Experience-Based Park Access Model

City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department

January 2017
 Table of Contents

I. Purpose ................................................................................................................................................ 1
II. Implementation............................................................................................................................. 2
Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 2

Baseline Data .................................................................................................................................. 3

Toolsets .............................................................................................................................................. 4

Level of Service (LOS) Toolset ........................................................................................................ 4

Neighborhood & Community Connection (NCC) Toolset ............................................................. 4
Land Acquisition (LA) Toolset ....................................................................................................... 4

III. Organizational Impact ............................................................................................................. 5

Appendix

Data ........................................................................................................................................................ A1
Level of Service (LOS) Toolset ................................................................................................. A2
Neighborhood & Community Connections (NCC) Toolset ...................................... A7
Land Acquisition (LA) Toolset ............................................................................................... A11
I. Purpose
How well does Raleighs park system serve its population? This question is fundamental to
park planning, and yet the metrics used to answer it were, until recently, the same metrics that
were employed a century ago.

In fact, almost exactly one-hundred years ago, in January 1917, the United States Department of
Commerce published a report entitled General Statistics of Cities: Including Statistics of Parks,
Playgrounds and Other Features of the Recreation Service. 1 This report was perhaps one of
the first to employ the measure of Population per Acre of Recreational Grounds in assessing the
relative quality of city park systems throughout the country. The area of parks and other
public grounds within the city, the report reads, apparently presents the most satisfactory
basis for computing the relation of population to recreational areas. 2

For the remainder of the century, this measure of population per acre persisted in the Level of
Service (LOS) Standard established by the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA)
and adopted by the City of Raleigh. To be sure, there were refinements along the way, but the
foundation of our park system LOS evaluation had not been fundamentally reevaluated since
the United States entered World War I.

Today, however, GIS technology provides the ability to conduct spatial analyses far more
complex and far more useful than a simple ratio of park acreage per capita. The City of Raleigh
set out to take advantage of this technology, transforming the way spatial data is used in park
planning processes. To do this, the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department
(PRCR) has built upon cutting edge techniques in the fields of geography and planning to
develop a new GIS model for evaluating citizen access to the experiences provided by parks
and open space: the Experience-Based Park Access model (EBPA).

By shifting the focus away from outmoded measures of parcel size and Euclidean distance, the
EBPA model provides new LOS measures to advance the core goal of our park system: To
develop a geographically equitable park system that provides every citizen with convenient
access to a park, recreation, or cultural experience.

The EBPA model ensures that a comprehensive suite of objective data is utilized to inform
decisions on land acquisition and project prioritization. This allows for a better evaluation of
how parks, recreation, and cultural resources within the City of Raleigh actually function as a
dynamic system. Most importantly, this GIS model provides a better reflection of the reality on
the ground, with more accurate insights into exactly who is being served, what specific
experiences they have access to, and how to optimize the park planning process to deliver new
park access to the people who need it most.

1
General Statistics of Cities: 1916, Including Statistics of Parks, Playgrounds, Museums and Art Galleries, Zoological
Collections, Music and Entertainments, Swimming Pools and Bathing Beaches, and Other Features of the
Recreation Service. United States, Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Samuel L. Rogers, Director.
U.S. Government Printing Office (Washington, 1917).
2
General Statistics of Cities: 1916, p.23

1
II. Implementation
The Experience-Based Park Access model was developed to guide future land acquisition and
service delivery in order to build a more equitable and more accessible park system in Raleigh.
Ultimately, the 2014 PRCR System Plan established the long-term goal of connecting all Raleigh
residents with a park or greenway within a 1-mile walk of their homes. The EBPA model will be
integral to reaching that goal.

Prior to development of the EBPA model, LOS measurement and land acquisition was guided
by a more simplistic method of identifying search areas for new parks. Service areas were
defined by a Euclidean-distance buffer around a park property. The distance of the buffer
radius (1-mile, 2-miles, or 5-miles) depended on the size and classification of the park. Citizens
living within this buffer were considered served, and those areas outside of the buffer of any
park property were considered search areas.

