Drowning rates have been relatively flat for the past couple of decades, but grassroots organizations across the country, as well as innovative manufacturers, have been working toward solutions.

They say two heads are better than one, and in the case of providing programs and services to the community, sometimes it pays to partner up with another organization.

The best playgrounds encourage kids to stretch beyond their comfort zone and take some risks—but they do it without compromising safety.

From wildfires to hurricanes and more, Mother Nature can do a lot of damage. Parks and recreation areas that are faced with natural disasters should have plans in place to recover smoothly.

In our first summary report of Aquatic Trends, we surveyed nearly 1,000 aquatics professionals to find out more about the equipment and amenities found in their facilities, as well as programming, regulatory compliance, major challenges and issues, and much more.

Access to parks and recreation—both places and programs—can improve a community’s health and cohesiveness. Here, we take a closer look at how park districts across the country are expanding access through outreach to underserved audiences.

Expanding access to swimming and sports programs often means constructing an enclosure to contain those programs during inclement weather. Alternative structure solutions make it simple.

Whether you're looking to build a field for baseball, soccer, football or lacrosse, and whether you're opting for natural or synthetic turf, you need to ask a lot of questions up front to get the most out of your investment.

Creative design takes visitors up into the trees at this unique nature play area in Michigan.

Simple upgrades in the locker room can make a big impression. Changing to single-use locks can have a big impact on managing your locker rooms, as well as the way users perceive your facility.

If you’ve been itching to get your words into print, here’s some expert advice on how to hit the ball out of the park.

Now that industry has largely left the waterfront, many communities are finding new ways to develop these amenities into recreational destinations.

Parks for pets and people need more than just a fence and waste receptacles. To ensure a safe and effective dog park, you need to know some best practices.

Locker room design has come a long way in the past few decades, providing more comfortable amenities that are sure to please patrons.

Recreation, sports and fitness facilities need the right kind of surface to serve the needs of people who are playing sports, working out and getting fit. Here’s some things to consider when making your selection.

At this new playground in Hendersonville, Tenn., kids of all abilities can play side-by-side.

A little-used skatepark gets transformed into a mini golf course, providing fun for all ages.

When people entrust your staff to keep an eye on their kids while they work out, you’re taking on an important responsibility. Here are some best practices that can help you better manage child watch programs.

The challenges of modern-day park design are being met by innovative thinkers who are finding new ways to balance demographics, political forces, investment priorities, geography and other contributing factors.

Most playgrounds feature an array of apparatuses for children to grow their physical, emotional, cognitive and other skills. But choosing the right playground equipment requires a few first steps.

Selecting site furnishings for public spaces requires careful thought. Choices should be functional and practical, while also presenting a certain aesthetic.

When you want to provide adventure to your patrons, there are few better options than climbing walls and challenge courses. Learn more about how to bring these amenities to your facility.

To keep your swimming pool safe for swimmers and the water sparkling and clear, you need to take care of daily, weekly, monthly and other regular tasks. Here's an overview of some smart maintenance practices.

From clever programming that immerses people in nature to education and initiatives to preserve and conserve, parks and recreation organizations continue to spread the word on environmental awareness.

From new playgrounds and amenities to improving streetscapes with trees, New York City has been making impressive strides in its already-impressive parks.

If you want to promote your programs and places, be smart and establish some best practices that will keep your marketing plan strong for the long term.

Outdoor sporting events are fun for everyone, until the weather turns. It’s crucial when planning events of all kinds to be aware of the potential for lightning.

Diverse aquatic programming and the diverse communities it serves have had a big impact on the way natatoriums are designed.

In this feature, industry experts discuss the latest trends in outdoor aquatic park design, including some of the more popular amenities and the challenges of designing such facilities.

When the weather gets hot, people of all ages flock to the water, which is one of the reasons why splash play is so popular. With the tremendous growth in these amenities has come a wave of savvy new offerings.

Not every facility can reach the heights of technology found in a professional arena, but smart ways to engage fans and players have trickled down from the big leagues, bringing video boards, better connectivity and more to a new generation of sports fans.

