Parks and Recreation

Courtesy of League of American Bicyclist

A bike parking rack takes up less space and is becoming a preferred part of the urban landscape as research shows more people choose to ride their bikes to work instead of drive their cars.

The League of American Bicyclists issued a report recently indicating that from 2000 to 2011, bicycle commuting in bike-friendly communities skyrocketed by 80%.

Here's a breakdown of some of the cities with the highest growth in bike commuters. These city dwellers prefer to leave their mode of transportation in a space-saving parking bike rack instead of their car in a space-wasting garage:

Portland - 443% Lexington-Fayette County, KY - 435% Washington DC - 315% San Francisco - 258%

As a park or facility manager, have you ever been in a situation where you needed picnic tables quickly? Portable bleachers and benches for a festival taking place in a few days? Just a few commercial litter or trash receptacles to complete a project and open a park?

The Park Catalog announces its new QuickShip program that can deliver over 50 different site furnishing products in a lightning-fast turnaround - as little as 24 hours in some cases.

Park professionals can discover how to take advantage of this program at our booth, No. 4026, at the National Recreation and Park Association Congress held in Charlotte, N.C., from Oct. 14-16.

The Park Catalog offers a new QuickShip program with

Lower Central Park Photo by David Shankbone

Picnic tables, park benches, Frisbees, jogging, dogs or anything else that gets you into a park will improve a person's mental well-being, according to an extensive study recently conducted by a British university.

The research team from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health and the University

The park bench scene from the movie "Good Will Hunting."

Dialogue on a park bench that appeared in the movie "Good Will Hunting" has prompted fans to start a petition drive to add a bronze statue of the late comedian Robin Williams who starred in the film.

When news of his passing was first announced, many local residents gathered at the wooden bench in Boston Public Gardens and created a makeshift shrine to honor Williams.

Messages of sincerity were scrawled in chalk around the memorial bench. Flowers, candles, beer bottles and other items were also left in remembrance.

The park bench is famous because it is the location of one of the most moving scenes in the film. Williams plays Dr. Sean Maguire, a therapist, who is trying to break through an emotional wall created by Will, portrayed by

How you get the public to pick up their trash and place the litter in commercial trash can

When it comes to commercial trash cans in open spaces there's an amazing paradox. People can find time to congregate in green areas or parks to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, but when they leave, many can't seem to find the time to throw their garbage away.

For the most part, commercial garbage cans are right there. Highly visible.

So what's the thinking? Nature is nice but who wants to clean it up?

Or maybe, let the maintenance crew pick up my mess? That's what they get paid for, right?

Or, geez, I'm kind of tired from chasing a football or soccer ball all day, that big commercial garbage can over there sure seems far away.

Perhaps i