January 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 43

Three-dimensional imaging paired with
geographic information system data
enables creation of a remarkable digital
duplicate of actual spatial environment
as seen from home plate at Principal
Park in Des Moines, Iowa.
are rendered to be compatible with
a geographic information system
(GIS) database. The resulting images
are virtual representations of the real
world that show spatial relationships
of objects, buildings, trees and even
sun/shadow patterns.
The City of Des Moines, Iowa,
has produced a digital twin map of
the viewshed of the city from home
plate at the renovated Principal
Park to the historic golden dome
of the city's capitol building. GIS
manager and interim chief information
technology officer for the
City of Des Moines, Aaron Greiner,
says that the city wanted to be
sure the view from Principal Park
to the city capitol building would
be preserved as urban development
takes place. Real estate developers
will now be able to input their
building plans into the 3D model
that the city has created, and planners
will be able to make a determination
on how new buildings and
structures might affect this historic
viewshed.
Health and Wellness
Parks and Recreation
as Anchor Institutions
Anchor institutions are enduring
nonprofit organizations that create
strong social, economic and healthy
bonds within communities. Traditionally,
most anchor institutions
have been " eds and meds, " that is,
universities and hospitals. Park and
recreation systems have not often
been regarded as anchor institutions,
but there is an increasingly
strong case to make to include parks
and recreation as a critical community
support system in the top ranks
of anchor institutions. Positioning
parks and recreation in this way
will help shape a wholly new narrative
of the value of parks and recreation
to communities. Parks and
recreation can prove they are vital
because they enable the members
of communities to connect to each
other on a daily basis in a way that
transcends the ways that eds and
meds do.
An excellent example of how
parks and recreation functions as
an anchor institution is seen in the
development of Community Wellness
Hubs. NRPA's
They are essential, vital spaces and
programs that are social drivers of
health, resilience and equity. "
Worker Satisfaction
Would You Work for Free?
Quiet quitting may no longer be a
burning issue, but are park and recreation
workers satisfied with their
jobs? Gallup's State of the Global
Workplace: 2022
com/yz7dmsdu) indicates
report, Parks
and Recreation: Advancing Community
Health and Well-Being (nrpa.org/
HealthReport), states, " At the core
of a Community Wellness Hub is
health equity - ensuring that park
and recreation operations, programs
and services center equity so that all
people in a community have fair and
just opportunities to be as healthy as
possible so they can thrive. "
Allison Colman, NRPA's director
of health, agrees that a new conceptual
framework regarding parks and recreation
as anchor institutions is very
much aligned with NRPA's strategic
vision for health and well-being. " We
are moving away from terminology,
such as 'amenities.' These spaces are
not just nice-to-have in communities.
Report (tinyurl.
that
there may be a lot more unsatisfied
workers than we presume.
Fewer than one in four U.S.
workers feels strongly that their
employer cares about their wellbeing.
This is the lowest percentage
in more than a decade. Workers
who believe strongly that their employers
care about their well-being
are far more likely to engage in their
jobs, are significantly more productive,
are much less likely to say
they feel burnout, have many fewer
safety incidents, and are five times
more likely to advocate for their
company as a great place to work.
The report found that in 2021, 44
percent of employees experienced a
lot of stress during the previous workday,
a new high for the survey. What's
more, U.S. working women reported
the highest levels of stress on a daily
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | J ANUAR Y 2 0 2 3
| Parks & Recreation
43
IMAGE COURTESY OF CITY OF DES MOINES
http://www.tinyurl.com/yz7dmsdu http://www.tinyurl.com/yz7dmsdu http://www.nrpa.org/healthreport http://www.nrpa.org/healthreport
January 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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