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.

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.