Evaluating the Adequacy of Private Neighborhood Parks in Oro Valley, Arizona

Abstract

Traditional public neighborhood parks have long been regarded as the building blocks of successful parks and recreation systems. They provide important recreational opportunities to nearby residents as well as numerous public health, economic, environmental, and social benefits. The widespread prevalence of new residential subdivisions developed as common-interest developments governed by homeowner associations has created the new phenomenon of the private neighborhood park, in which the park is entirely owned and maintained by the homeowners association for the use of member residents only. Municipal governments rely upon private neighborhood parks to serve the same functions as traditional public neighborhood parks, but rarely ensure that they are developed to the same standards. Even the National Recreation and Parks Association has not yet recognized the new role of the private neighborhood park in their recommended parks, open space, and pathways system. The rapidly growing suburban community of Oro Valley, Arizona, is used as a case study to analyze the adequacy of privately owned and maintained neighborhood parks. The purpose of this report is to show the importance of implementing private neighborhood park design standards to ensure that future private neighborhood parks are developed to compliment and enhance existing parks, open space, and pathways systems.