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Mission District Parks Study Daniel Frattin May 10, 1999 Daniel Frattin Junior, Urban Studies Program, San Francisco State University; Member, Neighborhood Parks Council;
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Mission District Parks Study Daniel Frattin May 10, 1999
Daniel Frattin • Junior, Urban Studies Program, San Francisco State University; • Member, Neighborhood Parks Council; • Provide a comprehensive and objective assessment of Mission District recreational facilities and make recommendations for improvement for the Department of Recreation and Park’s ten year plan.
Bacaicoa, Maria. “Transforming Inner- City Landscapes: Trees, Sense of Safety and Preference.” Environment and Behavior January 1998:28-59. Gurnon, Emily. “Playground Under Siege.” San Francisco Examiner 5 February 1999: A1+. Joseph, Janice. “Fear of Crime Among Black Elderly.” Journal ofBlack Studies May 1997: 697-718. Keane, Carl. “Evaluating the Fear of Crime as an Environmental Mobility Restrictor on Women’s Routine Activities.” Environment andBehavior January 1998: 60-74. Mitchell, Tom. “Inner Cities Go Green, Reduce Crime.” Nation’s Cities Weekly 19 February 1996: 1+ Project for Public Spaces. http://www.pps.org San Francisco Planning and Urban Research. http://www.spur.org San Francisco Department of Recreation and Parks. National Recreation and Park Association http://www.nrpa.org Literature Review
Research Problem • Background • Declining Conditions/Level of Service in Neighborhood Parks • Lack of Long-Term Strategic Planning/Community Input • Determine Adequacy of Recreational Facilities • Inventory and Service Levels • Comparison to other urban neighborhoods. • Determine Barriers to the Use of Recreational Facilities • Accessibility • Effects of criminal activity and poor maintenance on resident perceptions and use of parks.
Research Objectives and Hypotheses • Research Objectives • Assess adequacy of neighborhood parks. • Determine characteristics of parks discouraging optimal use. • Provide recommendations for improvement to be incorporated into the Department of Recreation and Park’s Ten Year Plan. • Research Hypotheses: • Existing facilities are adequate to serve the needs of residents, providing barriers to their use are removed. • Criminal activity, poor maintenance, and lack of accessibility will be the primary factors discouraging full-utilization, with effects concentrated among women, families with small children, and the elderly. • Demand for recreational facilities will be unevenly distributed
Research Methods • Analysis of Existing Data • Face-to-Face Interviews • Telephone Survey • Direct Observation • Evaluation Research
Analysis of Existing Data • Inventory and Condition of Existing Facilities. • Determine Levels of Service for each type of facility by target population. • Comparison of service levels with other neighborhoods/national guidelines. • Crime Statistics. • Provide baseline figures to measure adequacy of parks in the Mission.
Face-to-Face Interviews • Interviews with 200 Mission District Residents • Sample Selection • Multistage Cluster Sampling of 50 addresses from four geographical areas. • Random selection of interviewee from selected household. • Bilingual Interviewers • Open-ended Questions • Encourage Residents to Discuss Perceptions of Parks. • Identify Additional Resident Concerns and Incorporate in Other Portions of Research.
Telephone Interviews • Telephone Interviews with 1500 Mission District Residents: • Random Sample of Telephone Numbers • Bilingual Interviewers • Close-Ended Questions: • Familiarity With Available Recreational Facilities • Frequency/Time of Use • Factors Discouraging Use: • Presence of Criminal Activity During Park Hours • Reputation for Criminal Activity After Park Hours • Poor Maintenance • Overcrowding • Poor Accessibility • Demographic Questions • Open-ended Questions • Desired Improvements • Methods of Addressing Problems
Direct Observation • Two Week Observation of Recreation and Park Facilities • Conducted by Department of Recreation and Park Staff • Summertime Peak Hours: • Monday - Saturday: 11:00 a.m.-7 p.m. • Record Characteristics of Peak Hour Use • Intended Use • Excess Demand • Criminal Activity • Evaluating Intended Use and Excess Demand • Effects of Criminal Activity
Evaluation Research • A survey of residents’ perceptions/use of parks which have recently had: • Capital Improvements made • Community Gardens installed • Improved Maintenance • Increased Police Presence • Public Outreach Campaigns • Other Improvements • Measure Effectiveness of Each Improvement. • Criminal Activity • Levels of Use • Resident Satisfaction • Basis of recommendations to Department of Recreation and Parks.