Date of Award

5-2019

Document Type

Terminal Project

Degree Name

Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP)

Department

City Planning & Real Estate Development

Committee Member

Dr. Cliff Ellis, Committee Chair

Committee Member

Dr. Barry Nocks

Abstract

The City of Greenville has varied park use in their neighborhood parks. There is currently no standard methodology that the City of Greenville uses to assess different community parks for use. This study provides a methodology for assessing park use, focusing on what elements attract or deter the local community members in the surrounding areas. Measuring the use of park facilities benefits the City and the community because it helps to show a return on investment and prioritize future resources by learning about usage patterns.

This research was a pilot study, using Holmes Park and the surrounding neighborhoods as the pilot study area. Holmes Park was used as a pilot to evaluate the feasibility and time associated with conducting a similar study for other parks in Greenville. The findings from this study are specific to Holmes Park because the nature of the park itself and the surrounding community are unique, although the findings may be relevant to other areas with similar demographics. However, this methodology can be duplicated by the City of Greenville to assess other parks and communities in a similar way.

In partnership with the City of Greenville’s Parks and Recreation and Public Information and Events Departments, Clemson University Master of City and Regional Planning Candidate, Victoria Wornom, investigated the elements that affect neighborhood park use in Holmes Park through:

1. An analysis of the demographics in the surrounding area,

2. A Community Park Audit,

3. Key Informant Interviews, and

4. A Community Survey

Through this mixed-method study, a better gauge of what elements attract and deter users to Holmes Park was gained. Based on the findings from this study, recommendations were made for making improvements to Holmes Park to attract more users and how to best utilize this methodology in the future for other parks in Greenville.

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