The role of landscape design in recreational spaces has evolved to include ADA requirements, sustainability trends and multi-use areas flexible enough to draw as many people as possible.

In this feature, industry experts discuss the latest trends in multipurpose facility design, as well as the common elements that are essential in these facilities.

The latest fitness facilities are focused on more than physical health, increasingly providing space for social interaction and even connection with the outdoors.

At Weber State, a little-used rooftop courtyard atop an athletic building gets a major refresh, bringing popular picklepall programming to students and staff.

At this recreation center, sustainability is one of the keys to effective design.

Communities looking to serve the needs of all have branched out when it comes to aquatic center design, providing far more than a simple place to swim laps.

Meeting the needs of your facility’s users while also hosting special events can be tricky. Be proactive and have a plan in place to make the most of your campus recreation facilities.

Nearly 1,600 professionals responded to our call for information about their facilities, budgets, construction plans, operations, programming, staffing and more. Here, we summarize their responses.

In this section, we cover the trends in aquatic facilities, including indoor and outdoor pools, splash play areas, waterparks and spas.

The largest number of survey respondents come from parks and recreation organizations. In this section, we take a look at trends in their parks and facilities.

Colleges and universities continue to struggle with state-level budget cuts, but providing wellness, sports, fitness and recreation to students is still a way to stand out from other campuses.

Schools and school districts provide a huge range of services, from simple youth sports programs to shared community facilities. This section takes a look at trends among school respondents.

Respondents from health clubs, fitness clubs, sports clubs and medical fitness facilities provide unique offerings focused on fitness and wellness. Here's a look at the trends among these facilities.

These nonprofit facilities tend to provide a huge range of programs for people of all ages. Here we take a look at the latest trends for these facilities.

Hard on the heels of our annual State of the Industry Report, we offer up our annual examination of careers, salaries and demographics of more than 1,400 professionals managing recreation, sports and fitness facilities and programs.

Before making decisions about playground safety surfaces, it's important to consider how your specifics—from climate and usage to maintenance capabilities and budget—will affect the surface over time.

Learn-to-swim is the foundation on which aquatic programming is built, for the most part, but adding in recreational and therapeutic elements offers a chance to expand your audience.

While some fitness programs maintain popularity over time, there is always something new under the sun. Learn the latest trends so you can meet the demand of your members and entice new visitors.

Planning for any recreation facility includes many important decisions, but communication is one of the keys, including transparency about the project goals and execution process.

As one of the most inclusive amenities for public spaces, outdoor fitness equipment has greatly evolved over the past decade and now provides a vast range of activities for users of nearly every age and fitness level.

Most Americans are not getting enough exercise, eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight or avoiding nicotine. This concerning statistic reinforces the role that local government parks and recreation departments can play in elevating the importance of wellness as a lifestyle choice and providing citizens with affordable, convenient access to fitness services and public resources.

When you have a crowd, you want to make sure everyone is safe as can be. Here, we take a look at modern strategies for managing crowds and maintaining security.

Welcome to our annual Problem-Solver Idea Book.

Packed with scores of ideas, this reference tool was designed to help you tackle your most persistent and universal challenges, covering all the big basic questions. Consider it an industry guidebook of sorts, chock full of straightforward problem-solving tips.

AQUATICS

Understand Aquatic Surface Standards

Simplify Pool Water Maintenance

Provide Safe Pool Sanitization

Program Your Pool for Kids

Prevent Drowning at Lifeguarded Pools

Renovate Your Pool Affordably

Maintain Consistent Water Quality

Provide Aquatic Play for All

Provide All-Weather Aquatics

Expand Your Water Play Options

Maintain a Safe Bathing Environment

EVENTS

Find Flexible Seating Solutions

Find the Right Audio Solution

PARK & SITE FURNISHINGS

Choose "Green" Materials

Maintain Your Picnic Tables

Find Attractive, Eco-Friendly Furnishings

Get Smart About Waste

PLAYGROUNDS

Encourage Inclusive Play

Learn About Play Equipment Certification

Encourage Activity With Play

SHELTERS, SHADE & RESTROOMS

Find Effective Restroom Solutions

Transform Your Space With Shade

Customize Shelters for Your Site

SITE DEVELOPMENT & MAINTENANCE

Create Year-Round Fun

Maintain Your Grounds

Create a Waterfront Destination

SPORTS & FITNESS FACILITIES

Provide Fitness Options for Everyone

Create a Bike-Friendly Community

Retrofit Lights With LEDs

Boost Excitement With Ninja Programs

Select a Volleyball System

Simplify Purchasing for Your Facility

Keep Locker Rooms Clean & Dry

Fitness and recreation facilities provide life-changing programming that doesn’t always stop at the door. Community engagement and activity beyond the walls of the facility can make a big impact.

