JUNE 2007

We asked nearly 2,000 professionals from across the industry about their experience with facility operations, staffing, programming, building and much more. Here, we summarize the results from all facility types.

In this section, we consider trends in recreation, fitness and sports facilities from a regional perspective. Learn which region is expecting the most growth in usage of its facilities, and which is planning more synthetic fields than the others.

With urban facilities offering more indoor options, rural communities providing more outdoor options, and suburban communities offering a little bit of everything, it's easy to see that trends in managed recreation differ from town to town, and city to city.

Parks and recreation departments build our communities, connecting people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds with opportunities for recreation, leisure, fitness, education and much more. Read on to learn more about what trends are having the greatest impact on these facilities.

One industry expert likened the increasing number of outstanding recreation facilities on college campuses to an arms race. We take a look at major trends affecting campus recreation and tap industry experts for their interpretation of the top issues reported in our survey.

At schools across the country, recess and physical education are being sacrificed, and the ever-growing problem of childhood obesity is becoming a growing concern. This section of the report explores the trends in sports, recreation and fitness among schools.

With the prevalence of obesity increasing at an alarming rate, we turn to YMCAs, health clubs and other fitness-related facilities to provide lifetime solutions to getting more active. Here, we consider some of the major trends in these facilities, including major differences between nonprofit YMCAs and for-profit health clubs.