Recreation and open space plans need to be integrated into land use planning to make the environment more livable and attractive and to improve community safety. Listed below are a number of introductory resources and case studies.
Introductory resources
- Dibley, G., Gordon, M., Rubenstein, L., 2002, Leading the Way – Councils creating healthier communities: A Resource Guide for Councillors, VicHealth, Melbourne
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Part 1 of the resource takes the reader through the notion of local council as community leader and community builder and goes on to develop an understanding of social determinants and how councils might act on this understanding. Part 2 of the resource is a set of questions designed to assist councillors and others, identify relevant social, economic and environmental issues. It also includes brief case studies that illustrate how some councils have been able to tackle complex issues and influence a community’s health and well-being.
- National Heart Foundation, website, Supportive Environments for Physical Activity:
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Supportive Environments for Physical Activity (SEPA) is an initiative of the Heart Foundation that aims to focus attention on the factors that either inhibit or encourage people to lead healthy, socially engaged and physically active lives. SEPA seeks to transform public policy, as well as the urban planning, design and management processes that support and maintain healthy environments for active living. This page hosts two particularly useful links:
- Exercise in Daily Life: supportive environments:
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in Daily Life supportive environments.PDF A report of a Heart Foundation research project exploring the environmental factors that enable active living - SEPA Guidelines for Local Government:
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Following a series of workshops with staff, community representatives and elected members from both metropolitan and rural local governments, the Supportive Environments for Physical Activity Guidelines for Local Government were developed by the Heart Foundation to assist councils to integrate SEPA principles into their strategic objectives. - Healthy by Design: A planners' guide to environments for active living:
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Healthy by Design has been developed by the Heart Foundation (Victorian Division) in response to local government requests for practical guidance in designing walkable, and ultimately more livable, communities.
- Exercise in Daily Life: supportive environments:
State based planning case studies
- Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation Inc, 2007, Active Trails: A Strategy for Regional Trails in South East Queensland, Office of Urban Management (The Coordinator General), Queensland Government and the Council of Mayors, Brisbane
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Prepared for a number of different stakeholders, the Strategy for Regional Trails in South East Queensland aims to inform and guide future investment in recreation trail planning, development and management. - Victorian Trails Co-ordinating Committee, 2004, Victorian Trails Strategy 2005 to 2010, Parks Victoria, Melbourne
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The Victorian Trails Strategy is the key document to guide trail development in Victoria. It is underpinned by long term guiding principles based on the concept of ecologically sustainable development. The strategy establishes key directions for trail development, management, marketing and research, and identifies priority action projects for implementation from 2005 to 2010.
Region based planning case studies - Phillip Gray & Associates, 2001, Local Recreation Planning Template: Recreation Planning Framework for West North West Tasmania, Sport and Recreation Tasmania, Department of Economic Development (TAS), Hobart
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The Tasmanian Cradle Coast Recreation Planning Framework, is a good example of how councils can join forces to develop a regional approach to sport and recreational planning. The framework will be used to guide future policy and decision making on sport and recreation facilities, opportunities and services.
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The Local Recreation Planning Template examines all the critical elements of recreation planning and provides an excellent starting point for local recreation planning processes.
View PDF - Inspiring Place Pty Ltd, 2004, Northern Tasmania Regional Recreation Trails Strategy, region north! Recreation Committee, Launceston, Tasmania
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This strategy outlines the planning, development, management and marketing of an
integrated multiple-use regional trails network.
Local council based planning case studies - EDAW (Aust) Pty Ltd & Sykes Humphreys Consulting, undated, Mornington Peninsula Shire Shared Trails Strategy, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council
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The strategy is designed to provide direction regarding the purpose, provision, development priorities, management and use of the shared trail network. In 2005, Morning Peninsula Shire won the Heart Foundation Kellogg Local Government Award for a Project and Recreational Infrastructure Facility.
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International
- Eckerson Jr., C. (2008) "Hal and Kerri Grade Your Bike Locking" - (5.43 min video) NYC Street Renaissance, StreetFilms.org
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Nearly five years ago, legendary bike mechanic Hal Ruzal and I walked the streets surrounding Bicycle Habitat and graded the bike locking ability of New Yorkers - producing many humorous and enlightening anecdotes. The resulting videoaired frequently on bikeTV and at many festivals, and because of it - Hal is still frequently asked by complete strangers to judge their bike locking.
I always endeavored doing another, but as with most sequels you need a new wrinkle. This time we thought we’d give Hal some company and invited former Recycle a Bicycle mechanic Kerri Martin (and founder of The Bike Churchin Asbury Park, NJ) to weigh in with her expertise.
Again, bikes on the streets of SoHo provide lots of fodder for laughs and lessons to learn.We didn’t plan to but we walked the same loop and even used the same one-hour time frame. The results? The grades were a little better than five years ago. Sure, still some bad locking out there, but many more people are now sporting multiple locks and better strategies! Good news, maybe we made a difference after all . . .
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Whitaker, N. (2008) "NYC Bike Move" - (4.34 min video) NYC Street Renaissance, StreetFilms.org
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Inspired by a previous Streetfilm from Portland, Oregon, filmmaker Nicholas Whitaker decided to answer the challenge and bring you, Bike Move Too!When his girlfriend Jes Schultz was priced out of her Fort Greene Brooklyn apartment, they decided to call a few friends with bikes and move her out, futon and all, to a new apartment in Crown Heights. This film illustrates how with a little ingenuity, determination, and friends, it can be done without creating a huge impact on your environment.
It also may be the first New York City bike move movie. (An hour scouring the web, calling friends, and searching YouTube tags turned up nothing in NYC.)
