A Statement by Canada’s Parks Ministers on the Occasion of Their 2014 Meeting
- Author(s): Canadian Parks Council
- Organization: Canadian Parks Council
- Date Published: September 1, 2014
In this statement, “CONNECTING Canadians with Nature: An Investment in the Wellbeing of our Citizens,” Canada’s Parks Ministers affirm and strengthen the fundamental bond the people of Canada have with nature. The statement outlines their committments on behalf of the people of Canada, for a shared vision, to innovating, diversifying and adapting park offerings, and to working across government and with Aboriginal leaders and to collaborating with other sectors of society.
http://www.parks-parcs.ca/english/CCN-Ministers_Statement%28En%29.pdf
Best Practices and Policies: Events in Downtown / Urban Parks
- Author(s): Elizabeth Fritshaw
- Organization: St. Catharines, City
- Date Published: October 1, 2014
This document is the result of telephone research by Elizabeth Fritshaw, Community Relations Coordinator for the City of St. Catharines, into practices and policies related to events in downtown / urban parks that hold festivals / events and that have residential neighbourhood surrounding them. It includes data on Usage Frequency, Park Maintenance, Noise Bylaws, and Rental Rates.
Section One presents a summary of the data on the most comparable parks for this research in various municipalities. Section Two provides additional details on each, including contact information.
Separate links are included below for several of the policies referenced in this document.
http://lin.ca/sites/default/files/attachments/best-practices-policies-parks-final.pdf
HEALTHY by nature
- Organization: Canadian Parks Council http://www.parks-parcs.ca
- Date Published: January 5, 2006
This presentation developed by the Canadian Parks Council, outlines their efforts in “re-positioning parks as an integral facet of a healthy population.”
Losing Ground: Time to Embrace the True Value of Parks
- Author(s): Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
- Organization: Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
- Date Published: July 1, 2014
In this sixth annual review of the state of Canada’s parks, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) finds that most parks and proposed protected areas are facing greater challenges than they were a year ago. The report describes the challenges and identifies some success stories through case studies.
Natural Fit: Can Green Space and Biodiversity Increase Levels of Physical Activity
- Author(s): William Bird
- Organization: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (http://www.rspb.org.uk/)
- Date Published: October 1, 2004
This report, commissioned by the RSPB, looks at the evidence to support the theory that the availability of safe, accessible natural green space encourages the uptake and continuation of physical activity. It also looks at the role of biodiversity in enhancing this relationship. It is written for policy makers, those promoting physical activity and those involved with maintaining a wildlife-rich natural environment. But most of all it is written for those who believe that a healthy natural environment is also good for our health, but have needed evidence to substantiate this. Generations have intuitively understood this relationship better than us yet the evidence has been slow to arrive. This is part of a wider debate about the health benefits of a wildlife-rich environment.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/natural_fit_full_version_tcm9-133055.pdf
Neighbourhood Environment and Physical Activity Among Youth: A Review
- Author(s): Ding Ding, James Sallis, Jacqueline Kerr, et al.
- Organization: American Journal of Preventive Medicine
- Date Published: January 1, 2011
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379711004594
The Health Benefits of Urban Green Spaces: A Review of the Evidence
- Author(s): ACK Lee, R Maheswaran
- Organization: Journal of Public Health
- Date Published: January 1, 2011
There is weak evidence for the links between physical, mental health and well-being, and urban green space. Environmental factors such as the quality and accessibility of green space affects its use for physical activity. User determinants, such as age, gender, ethnicity and the perception of safety, are also important. However, many studies were limited by poor study design, failure to exclude confounding, bias or reverse causality and weak statistical associations. Most studies reported findings that generally supported the view that green space have a beneficial health effect. Establishing a causal relationship is difficult, as the relationship is complex. Simplistic urban interventions may therefore fail to address the underlying determinants of urban health that are not remediable by landscape redesign.
http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/33/2/212.full.pdf+html