Park & Recreation COVID-19 Resources

Media Resources

• Media Release - Play Australia
• Canada's Recovery from the Impact of COVID-19 Role of Parks & Recreation Sector - Canadian Parks and Recreation Association
• Help Keep Parks Safe & Open - East Bay Regional Park District
• News Release - East Bay Regional Parks Announces Park Closures and Parking Restrictions to Limit Overcrowding, Address Public and Park Staff Safety
• Siksika Nation Youth COVID-19 Message
• London Parks Press Release to Londoners - Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, City of London, & The Royal Parks

Infographics & Images Resources

• Your Parks are Here For You - Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
• COVID-19: Here's how to continue exploring Pittsburgh's parks while social distancing - Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
• Physical Distancing Park Signage - City of Calgary
• Physical Distancing Park Signage - City of Calgary
• Closed Park Signage - City of Calgary
• Physical Distancing Park Signage in Place - City of Calgary

Managing and Re-Opening Parks

• Managing Public Parks during COVID-19 - CFP People Spaces Places
• Guidance for the owners and operators of urban centres and green spaces to help social distancing - Gov.UK
• Advice on using green spaces and protecting yourself and others from coronavirus - Gov.UK
• Guidance for the public on the phased return of outdoor sport and recreation in England - Gov.UK
• Guidance for food businesses on coronavirus - Gov.UK
• COVID-19: cleaning in non-healthcare settings - Gov.UK
• COVID-19 - Guidance for Parks and Green Space Managers - Parks for London
• Coronavirus: Advice and guidance for the physical activity sector - UK Active
• COVID-19 Recovery Planning Guidance - Working Practices for Landowners and Countryside Managers - VSG
• Alberta Biz Connect - Planning Operations (Day Camps; Hunting & fishing lodges, camps and outfitters; Interpretive attractions; Museums & art galleries; Organized outdoor sport, physical activity and recreation; outdoor recreation; private and municipal campgrounds; playgrounds) - Government of Alberta
• The Impact of COVID-19 on the Recreation Sector: Summary of Our Observations To Date and Potential Planning Considerations for the Future - RC Strategies + PERC

Physical & Mental Wellbeing Resources

• Play Therapy Makes a Difference - Association for Play Therapy
• Practical Solutions: Keep on Playing - Nature Play QLD
• 10 Nature Activities to Help Get Your Family Through the Coronavirus Pandemic - Children & Nature Network
• COVID-19 & Older Adults: Assisting Out Most Vulnerable Population - National Recreation and Park Association
• COVID-19 in Parks and Recreation: Supporting Community Health and Wellbeing During an Outbreak - National Recreation and Park Association
• Protecting Child Health and Wellbeing During COIVD-19 - National Recreation and Park Association
• What's the Plan Stan - Geo A.R. Games
• Insights: Active Response II - Level 4 Recreation - Recreation Aotearoa
• Ways to Enjoy Nature While Social Distancing - Park People
• MABELLEarts shows how established social infrastructure serves communities during social and physical distancing - Park People
• Coronavirus and Youth Sports: What the Future Holds - The Aspen Institute Project Play
• GPS draw YEG Challenge - Paths for People
• 15 ways for your & your family to stay active at home - Participaction
• Active at Home - Edmonton Sport Council
• Should I go outside in the COVID-19 era? - Outdoor Play Canada
• Exercise in Isolation - University of Alberta, Associate Professor Loren Chiu
• Join the 2020 City Nature Challenge - Canadian Wildlife Federation
• Natgeo @Home. Inspiring Family Exploration - National Geographic