Celebrating 20 years of Recreation Management, we talked to experts from multiple fields about what's changed in recreation, sports and fitness over the past two decades—and what changes might be coming down the pike.

If you want your swimming pool to attract more visitors, it's important to meet a range of needs and desires. In this feature, we take a look at some of the most innovative ways to outfit an aquatic venue for fun, fitness and more.

Creating an engaging and effective event doesn't need to be a chore. Here, we talked to experts in event planning to uncover some best practices and smart, innovative approaches to help you put your best face forward.

Outdoor fitness opportunities make it easier for everyone to engage in wellness. And with new equipment options being introduced all the time, you have more ways than ever to expand your audience.

From restrooms that feature plumbing and electricity to simple structures that simply give visitors a place to go, a multitude of restroom structure designs, customizations and options are available.

Creating an Olympic venue that continues to deliver value to the community has been a tough nut to crack. The Richmond Oval in British Columbia gets the job done.

This brand-new recreation center in Aurora, Colo., provides views both indoors and out.

Central Park has been on a mission to revitalize its many playgrounds.

Providing activities for individuals with visual and auditory impairments is important to your inclusion strategy. Here’s a wide range of ideas to get you started.

Adding secondary sanitation needn’t break the bank when you take advantage of grant opportunities. The bonus? You can also save energy and other resources.

Whether they are indoors or outdoors, waterparks provide a fun escape for people of all ages. Here, we take a closer look at some of the latest rides and trends in marketing, with ideas to help you bring more people to your own facility.

Splash play areas continue to evolve, with more ways to make sure people of all ages and abilities can have fun and cool off.

Efficiency and smarter, more ecological practices are the name of the game when it comes to grounds maintenance. From sports fields to open spaces, learn more about the equipment and practices you need to get the job done right.

From elaborate structures that serve as park centerpieces to simpler shelters that offer an easy way to get out of the weather, we cover all of the ways shelters and shade structures can help improve your site.

For fans and players alike, the right scoring, lighting and sound systems make a big difference in the enjoyment of the game, whether it's football, soccer, baseball, swimming or any other sport.

At this small North Carolina university, a swimming coach understands the value of good indoor air quality, and as a result, the aquatic facility is a home to champions.

In 2013, Botetourt County citizens approached the regional Y to ask for their own facility. The resulting Botetourt Family YMCA is the fifth location in the YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge system.

Rec centers provide a wide range of services no matter where they are located. But in some of the most rural communities, it’s crucial to understand your audience before you begin.

Multigenerational play—with elements for keeping families active together—is one of the driving forces in the most recent playground designs, but that's not all. Playground manufacturers continue to innovate on inclusion, nature-connected play and more.

When it's not properly managed, the air in natatoriums and other indoor aquatic facilities can become harmful—especially for lifeguards and frequent users. Learn more about how the industry is trying to tackle this challenge.

Thoughtfully planned trails and greenways can provide a myriad of conservation benefits—from preserving ecosystems to providing a pollution-free way for commuters to get from here to there.

As fitness routines continue to evolve, so does the demand for innovative fitness equipment. Meeting those needs means more technological connection, more opportunities to engage in a wider variety of activities, and better maintenance ideas to keep it all up and running.

The design of a new whitewater park in Fort Collins, Colo., aims to create a space where everyone in the community can find a way to enjoy the river.

To ensure you are doing all you can to promote safety and effective pool operations, it is wise to focus on standards for equipment, like the new NSF/ANSI 50 standard, which covers aquatic safety surfaces.