The impact of five potential institutional barriers on park visitation
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abstract
Much of the work on constraints in the park and recreation field has concentrated on structural constraints. However, relatively little has been reported on the sub-set of structural constraints that have been termed institutional constraints, i.e. practices of agencies that may contribute to inhibiting participation. This study examined the impact of five potential institutional constraints to park use. It used a probability sample of 458 residents in a city of 90,000. Results showed that no significant relationship existed between park use and traffic around a park; being well informed about neighborhood park plans; and communication with park leaders. The results suggested that these three potential institutional constraints were not impediments to park use in this community. There was a significant relationship between level of park use and perceived level of information about park facilities and recreation programs (p = 0.01) and to a lesser extent (p = 0.07) with perceptions of parks being well maintained and clean. The latter relationship was counter-intuitive since it indicated that respondents who believed parks were not well maintained were 15% more likely to use them. It was suggested this may be explained by park aficionados having both a better understanding of what constitutes excellent maintenance, and a greater awareness of sub-par maintenance in parks they visit frequently because of their intimate acquaintance with them. 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