News Articles - Resources

• Access to Parks and the Outdoors is Crucial for Mental Health in Our Communities - National Recreation & Parks Association
• COVID-19 Got You Feeling Cooped Up? An Expert Says It’s OK to Go Outside - WTTW by Patty Wetli
• Get Connected to Nature - National Trust (UK)
• A Pittsburgher's Guide To Staying Entertained While Social Distancing - WESA (Pittsburgh's NPR News Station)
• In times of uncertainty, let nature be your refuge - The Guardian
• What outdoor activities are safe to do during the coronavirus outbreak? - USA Today
• 10 Nature Activities to Help Get Your Family Through the Coronavirus Pandemic - Children & Nature Network
• The Incredibly Simple Way To Get People To Care About The Environment - HuffPost
• As coronavirus forces lockdowns, city dwellers head to parks - Thomson Reuters Foundation News
• Managing the Uncertainty of the COVID-19 Outbreak through Walking - America Walks
• Gazing at Nature Makes You More Productive: An Interview with Kate Lee - Harvard Business Review
• The need for parks: In a time of sickness, we all need to take a breath - The Global & Mail
• 'It Sort of Gives You Hope': One Place New Yorkers Go to Escape Their Homes - The New York Times
• Nature Takes Back World's Urban Spaces - Asia Times
• Opinion - In COVID-19 crisis, maintain social distance in parks - East Bay Times
• Nature takes back world's empty city streets - Dunya News
• Urban parks will survive despite the coronavirus - they'll change, as well - San Francisco Chronicle
• Calgary shuts down multiple major routes temporarily for social distancing - CTV News
• Toronto closing playgrounds, dog parks to stop gatherings amid coronavirus outbreak - The Globe & Mail
• 'C'mon, people': angry John Tory warns COVID-19 rule-breakers using dog parks and playground equipment - The Star
• Vancouver park board says educational approach working to keep social distance - Vancouver Sun
• Edmonton playgrounds to close immediately in response to coronavirus pandemic - CBC
• Calgary to reduce lanes on some roads to help walkers, cyclists keep their distance during COVID-19 pandemic - CBC
• 4 ways to Socialize and Build Community while Stuck at Home - Yes! Solutions Journalism
• Self-isolation reading: stories of people and communities making a difference - The Narwhal
• You can still go for walks during the coronavirus pandemic, just avoid these places - Global News
• In this plague, we must learn to play alone in our parks - The Philadelphia Inquirer
• Nature Rx: The Outdoors Can Be an Antidote to Quarantine Anxiety - Sierra
• Op-Ed | In The Pandemic's Wake, Let's Create More Park Spaces - National Parks Traveler
• Park Etiquette During The Coronavirus - Medium
• City dwellers need room to breathe on the streets. Why is that so hard in Toronto? - The Globe & Mail
• 20 Minutes In Nature A day Is your Ticket To Feeling Better - Awaken
• Chris Selley: They're outlawing walks in the park over COVID-19 now. This cannot stand - National Post
• 'It Sort of Give You Hope': One Place New Yorkers Go to Escape Their Homes - New York Times
• City of Winnipeg to open 4 active transportation routes for pedestrians, cyclists early - CBC News
• Longing for the Great Outdoors? Think Smaller - City Lab
• Streets will open to pedestrians around the city to give coronavirus-cooped New Yorkers more open space - Daily News
• Closing parks when they're need most is especially cruel - Financial Times
• How coronavirus will change the face of the cbd - Stuff - national
• VITMIN N IN THE CITY: Rekindling a Relationship with Nature in the City - Children & Nature Network
• In Our Homes Right Now, It's the Climate, Not the Weather that counts - Children & Nature Network
• 'I need to go outside': Pandemic rules prove tough for families in apartments - CBC
• Vancouver closes some downtown lanes to vehicles, repurposes them for walking and cycling - CTV News
• You can take a virtual tour of Vancouver's best cherry blossom spots (PHOTOS) - Vancouver is Awesome
• Study Shows Interactions With Wildness In Urban Parks Considered Vital For Mental Wellness - Mental Daily
• Parks are essential - especially during the coronavirus pandemic - Boston Globe
• Scotland eyes outdoor learning as model for reopening of schools - The Guardian
• What if...The outdoor classroom is the 'new norm'? - London National Park City
• How Pandemics Spurred Cities to Make More Green Space for People - History

Webinars - Resources

• World Parks Academy - Free Webinars (CEU Approved!)
• Recreation at level Four Webinar - Recreation Aotearoa
• Park Leaders & COVID-19: Serving the Community in Challenging Times - City Parks Alliance
• Webinars: Play & Fitness - Getting it Right - Kompan Let's Play

Other Resources

• City Watch Canada
• City Share Canada
• National Recreation and Park Association - Resource Page
• Building on the Basics Resource Guide. Planning for Recreation in Emergency Response and Recovery - Alberta Government
• Building on the Basics: Lessons learned about recreation's role in emergency response and recovery - KPMG, Prepared for Alberta Culture and Tourism
• London Legacy Development Corporation - Policy Position
• Insights: Active Response - Recreation Aotearoa
• NRPA's Inaugural parks Snapshot: How Parks and Recreation is Confronting COVID-19 - National Recreation and Park Association
• Playgrounds Closures Under COVID-19 - Canadian Playground Safety Institute
• Survey: Parks Are Essential, Especially During the Health Crisis - National Recreation and Park Association
• Resources for Parks and Recreational Facilities - CDC
• World Parks Academy COVID 19 Statement - WPA

Submit Resources

We would love to hear from you and help others through their response and actions for COVID-19. Please use the survey below and upload your resources or email articles and links to the Secretariat Coordinator at office@worldurbanparks.org

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