Achieving Consensus in Planning Recreation and Park Services

Abstract

Planning recreation and park services often follows a traditional, or “expert,” model. Typically, one or more “experts” are brought in to recommend what needs to be done to meet the future needs of the community being served. Often the final product lies dormant on a shelf because the people who have to implement it and those it is intended to serve had little, or no, input. This article explores a process oriented planning model that uses the expertise of the people who will ultimately use the services and facilities provided by the local recreation and park department. It has been developed, and used, over the past ten years to reach decisions based on a partnership of shared community values, consensus, and a commitment to implementation.

Keywords:

• Recreation planning
• strategic thinking
• partnerships
• collective decision making
• decision conferencing
• public participation
• group consensus