This older method failed to take into account the realities of how citizens actually access parks.
A route from a home to a park along the actual street network is likely to be much longer than
the Euclidean distance from Point A to Point B. By employing network analysis based on street
network data, the EBPA model is able to better identify which neighborhoods have the hardest
time accessing parks. 3

The EBPA model also drastically improves the classification of search areas. Three core metrics
are used to measure citizens level of access to a park experience. 4 These base metrics can be
supplemented with demographic data to identify the precise neighborhoods of the City which
are most in need of improved access, classifying search areas based on how a new park or
amenity would impact the whole system. PRCR can now pursue land-acquisition and prioritize
capital improvement projects guided by a multidimensional LOS analysis that will model
exactly how new projects will improve citizens experiences.

Methodology

The Experience-Based Park Access model has four main uses: generating performance measures
related to the LOS, identifying search areas for land acquisition, targeting access improvements
to existing parks and greenway trails, and determining where to add new park amenities.

In order to measure annual changes in the system, the system itself had to be modeled. Data
collected in 2013 for the PRCR System Plan created an opportunity to enrich the PRCR GIS
inventory with citywide survey data on the park system. Using the 2013 statistics as the

3
A limitation of the current iteration of the EBPA model is that it relies on the Wake County Streets Network
Dataset, which lacks reliable sidewalk data. In the absence of this data, current efforts to approximate a pedestrian
network rely on street classifications, speed limits, and multi-use paths in the Citys greenway inventory. In some
cases, this limitation may result in overestimating the number of citizens with walkable access to a park.
4
See Methodology, Baseline Data (page 3) for more information on these metrics.

2
baseline, annual levels of service can be measured against those statistics to determine change
in the system. 5

Baseline Data
The model first identifies all parks offering a core park experience. Core park experiences, as
identified during the 2014 System Plan process, include opportunities for socializing, going to a
playground, open play, and walking or riding a bike.

The evaluation calls for the use of census block centroids, park access points, and the Wake
County street network. Access distance is measured from every populated census block within
the citys extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) to its closest core park experience using ESRIs
Network Analyst. The set of distance values are then used to determine the citywide mean
access distance of a census block to a core experience. Accessible parks per person and accessible
acreage per person are derived from the citywide mean access distance.

The EBPA model uses the following measures to evaluate access to the parks providing a core
experience:

(1) Distance to closest park 6 measures the network distance from each census block
centroid to the closest park access point. Using this methodology, citizens living within
1.29 miles of a core park experience were found to be within average or better-than-
average range of access. Equitable access is promoted by endeavoring to bring more
people within this range.
(2) The number of accessible parks per person 7 is calculated by dividing each park by the
total population of all of the surrounding census blocks within a network access distance
of 1.29-miles to determine parks/person. Each census block receives the sum of the
calculated number of parks/person for all parks within the 1.29-mile distance.
(3) The number of accessible park acres per person 8 is calculated by dividing the parks
acreage by the total population of all census blocks within a network access distance of
1.29-miles to determine acres/person. Each census block receives the sum of the
acres/person value of all parks within a 1.29-mile distance.

Once these three metrics are calculated, they are combined for each census block to generate an
overall access score. 9 The census block values are aggregated up to the census block group level
and are weighted by population. The population-weighted scores enable targeted land
acquisition and planning for park improvements in the areas that will have the greatest
impact. 10

5
See Appendix: Data, page A1
6
Figure 1, page A2
7
Figure 2, page A3
8
Figure 3, page A4
9
Figure 4, page A5 (total level of service for each populated census block)
10
Figure 5, page A6 (population-weighted park access score for each populated census block)

3
Toolsets

Three toolsets were developed for the areas of focus in the EBPA model: Level of Service
Toolset (LOS), Neighborhood & Community Connection Toolset (NCC) and Land Acquisition
Toolset (LA). Each toolset combines several ArcGIS geoprocessing tools via the Python scripting
language into Python Script Tools. All toolsets use preliminary Access Point Selection and
Route Creation tools used to calculate the distance measures from census block centroid to park
access point with respect to analysis year and type of analysis.

