Articles

Seeking Alternative Funding Sources
Parks Mark Nagel Parks Mark Nagel

Seeking Alternative Funding Sources

As one final project before I retired from the city of Elko New Market, Minn., I was asked to scan the nation for potential revenue sources for evaluation, and make recommendations to diversify our current revenue base for future park projects. 

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Have Path, Will Travel
Parks, Features Bryan Buchko Parks, Features Bryan Buchko

Have Path, Will Travel

In an urban, densely populated area, finding nearby property to develop green space where families can recreate is a tremendous challenge. So is environmentally friendly transportation. In 2000, the

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Crowdfunding
Parks Guest User Parks Guest User

Crowdfunding

In an era of tight budgets for parks and recreation departments, one region of the country is turning to crowdfunding to pay for improvements that enhance access to the outdoors.

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Deep Pockets Not Required
Aquatics Bryan Buchko Aquatics Bryan Buchko

Deep Pockets Not Required

In group classes—such as water aerobics and deep-water toning—camaraderie is typically one of the characteristics participants appreciate. But the one aspect of the program that might be self-sustaining is

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Community Park Investments
Parks Bryan Buchko Parks Bryan Buchko

Community Park Investments

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, an “indicator species” is defined as one “whose presence, absence, or relative well-being in a given environment is indicative of the health of its ecosystem as a

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Bryan Buchko Bryan Buchko

Run From Red To Black

Photos Courtesy Of City of BrunswickIn 2006, The Brunswick Community Recreation and Fitness Center, located in Brunswick, Ohio, was operating at its lowest level since opening in 1991. Over the

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Bryan Buchko Bryan Buchko

Keeping Up With Henderson

Photos Courtesy of the City of HendersonWith 57 parks and counting, and at least six parks and trails projects under way or nearing construction in Henderson, Nev., residents and officials in nearby

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Parks Bryan Buchko Parks Bryan Buchko

The Match

All too often, capital projects are delayed because the community has a tough time finding local resources to satisfy a funding match requirement associated with a grant program, even when the

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Columns Bryan Buchko Columns Bryan Buchko

Get Up And Go

Utilizing transportation enhancement (TE) money is one of the most effective ways to fund surface transportation projects.In the past, these monies have financed pedestrian and bicycle trails,

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Columns, Programming Bryan Buchko Columns, Programming Bryan Buchko

Q&A 2004

We polled parks and recreation professionals from around the country for our annual Q&A feature and got some interesting responses, representing a diversity of subjects and opinions.It's our hope

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Columns Bryan Buchko Columns Bryan Buchko

Building Blocks

An earlier article this year focused on ways to differentiate grant applications amongst the competition and stand out to ensure funding success.As you look to take advantage of federal funding for

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Parks Bryan Buchko Parks Bryan Buchko

Measuring Success

The solution is often not the solution. At least that's the way the park district in Naperville, Ill., has been looking at things recently."People think that if there's a problem and everyone walks

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Parks Bryan Buchko Parks Bryan Buchko

Winning Ways to be Unique

Recent examples of grant awards tell the tale: The competition for funding parks and recreation projects is at an all-time high.Recently in Ohio, the Department of Natural Resources received 79

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Parks Bryan Buchko Parks Bryan Buchko

10 Years AfterЙ

The land is identified and ready, an excellent master plan is in place and the potential for your new park is endless. Then the referendum that will fund the major park facilities fails. What do you

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Columns Bryan Buchko Columns Bryan Buchko

The Mitigation Connection

With increasing competitiveness for grants among applicants, an economic recession affecting local support for parks operations and projects, and state-level cutbacks nationwide for prioritizing

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