Parks and other urban natural spaces are increasingly becoming recognized as valuable for supporting socially healthier urban communities. Currently, however, there remains a relative shortage of empirical research specifically evaluating the relationship. This study explores psychological sense of community (PSOC) and its relationship to urban parks, using survey data collected in Norfolk, Virginia. Regression, t-test, and chi square analyses were used to examine how park use frequency and proximity are related to overall PSOC and its components. Our findings suggest that park use has a relationship to PSOC among respondents in our sample. More significantly for park planners and managers, our results also suggest that the presence of nearby parks, regardless of visitation, also has a positive relationship to PSOC.

Eleven conceptual models that illustrate the relationship between ethnicity/race and recreation are examined. From Lindsay and Ogle (1972) to Floyd, Gramman, and Saenz (1993), the reader is taken through the array of theoretical models that have been used to determine recreation participation by ethnic/racial groups in America. A new conceptual model is created that incorporates elements from each of the previous 11 models. This new model is termed the Ethnicity and Public Recreation Participation Model (EPRP Model) © . The EPRP Model is introduced as a viable theoretical framework for studying and measuring the relationship between ethnic/racial factors and recreation participation.

Dog parks have the potential to be sites that engender community benefits. The purpose of this study is to examine whether dog parks, as places providing social interaction opportunities with other dog owners, can engender perceived social cohesion. Dog parks represent small-scale places where social interaction can occur to improve the personal connections and interpersonal interactions that facilitate neighborhood livability and urban quality of life. The theoretical frameworks of bridging and bonding social capital were explored, in terms of weak/bridging and strong/bonding social ties, as aspects affecting perceived neighborhood social cohesion. We hypothesized that both bridging/weak ties and bonding/strong ties were precursors to neighborhood social cohesion but explored the extent to which weak and strong social ties impact social cohesion in a simultaneous or stepwise manner. Our findings indicate support for the latter.

This study examines the phenomenon of surf localism among local Costa Rican and foreign resident surfers in Pavones, Costa Rica, a well-known surf break considered the second longest left-breaking wave in the world. A multidisciplinary territoriality framework is used to explore the ways in which surfers expressed ownership, defined boundaries and regulated behavior in the surf break. Using an ethnographic approach, the first author engaged in participant observation in the surf and the community. She also conducted interviews with Costa Rican residents, resident foreigners and tourists. The findings indicate a number of differences between Costa Rican surfers and resident foreigners with regard to ownership, boundary definition and regulating behavior. Costa Rican surfers felt a greater sense of ownership for the surf break, but were less likely to start verbal or physical conflicts with other surfers than resident foreigners. Resident foreigners indicated feeling a right to the surf break, more so than ownership, and were more likely to verbally confront tourists who were not following surf etiquette. There was also evidence of a cyclical pattern of localism. Many participants blamed conflicts between surfers on increased crowding. The results also highlight the importance of constant destination monitoring in order to ensure a positive surfing experience for Costa Ricans, foreigners and tourists in a community highly reliant on surf tourism income.