Level of Service (LOS) Toolset 11

The LOS Toolset is used to create the initial baseline statistics of the park system from the 2013
data. The three metrics, distance to closest park, accessible parks per person and accessible acres per
person are used to evaluate annual change in the system for the purposes of performance
measure reporting.

The toolset contains three sub-tools. First, the LOS Baseline tool calculates the baseline stats from
the selected year (currently 2013). Next, the LOS Current Year tool is used to run data from
subsequent years against 2013 statistics to measure the change in LOS. A third tool, LOS Five
Year runs similarly to the Current Year tool but uses five year projected population data to
estimate potential population growth and its effect on the Level of Service.

Neighborhood & Community Connection (NCC) Toolset 12

The NCC Toolset is used to target capital improvements for providing better access to existing
parks and greenways at the neighborhood level. Upon completion of the LOS Toolset, it
became clear that many areas of the city with a high need for park access were already in close
vicinity to an existing park. Many areas of need are only a few yards from the park borders, but
do not have direct walkable network access. To model this spatially, the Park Connections tool
was developed to evaluate actual vs. potential access to an experience at a local park level.

The Park Connections tool compares the Euclidean distance 13 and the network distance 14 of a
block to its local park(s). The ratio of network distance to Euclidean distance (i.e. circuitry) is
used to identify areas with poor actual access but great potential access. 15 The higher the
circuitry value, the further the travel distance is in comparison to straight-line distanceand
thus, the greater the potential for improved access. With the Circuitry values calculated for all
census blocks to all of its local parks, the parks can be ranked and prioritized for access-
improvement projects. 16

Using this tool, PRCR can achieve low-cost, high-impact access improvements for entire
neighborhoods by opening up a new park access point or developing a short connector trail.

11
See Appendix: Level of Service Toolset (page A1-A6) including Figures 1-5 (page A2-A6)
12
See Appendix: Neighborhood & Community Connections Toolset (page A7)
13
Figure 6 (page A7)
14
Figure 7 (page A8)
15
Figure 8 (page A9)
16
Figure 9 (page A10)

4
The Neighborhood & Community Connections Program uses the results of this analysis and
examines it alongside other geographic and demographic factors from other departments and
local governments. With the ability to successfully model park access improvements using the
Park Connections tool, a second access improvement tool (Greenway Connections) is currently
being developed specifically for evaluating access to greenway trails.

Land Acquisition (LA) Toolset 17

The LA Toolset was the initial goal and impetus for the development of the EBPA model. Its
desired use was twofold. First it would provide a way to evaluate the need and use of property
that became available to the PRCR department for purchase. Second, rather than remain solely
reactive in the case of property purchasing, the model would provide a proactive area of needs
analysis for the entire city in order to target land for purchase as a future park site.

The toolset consists of two sub-tools: the LA Current Year tool and the LA Future Year tool. Both
sub-tools are nearly identical to the sub-tools in the LOS toolset with one key difference.
Instead of only measuring access to parks with an existing core experience, all undeveloped
park properties with the potential to offer a core experience are also incorporated. 18 Potential
properties can be targeted for acquisition and by a measure of their future value to the park
system in areas where access or amenities cannot currently be improved. 19

III. Organizational Impact

The EBPA model is being continuously refined, expanded, and put to new use. The original
purpose of the model was to provide an analysis based on network access to identify search
areas for new parks. Additionally, it was hoped that a more sophisticated LOS analysis could be
used to measure annual change in the park systems service delivery as Raleighs population
continues to grow.

The EBPA model has achieved these goals, and has also opened up new opportunities to
improve planning processes within PRCR and the City of Raleigh as a whole. With the EBPA
model we know not only how far away a citizen is from a park experience, but we can identify
the most efficient means of improving their access (whether through land acquisition for a new
park, development of additional amenities on an existing property, or through the creation of
new means of access to open up more convenient routes).

