Public Awareness and Knowledge of Urban Parks: A Case Study

Abstract

Despite considerable discussion of the importance of better informing the public about recreation opportunities, neither the nature and extent of people's needs for such information, nor the most effective means of meeting these needs, has been thoroughly investigated. The study described below contributed to this research area by investigating the Lansing, Michigan, population's familiarity with the names, locations, and attractions of their local parks. Park familiarity levels were documented and analyzed in relation to (1) distances between residences and parks, (2) personal characteristics, and (3) park characteristics. The study in general revealed considerable ignorance of recreation opportunities among Lansing's residents. Various analyses revealed that awareness of parks generally declined with increasing distance from them; that older persons tended to be aware of the existence of more parks than younger persons, but had less detailed knowledge of parks; and that parks that were relatively new and/or less developed were generally not as widely known as older and/or more heavily developed parks. Implications for park publicity programs are discussed.?