Parks provide many benefits, including recreation, public health, economic development, climate resilience, ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and community well-being. This webinar introduces participants to contemporary frameworks for understanding the value of parks, including anthropocentric, biocentric, and pluricentric perspectives on human-nature relationships. It will explore this multiplicity of park benefits, from recreation and tourism to health, ecosystem services, and even values to non-users, and introduces the major economic valuation methods used to estimate them. Drawing on hypothetical case studies, participants will learn how valuation evidence can support park planning, investment, conservation, and management decisions.

Through hundreds of conversations with parks and recreation professionals and agency leaders nationwide, the RecLess team has developed a broad view of the trends, innovations, and emerging priorities influencing the future of the profession. These insights provide a unique lens into how agencies are evolving to meet changing community needs, enhance user experiences, and create more impactful parks, programs, and public spaces. Tom Norquist will add perspective from his work with PlayCore and the Auburn University Research and Innovation Center, where research, innovation, and industry collaboration help shape new ideas and opportunities for parks and recreation agencies.

Virginia Burt, FCSLA, FASLA, will explore how accessible landscape architecture can move beyond baseline compliance to create outdoor environments where people of all abilities feel welcomed, supported, and able to participate fully. Through a practical, people-centered lens, Virginia will examine how site planning, sensory-rich design, material selection, circulation, and maintenance can work together to foster belonging across parks, playgrounds, public spaces, and community landscapes. This presentation is brought to you in partnership with the Landscape Architecture Foundation.

Creating welcoming parks, recreation programs, and public spaces requires more than meeting accessibility standards; it demands intentional systems that foster belonging. This session explores how organizations can move beyond compliance by embedding inclusive planning, design, operations, and leadership practices into everyday decision-making. Participants will examine practical frameworks, organizational strategies, and real-world examples that strengthen access, improve user experiences, and create environments where people of all ages and abilities feel valued, connected, and empowered to participate.

Play Frisco was created out of a simple but powerful realization: while the City of Frisco invests heavily in parks, programs, and facilities, play wasn’t always showing up as a daily habit for residents or even staff. The question shifted from “What do we offer?” to “Are people actually playing?” Building on the city’s broader vision for health, community connection, and quality of life, Play Frisco emerged as a unifying call to action; one that reframes play as essential, not optional. It was designed to be bigger than a program or campaign. Instead, it’s a mindset that encourages residents, employees, and leaders to intentionally create moments of play in everyday life. By aligning messaging, programming, and partnerships across departments, Play Frisco helps make play visible, accessible, and culturally expected. It invites everyone from staff to residents to visitors to community leaders to model and normalize play as part of what makes Frisco thrive. At its core, Play Frisco answers one simple question: Have you played today?

Park and recreation agencies often know they need an ADA Transition Plan but lack clarity on how to develop one that effectively guides accessibility improvements. This webinar explains Title II requirements and the “program access” standard as they apply to parks, trails, playgrounds, and recreation facilities. Participants will learn the key components of a defensible ADA Transition Plan, including barrier identification, prioritization, cost estimating, timelines, and public engagement to support safe, inclusive, and compliant recreation environments.

Sustainable maintenance programs are essential for safe, accessible, and long-lasting playgrounds in schools and communities. In recognition of National Playground Safety Week 2026 (April 20-24), this webinar will provide actionable strategies for maintaining compliant and hazard-free play environments. Participants will gain insights into finding qualified playground inspectors, understanding key ADA compliance requirements for maintenance staff, and implementing surfacing maintenance best practices. Routine inspections and proactive maintenance help preserve playground investments, support accessibility, and create safer play spaces that promote healthy risk-taking and fun for all children.

Choosing the right bleachers or grandstands is not always an easy task. Selecting the appropriate equipment to suit the specific needs of each facility is an important factor in providing comfort, appeal, and meaningful use. Make a Stand explores the evolution of stadiums, grandstands, and bleachers, offers the different features and benefits of various types of seating, addresses current standards and criteria, and provides selection, installation, and maintenance information, along with case examples that share the stories of those who have successfully implemented projects in their community and/or school.