The model and its results have changed the way annual performance measures are reported.
Instead of only reporting the raw acreage or number of parks, these metrics are now evaluated
based on how those metrics are distributed among the growing city population. These
performance measures are a better means of tracking progress toward the goals established in
the 2014 PRCR System Plan and Raleighs city-wide Strategic Plan, adopted in 2015.

Upon completion, the Neighborhood & Community Connections program will use the EBPA

17
See Appendix: Land Acquisition Toolset (page A11)
18
Figure 10 (page A11)
19
Figure 11 (page A12)

5
model and NCC Toolset to direct the use of $1 million in funding from the 2014 Parks Bond to
improve neighborhood connections to the Citys system of parks and greenways. A key priority
of the N&CC Program is to promote equity in the park system by specifically targeting these
investments in neighborhoods with high vulnerability to negative health outcomes. Providing
high-vulnerability neighborhoods with more convenient opportunities for walkable access to
outdoor park experiences is associated with increased physical activity and improved health of
residents. 20,21 Directing investments to these most vulnerable areas is essential to promoting
equitable outcomes.

The N&CC program uses the flexibility of the EBPA model to incorporate a social vulnerability
index dataset developed by Wake County. 22 The demographic data from the vulnerability index
supplements the population-weighted access scores of the EBPA model to identify and
prioritize projects based on which will have the most profound effect on increasing park access
for the populations that are most in need, thereby promoting the overall equity of the park
system. The EBPA model has been essential to the administration of this program, enabling
PRCR staff to incorporate multiple layers of demographic data seamlessly with network access
analysis, much more efficiently than would otherwise be possible.

Currently, the EBPA model is being used by PRCR planning and executive staff, with input and
collaboration from the nonprofit partner City of Oaks Foundation, Wake County, and other
departments within the City of Raleigh such as Planning, Transportation, and Real Estate. Web
applications and interactive viewers are in development to bring the information to other
departments and for wider public use.

20
Kaczynski, A. T., & Henderson, K. A. 2007. Environmental correlates of physical activity: A review of evidence
about Parks and Recreation. Leisure Sciences. 29(4):315-354.
21
Blanck, H., Allen, D., Bashir, Z., Gorden, N., Goodman, A., Merriam, D. & Rutt, Candice. 2012. Lets go to the Park
Today: The Role of Parks in Obesity Prevention and Improving the Publics Health. Childhood Obesity.
22
2014 Vulnerability Assessment Index. Interactive map available online at:
http://wake.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Viewer/index.html?appid=0a819c62578e41ccbab77003dd3b0a43
This series contains the five indicators from the ACS 2010-2014 five year average. The indicators used are: (1) % of
persons living below the federal poverty rate; (2) % of unemployed civilians age 16 and over in the labor force; (3)
% of youth under age 18 + % of adults age 65 and over; (4) % of vacant housing units; (5) % of adults ages 25-64
who did not earn a high school diploma or equivalent (GED). Each characteristic is displayed separately along with
the total Vulnerability Index Ranking.

6
 Appendix
Data
Data used for developing the Experience-Based Park Access model (EBPA) was collected from
the PRCR inventory and a 2013 survey collected for the 2014 PRCR System Plan. The survey
found that 77% of Raleighs citizens were satisfied with PRCR services. The 2013 data was used
to determine baseline statistics in order to maintain and improve upon that level of citizen
satisfaction. The 2010 US Census Block and Block Group geographic units are used with
demographic data from ESRIs ArcGIS Online Data Enrichment tool.

Data Type Source

Park Access Point Point PRCR GIS Inventory

Street Network Network Dataset Wake County Streets

Census Geography Units Polygon, Point US Census

Population Estimates Table ESRI Demographic Data

Network Routes Line Derived

A1
Level of Service Toolset (LOS)
The results of the LOS toolset contain Census Block level data for the baseline year (currently
2013) and subsequent years requested. Each block contains information from each EBPA metric:
distance to closest park (Fig. 1), accessible parks per person (Fig. 2) and accessible acres per
person (Fig. 3).

