Council Connection is an NRPA Business Council-led learning series aimed at addressing the most pressing topics in parks and recreation today. These sessions are led by subject matter experts on the council, developed in collaboration with park practitioners, and are designed to foster leadership and innovation. Check out these sessions to unlock valuable insights today!

Find previously live Park Access Network content here! Park and recreation professionals have the tools and resources to lead localized, anti-racist solutions that advance the multitude of benefits derived from equitable park access and climate-resilient park systems. The Park Access Network is an open community bringing together diverse professionals to facilitate conversations and best practices among peers to drive systemic changes that advance equitable and resilient park access.

Released December 2024! Enjoy this session from the NRPA 2024 Virtual Conference! Across the United States, more than 100 million people — including 28 million children — do not have access to a high-quality park within a 10-minute walk of home. This might appear to be a problem for city park and recreation agencies to solve, but new research from Trust for Public Land (TPL) suggests local agencies are not the primary actors in acquiring or opening new local parks. Instead, city planning and economic development agencies — which oversee residential development policies — and real estate developers are the key driver of parkland acquisition and creation. A TPL review of park and greenway openings between 2018 and 2023 across 10 representative U.S. cities finds that across 76 openings in these cities, 67 percent were built on land acquired from real estate developers via municipal requirements for either land donations or fees to fund the acquisition of park space needed for residents of their new development. There are two primary ways cities are acquiring parkland as part of real estate development: parkland dedication ordinances and impact fees. This presentation will share an overview of these policy mechanisms and summarize how cities can structure these policies to ensure the park access gap doesn't widen.

Released December 2024! Enjoy this session from the NRPA 2024 Virtual Conference! As the adage goes, “Times have changed,” and so must our recruitment practices. The traditional approach of asking candidates to simply submit qualifications is no longer sufficient. To stay innovative and attract top-tier talent, parks and recreation professionals need to embrace unconventional hiring practices. We will delve into the transformative approach adopted by the City of Las Vegas. In a groundbreaking initiative, the city organized a unique hiring event designed to evaluate potential team members beyond their qualifications. The emphasis was on identifying individuals who not only possessed the necessary skills but also harmonized with the existing team’s culture. This carefully curated event featured a diverse panel of interviewers representing five agencies and varying roles. Learn firsthand how this innovative hiring strategy allowed the City of Las Vegas to attract quality team members for a pioneering project. Discover the keys to fostering a culture fit, creating a dynamic team synergy, and ensuring long-term success in the ever-evolving landscape of parks and recreation. Explore the future of recruitment with us as we redefine the hiring process, embracing strategies that align with the expectations and preferences of the new generation of professionals.

The CPRP Certification Exam Preparation Kit includes: Operations Module Finance Module Human Resources Module Programming Module Communications Module CPRP Certification Practice Exam