack parks directly benefit young riders with facilities that get them moving and congregating around a community asset.
Hasting’s pumptrack was installed at its first location in December 2021. Every three months, the modular pumptrack is moved to a new location, providing access to new users, and encouraging existing users to visit new parts of the community.
The Hastings pumptrack can be reconfigured to fit all kinds of spaces on a variety of surfaces. Photo: Parklife
You can see why we love the pop-up parks concept. Modular pumptracks are the perfect fit for temporary recreation facilities that can be moved around, engaging more and more people in physical activity!
What Innovations Do You See in Parks and Recreation?
As you can see, we get pretty stoked about innovations in playgrounds and parks and recreation. Recreational needs change, as do communities. We think the innovations noted here demonstrate that parks and recreation managers across the world are responding in new and creative ways to the needs of their communities.
What innovations are happening in your community? Let us know. We would love to hear about them and perhaps highlight them in a future post!
