There are many additional resources available for free that provide data and maps to assist your agency in operating more efficiently. From the county-level to your local neighborhood, these public resources serve as a starting point for exploring data on a variety of topics. Whether you are creating a master plan, facilitating long-range planning, or building a park and facility maintenance schedule, these mapping systems and data repositories can provide key insights.
NRPA Resources
NRPA's Evaluation Resource Hub helps park and recreation professionals and advocates measure the community impact of their agency’s amenities, offerings and services. Learn how you can make the case for more funding and demonstrate your value to your community and key stakeholders.
Access Evaluation Resource Hub
NRPA partnered with Sasaki, leaders in design and planning, to develop Climate.Park.Change., a web-based toolkit that provides park and recreation professionals with a comprehensive examination of climate change risks and strategies. The toolkit compiles data on how climate change is affecting park and recreation spaces and offers physical design and community solutions to address climate impacts and other challenges. Research, interviews and testing with park and recreation professionals and agencies contributed to the tool. While this pilot toolkit focuses on the Intermountain West region, the threats and strategies are relevant to park and recreation systems across the country.
Access Toolkit
Community Commons is a place where data, tools, and stories come together to inspire change and improve communities. Public access to thousands of data layers allows mapping and reporting capabilities for thoroughly exploring community health. The goal of Community Commons is to increase the impact of those working toward healthy, equitable, and sustainable communities. Providing access to tools helps users gain a deeper understanding of community assets and then use data visualizations to convey that knowledge through partnerships and collaboration.
Social Explorer is a demographic data visualization and research website designed to engage users through dynamic maps and customizable reports. From research libraries to classrooms to government agencies to corporations to the front page of the New York Times, Social Explorer helps the public engage with society and science.
The National Equity Atlas serves as a tool for the growing movement to create a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient economy. It is a comprehensive resource for data to track, measure, and make a case for inclusive growth in America’s regions, and states, and nationwide. The Atlas contains data on demographic change, racial and economic inclusion, and the potential economic gains from racial equity.
The National Association of Counties has developed a visualization tool that provides key county-level information on a wide variety of topics: demographics, the economy, education, healthcare, and public safety. An interactive map allows users to explore a variety of indicators, such as population density, median household income, and number of endangered and threatened species. County profiles are provided to highlight data and information related to key policies and legislation.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), an independent global health research center at the University of Washington, created this interactive map in which you can explore health trends in the United States at the county level for both sexes in life expectancy, hypertension, obesity and physical activity. This research helps provide a foundation for informed decision-making and community action toward eating healthier and increasing physical activity.
If you have any questions about accessing these resources, please contact Melissa May, Senior Research Manager.