Figure 1. Distance to Closest Park

Distance to closest park measures the network distance from each census block centroid to the
closest park access point. Using this methodology, citizens living within 1.29 miles of a core
park experience were found to be within average or better-than-average range of access.
Equitable access is promoted by endeavoring to bring more people within this range.

A2
 Figure 2. Accessible Parks per Person

The number of accessible parks per person is calculated by dividing each park by the total
population of all of the surrounding census blocks within a network access distance of 1.29-
miles to determine parks/person. Each census block receives the sum of the calculated number
of parks/person for all parks within the 1.29-mile distance.

A3
 Figure 3. Accessible Acreage per Person

The number of accessible park acres per person is calculated by dividing the parks acreage by the
total population of all census blocks within a network access distance of 1.29-miles to determine
acres/person. Each census block receives the sum of the acres/person value of all parks within a
1.29-mile distance.

A4
 Figure 4. Level of Service

The three metrics are combined to measure total level of service for each populated census
block (Fig. 4).

A5
 Figure 5. Park Access

The values are then aggregated to block group level and weighted by total population within
Raleighs extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). This weighting improves the ability to target high
impact areas for planning purposes. The block groups are then ranked for all census block
groups containing a census block inside of Raleighs ETJ (Fig. 5)

A6
Neighborhood & Community Connections Toolset (NCC)
Using EBPA baseline statistics, citizens within 1.29 miles of a park experience were found to be
within the average to higher than average access in relation to all citizens within the ETJ. Within
this range access can be improved through new connections, bringing those citizens closer to
the goal of the 2014 System Plan, while those above this range would require other methods of
improvement found in the model.

To target parks with the potential for new connections, two service areas are created to compare
two distance measures; a 1.29 mile radial buffer using Euclidean distance from the park borders
and a 1.29 mile network buffer using street network distance from its access point(s).

The Euclidean service area is used to show all blocks that are potentially within an accessible
distance if new connections are created (Fig. 6). The network service area represents the blocks
currently within an accessible distance (Fig. 7).

Figure 6. Euclidean Distance from Census Block to Park Boundary

A7
 Figure 7. Network Distance from Census Block to Park Access Point

The network service area, represented in blue, contains all census blocks that are currently
within an accessible network access distance of an existing park access point.

A8
 Figure 8. Circuitry Values from Census Block to Park

The ratio of network distance to straight-line distance (Circuitry) of the blocks is used to
determine where access is low. The higher the circuitry value, the further the travel distance is
in comparison to straight-line distance (Fig. 8). Circuitry is used as an indicator of potential for
improved access.

A9
 Figure 9. Circuitry Values for All Parks

With the Circuitry values calculated for all census blocks, the parks can be ranked and
prioritized for access improvement projects or further analysis. Circuitry identifies parks that
could benefit from access point additions or improvements (Fig. 9).

A10
Land Acquisition (LA) Toolset
The results of the Land Acquisition toolset contain Census Block level data for the current year
and the five year population projection. The block contains similar information to the LOS
toolset (See Fig. 4) but assumes every park property in the system has an existing core
experience. With all park properties included and given access points, areas that cannot benefit
from other access improvement options can be targeted for land acquisition (Fig. 10).

Figure 10. Access to All Parks

A11
 Figure 11. Land Acquisition Need

The values from LA results are also aggregated to block group level and ranked for all census
block groups containing a census block inside Raleighs extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) (Fig.
11).

A12
Staff Contacts

TJ McCourt
Planner
City of Raleigh
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department
Park Development and Communications
919.996.6079

Cassie Schumacher-Georgopoulos
Senior Planner
City of Raleigh
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department
Park Development and Communications
919.996.4797

Rob Siwiec, GISP

GIS Analyst
City of Raleigh
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department
Park Development and Communications
919.996.4795

A13