Park Supply and Demand Part II: Downtown Silver Spring

Abstract

As Downtown Silver Spring continues to urbanize, it becomes increasingly important to provide its residents and workforce with adequate recreational space. In conjunction with the the Maryland- National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), this report investigates which areas of Downtown Silver Spring are adequately served by parks and those that lack robust access to these facilities. Using an ArcGIS-based model that combines pedestrian and bicycle access, population demographics, and data on local parks, our model assesses the degree to which Downtown Silver Spring’s residents and workforce have adequate access to parks. The report begins with a literature review on the value of parks and summarizes ways that supply and demand for recreational space have been geospatially analyzed. The second section details the methodology used to create the supply and demand model. The results section offers an analysis of gaps in park supply and demand, combining findings with population and workforce data. The report concludes with a list of recommendations to assist M-NCPPC in planning for parks in Downtown Silver Spring. Part I: http://hdl.handle.net/1903/21104