Park People

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Regular discussions with parks and rec pros about what's happening in their communities and how it might impact yours. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Also available in video format on YouTube -- https://www.youtube.com/@prbmagazine/podcasts And in written version at https://www.prbplus.com

Jul 29

Doing More With Less - Using AI & Automation

Doing More With Less How AI and automation are reshaping parks and recreation engagement From community events and youth sports to engaging with the public, there are many reasons people choose to work in parks and recreation departments. However, spending hours behind a computer usually isn’t one of them. That’s why parks and rec teams across the country are exploring how AI (artificial intelligence) can help them save even more time and open doors to more human interactions. AI truly can be a win-win for parks and recreation and residents, but it’s important that local leaders keep a few considerations in mind to ensure technology investments have a meaningful impact. Today, we talk with Taylor Willardson, Senior Director of Product Management, Communications & Recreation at CivicPlus® to learn more. Read his article here: https://www.prbplus.com Watch this interview here: https://youtu.be/ZHavelOlAgU
Jul 22

Lessons Through Lessons

The opening of Blue Surf Bay Waterpark at the Carson Ross Community Recreation Complex in 2024 marked a major shift for Blue Springs, Mo. It introduced the community’s first public aquatic facility and re-established an aquatic division within the parks and recreation department after several years without one. Because both the facility and division were developed simultaneously, anticipation around community response and operational readiness was doubled. To prepare, leadership made intentional decisions to demonstrate value and build trust from the beginning. The 170,000-square-foot aquatic addition to the existing fieldhouse and fitness center introduced destination-level amenities, including a surf simulator and one of the longest stand-up waterslides in the country. The membership model for the field house expanded to include waterpark access, creating a strong, initial draw. Those decisions successfully brought people through the doors. The next step focused on helping residents feel prepared to use the space safely and confidently. In this episode, we talk with Chase Coffee, Manager of Aquatics for Blue Springs Parks & Rec about lessons learned and advice for others looking to build a new facility. You can read the story here: https://www.prbplus.com/lessons-through-lessons/ You can watch the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/@prbmagazine/podcasts
Jul 15

Digging Into Sand Play

Today’s playgrounds can trace their origins to sand play. The playground movement grew out of ideas championed by child advocates in the 1880s. First, Friedrich Froebel, the German educator known as the father of kindergarten, introduced a movable sandbox in his “children’s garden.” The idea of using sand as a material for play expanded into “sandcastles,” or piles of sand. A Berlin-born doctor, Marie Zakrewska, brought the idea to the U.S., and in 1885, the first sandcastle was built in Boston’s North End. By 1899, Boston had 21 sand piles. “Sand play is a timeless, universal outdoor activity that engages children from an early age,” says Nilda Cosco, a co-founder and the director of programs at the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) at N.C. State University College of Design. “Its moldable quality invites digging, building, storytelling, and collaboration,” and inspires imaginative and constructive play. Its sensory qualities are great for relieving stress. What’s more, sand play promotes self-determination. “Children are the designers here, and even though they are under adult supervision, they have more autonomy than within the fenced and labeled precincts of fixed equipment,” the pioneering child psychologist G. Stanley Hall notes in The Story of a Sand-Pile. Today, we talk with Julia Rousakis and Chelsea Hoffman, Principals at APE Studio about how to bring sand play to your park or open space. You can read the article here: https://www.prbplus.com/digging-into-sand-play/ Or, watch the podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@prbmagazine/podcasts
Jul 8

Rethinking Playground Design For Continuous Play

Community playgrounds strive to be spaces that families return to many times. For this to happen, playgrounds need to keep ideas and opportunities for play fresh so children remain engaged, challenged, and eager to come back. Today, we sit down with Scott Roschi, Creative Director for Landscape Structures, to discuss how a circuit-style design approach keeps children engaged and coming back. Watch podcast here. Read article here.
Jul 1

Reimagining A Civic Landmark

Designing urban parks typically does not start from scratch. More often, designers inherit not only complex sites and aging infrastructure, but also sites and spaces deeply rooted in city and community history. Today, we sit down with Todd Martin, City Landscape Architect for the City of Columbia, S. C., Mark Johnson, FAIA, FASLA at Civitas and Jenny Horne, Project Manager at Stantec, to talk about how Finlay Park’s redesign rekindled a community’s heart. You can watch the podcast here. You can read the article here.
Jun 24

Lessons From Connor Park

Today, we sit down with Rowena A. Young, Executive Director of the Palmetto CRA, to talk about Connor Park in Palmetto, Fla. and how a CRA turned contamination into climate infrastructure. You can view this podcast here. You can read the article here.
Jun 18

The Playground Revolution

Today, we sit down with Rich Albright, the CRO at PlayPower, to talk about the playground revolution. Playgrounds have always been cornerstones of childhood, but today’s communities are reimagining what play looks like. Rather than cater exclusively to toddlers or elementary-school children, the most successful play spaces are increasingly designed for all ages. From community recreation centers to shopping centers and churches, parents are seeking environments where their kids (whether toddlers, teens, or somewhere between) can play together in one safe, engaging, and welcoming space. If you want to watch this podcast, you can do so here. If you want to read the article, you can do so here.
May 29

Safer Routes To Recreation Destinations

When people describe a task as “a walk in the park,” it’s a way of saying it’s easy, straightforward, and pleasant to accomplish. Walking to parks, on the other hand? Those trips can be perilous. Often times, pedestrians must risk crossing busy roads to reach their favorite recreation spaces. Thankfully, collaborations among advocacy groups, community-based organizations, transportation planners, and parks and recreation departments are paving the way for solutions. “Everybody deserves to safely, conveniently, joyfully move from place to place and get physical activity as part of their everyday tasks,” says Natasha Riveron, a transportation planner focused on complete streets. Today, we talk with Brianne Sanchez and learn how to sync transportation and park planning to improve access for pedestrians and cyclists. Want to watch the podcast? You can do that here. Want to read the story. You can do that here.

Regular discussions with parks and rec pros about what's happening in their communities and how it might impact yours. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Also available in video format on YouTube -- https://www.youtube.com/@prbmagazine/podcasts And in written version at https://www.prbplus.com

Creator

PRB+ Magazine
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

31
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Park People
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Park People