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Continuing the Commitment
Creating the Future
Parks and Recreation in the Year 2000
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The following is an excerpt from a statement made by Dr. Ted Flickinger, IAPD Executive
Director, to the Board of Directors at their October Long Range Planning Meeting.
he field of parks and recreation is a microcosm of our society. But what will be some
of the potential characteristics that will describe our society in the year 2000? The
population will show increases in cultural diversity and aging. The aging population may
be the "haves." The ethnically diverse population will be younger and continue to be the less
fortunate. Due to retirement and underemployment, there will be a significant proportion of
the population with more leisure time. The people in our society will have increased interest
in wellness, quality of life issues and the environment. Privatization of recreation will grow
out of proportion unless we sufficiently confront a number of issues affecting public park and
recreation areas. The public revolt against taxes will continue. Our constituents must be
continuously advised of the benefits of park and recreation services. Government's role will
change with fewer services and resources. Partnerships with all levels of government must
be promoted. Additionally, we will have to increase our efforts to work with the media and
show that we are addressing family values, crime, social problems, substance abuse and the
protection of wildlife habitat and natural resources. We must expand our role from what
some people consider as providing cursory services to one of offering meaningful programs
with measured results. We must be perceived as providers of "essential" services. We will
need to research and document how our services affect social ills, the quality of life and
preservation of historic and natural resources. The responsibility to prepare for and react to these issues is critical to the future viability of public parks and recreation.
We must continue to improve our efforts to make a case for public parks and recreation
services. The public's perception and understanding of the values of park and recreation
services must be a high priority for our profession.
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Illinois Parks and Recreation
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6
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September/October 1993
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