Serving Communities Through Mobile Recreation

It typically takes a lot of time and money to acquire land and build new parks. In fact, it typically takes years before new parks can be provided due to financial, bureaucratic and political issues, and other constraints. Recognizing the urgency and need to meet the needs of park-poor communities, a growing number of cities have launched mobile recreation programs to serve residents, especially children, in under-resourced neighborhoods.

Tulsa is the latest municipality to start such a program. The city was recently selected as a recipient of a $40,000 grant from the National Parks and Recreation Association (NPRA) and The Walt Disney Company to improve access to youth sports and outdoor play. With the grant, Tulsa Parks has started a new program called “Rec ‘N’ Roll”  which involves a mobile community center filled with a variety of sports equipment, games, and other activities. The skilled staff will take the vehicle to underserved areas of the city, including parks in areas with no community centers. The goal of the program is to expand recreational opportunities to more kids.

The Rec 'N' Roll program is similar to Los Angeles County's Parks on the Move which is a free program designed for school-age children 6 to 13 years old and brings the power of play and physical fitness to youth living in the most park-poor unincorporated areas of L.A. County (see Advancing Play Equity Through Mobile Recreation).