Empty Open Grass: Does St. George Have Too Many Parks?

Does St. George and surrounding towns have too many parks? First off let me say, I love how every neighborhood has a park and the friendly feeling it gives Southern Utah. However, some of these parks are way underused and there might be reasons.

What Research Says About Park Usage

A Utah author named Keunhyun Park, ironic name, presented a Ted Talk where he dug into how much parks are used in the United States and around the world. He found the United States averages just 2 persons per acre of park. That is lower than other parts of the world.

Driving around St. George, there are many parks that have maybe two people and many that are empty most of the day. Are these parks accomplishing their purpose? They do look nice and calming even when no one is in them.

Characteristics of Popular Parks: What Sets Them Apart?

There are parks like the one downtown by the Children's Museum that are always busy. What is the difference? Park, the author, notes three things that make a park something people will use.

The first is a memorable feature. This is what he describes as something you would post on Instagram. The park downtown has the river and the splash pad. Two features that make it unique.

Parks that are sometimes underused. David Hiatt/ TSM Photo

Diversifying Park Activities for All Ages

The second feature that makes a park get used more is multiple things to do. Parks with playground equipment and pickle ball courts appeal to different ages and interests. There are many features that can be added that make it less generic.

The last thing he notes is its accessibility. This is where I think Southern Utah has done well. There are parks close to houses and people can easily walk to them. You can see this in parks that are packed with parents and kids every evening.

Maybe Southern Utah doesn't have too many parks. Maybe we just need to take a look at the parks we have and ask what is missing that keeps these green spaces from being used more.