provides a variety of parks and recreation planning services including:

Strategic Master Plans A community parks and recreation master plan is an in-depth study that enables an agency to accurately and scientifically plan for the future growth of the community's parks and recreation system. More than just a design element or facility plan, the master plan assesses the community's history, resources, population, citizen input, and national/local standards to create a strategic plan that is time, cost, priority sensitive and can adapt to your needs and community growth. Click here to view a sample Master Plan                                   We are pleased to announce the release of the 3rd edition of the popular book Master Plan Process for Parks and Recreation. The authors, well known to the profession, have updated the text with new content, relevant examples and an interesting reading style. The text walks the university student or planning professional through the intricate process of preparing a comprehensive and detailed parks and recreation master plan.  Topics answer such questions as: What is a master plan? What are its purposes?  Topics also address preparation elements, time and cost factors and master plan uses.  The primary components of the book address in detail how to prepare the community context, the inventory of community resources and a community population study, how to create and implement citizen input, making meaningful comparisons to other agencies and recommending specific action strategies, and how to identify and fund the recommended actions. “This book is the definitive guide for planners and recreation professionals who prepare community master plans or who oversee the preparation of a master plan.  It presents the components of a typical plan in a logical and easily understandable format.  Each section is explained in clear and concise language that makes this an indispensable resource for the user.  By following the steps described, any agency can develop a master plan that is both meaningful to the public and elected officials as well as one that is useable and practical.  After twenty-five years working in public recreation, this remains the one book I refer to regularly.”  -Stan Ford, General Manager, Coachella Valley Recreation and Park District Palm Desert, California To order this vital text for your classes or your personal library call 1-800-321-0789 or go to www.AAPAR.org. Thanks for PAR-ticipating with AAPAR! --Mariah Burton Nelson Executive Director American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation MNelson@aahperd.org     Dr. Kelsey Conducting a Master Plan for Bernalillo County, NM. Click Image for Full Text. Park Classification Study Parks and recreation departments desire to provide the most appropriate type and size park for each area of the community with the  proper amenities so that the total community is well balanced and served.  The park classification study is the best method to determine the proper park site for each individual community and area in the community . Click here to see an example of a Park Classification Study done for Bakersfield, CA Economic Impact Studies Parks and recreation agencies sponsor and conduct a variety of small to large scale special events such as fairs, festivals, sports tournaments and the like. An economic impact study shows the amount of new money spent in the host community due to this special event.  Information such as the direct expenditures on hotels, restaurants retail spending as well as the generation of additional local and state sales taxes and return on investment is calculated.  Elementary School Physical Education Impact Study The need for high quality, age appropriate, safe and meaningful elementary school physical education facilities are critical to the health of the school population. The Elementary School Physical Education Impact Study evaluates the qualifications of teachers, on task time allocations, class size capabilities, status of equipment and materials, technology, facilities, curriculum, assessment and evaluation. The final report gives positive and sound recommendations for school facility improvements. Click above to enlarge Feasibility Studies Feasibility studies is the process of determining if a particular parks and recreation project is right for your specific community. The folks at have prepared numerous feasibility studies that generally include: legal, site, user, design, financial, and administrative feasibility elements. As one can see, this type of planning study answers critical questions when important decisions need to be made. Environmental Assessments The planning process is becoming more complex and parks and recreation agencies often need to determine if a proposed action will impact the environment. The EA is a complex but quick method of determining what impact if any a proposed action will have on the community's environment. At we can walk the staff through this process or complete it on behalf of the agency. Design Review staff of 5 NPSI Playground Inspectors can work with your staff to design and build a playground that will be fun, part of your curriculum, and safe. can assist with choosing suppliers and installers, or can act as your total project managers. Grant Writing Finding and preparing both federal agency and private foundation grants for parks and recreation services is a critical aspect of quality service. can assist in a multitude of ways from providing staff workshops tailored to that agency to the complete development of the grant process for the needs of the agency. Maintenance Program Development can assist your agency by developing maintenance programs for aquatic facilities, playing fields, parks, recreation facilities, and playgrounds. Examples of elements of a maintenance program for playgrounds are: Maintenance/Safety Safety, inspections, maintenance, training, and documentation Playground Inspection Time saving techniques, types of checklists, and how to inspect equipment and surfacing Surface Materials Compliant surfacing, frequency of inspections, and how surfacing should be maintained Accident Response Guidelines Immediate actions following injuries with regards to equipment and surfacing, proper accident documentation, working with attorneys prior to and after an accident Supervising Playground Activities Liabilities and proper use of equipment Documentation of Inspections and Repairs What records to maintain, where to maintain records, how long records should be maintained, and importance of records Community Public Hearings There are many ways for a parks and recreation agency to collect public input. One of the most common methods is the community public hearing. staff have conducted hundreds of public input meetings on behalf of community agencies. By using an independent firm such as the public and staff feel assured that the best possible quality input can be collected.

Craig W. Kelsey, Ph.D is the team leader of 's planning services. The author of hundreds of plans, prepared over 25 years, for agencies nation wide, Dr. Kelsey has also authored numerous texts used by communities, agencies, and universities, specifically in the area of parks and recreation planning. He is noted for his work in bringing together diverse perspectives of the community through a unique focus group model. The following images are examples of books written by Craig W. Kelsey, Ph.D on issues such as Master Plans, Economic Impact Studies, Feasibility Study Process, Citizen Surveys for the National Recreation & Parks Association, the American Association of Leisure & Recreations, and the American Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. Click one of the images below to view a larger image of one of his publications.

	Click here to view a sample Master Plan (403 KB)
	City of Bakersfield, CA- Master Plan (3.2 MB)
	The Executive - A Periodical produced by regarding planning issues All documents are provided in PDF format.
	Environmental Assessments (33 KB)
	The Focus Group Process (284 KB)
	The Feasibility Study Process (82 KB)
	Conducting Public Hearings (105 KB)