Operation Of Parks Research Articles

Tourism and Canadian parks: fiscal relationships

Parks at the provincial and federal levels in Canada are widespread, valued and endangered. Over the last decade a fundamental shift has occurred in societal attitude towards these institutions; more parks were created while government monetary allocations were reduced. This attitude shift saw society expressing a higher importance for parks, while providing less tax money for operations. As a result many parks have insufficient funds for proper facility maintenance, enforcing carrying capacity decisions and halting deprecative activities. Canadian parks are therefore starting to shift more of the costs of operation to park users. The Province of Ontario recently restructured the provincial parks management agency. This new approach sees parks managed by a line agency with internal financial operations. The operation of public parks by the equivalent of a crown corporation is a bold experiment. The implications of such an approach are discussed. Tourism is an essential component of the future. Since park ...

Privatization of parking management in Greece

In the city of Patras, which is the third most populated city in Greece, a new comprehensive parking management system was introduced in 1993. The main characteristics of the system are: 1. (1) the introduction of paid parking for all legal or ‘illegal-possible’ places available in the city centre; 2. (2) the installation of appropriate equipment for ticket issuing; 3. (3) the designation of street parking in three different zones (Orange Green Red zone) each with a different pricing policy. The system is operated by a private company to which the right to organize and administer the whole parking operation of the city has been given. This innovation consists of a sort of ‘privatization’ of the parking management system. The paper proceeds to give an assessment of the scheme on the basis of a ‘before-and-after’ study. It is concluded that the new parking measures contributed to a significant improvement of the parking situation in the city of Patras. This idea of ‘privatizing’ the whole parking enterprise is gaining ground in Greece: five or six cities are proceeding in the same direction, and attempts are being made to promote the system for the two largest cities of the country, ie Athens and Thessaloniki.

Radar observations of small space debris

This paper describes the collection and analysis of data on small space debris sensed by the Haystack radar and presents the results of measurements conducted between October 1990 and July 1992. The data are collected in the “beam park” mode of operation in which the radar stares in a fixed direction and debris randomly passes through the field-of-view. The analysis includes a description of the statistical relationship between radar cross section (RCS) and physical size determined from separate, controlled tests. In addition, a computer model of the response of the Haystack radar while in beam park operation is used to calculate the probability of detection and effective detection area for all sizes and orbital inclinations of debris visible to the radar.

Model dimenzioniranja optimalne veličine parkirališta

This paper deals with the proposed model for determining the optimal number of parking places following the conditions and requirements of high standard of provision of services to the users and positive economic effects of car parking operations. The characteristics of car parking operations have been obtained through simulation on the model by varying the input parameters as the intensity of the input flow, parking times, number of parking places, etc. Checking of the results obtained has been completed by application of economic methods.

Holiday parks: current issues and trends

Caravan and chalet parks are facing a potentially prosperous future in Great Britain as the 1990s progress. Demographic factors, in particular, are favourable to the industry's expansion. The parks have sought to upgrade their facilities, and now consider themselves to be holiday parks rather than caravan parks. The trade organizations for the parks have sought to promote a new image for the industry, and to initiate a co-ordinated promotional strategy among parks. New markets have also been considered by the trade organizations, although many park operators remain to be convinced of the value of deflecting their energies, even in part, from their traditional markets. Staff training is a concern of the industry nationally, although again individual operators are less sure of the benefits of this, particularly as many of their staff are temporary employees in the summer season. The implications of these issues for the holiday park sector in Britain are reviewed, paying particular attention to Wales where this sector is especially important.

Park-people relationships: an international review

An international survey, supported by the U.S. Man and the Biosphere Program, was conducted of selected individuals who were reported to be knowledgeable about relationship between local populations and proximate national parks and equivalent reserves. The study objectives were to identify: (1) specific parks and reserves where efforts are being made to foster mutually supportive interactions and (2) strategies and techniques being employed in these efforts. Fifty-seven parks and reserves were identified in 35 countries in the survey and an additional 42 parks and three countries were identified in a review of the literature. Four general models of park-local population relationships were identified: (1) local participation in park management and operations and/or residence within park, (2) services delivered by park personnel to local populations living outside the park, (3) maintenance of traditional land uses inside the park and (4) local population involvement in park related tourism. The efficacy of the four models is discussed in reference to Firey's man-mind-land concept (1960).

Points: Parks operation for faecal incontinence

Points: Parks operation for faecal incontinence

Results of Parks operation for faecal incontinence after anal sphincter injury.

Parks operation for faecal incontinence was performed on 97 patients with total loss of anorectal control due to injury. All had sustained complete division of the anal sphincters as a result of trauma, anal surgery, or obstetric tears and either were incontinent or had been given a colostomy. In all patients the divided sphincters were repaired using an overlapping technique; in 93 the repair was protected by a temporary defunctioning stoma. There was no operative mortality. Continence was completely restored in 65 (78%) and improved in a further 11 (13%) of the 83 patients assessed from four to 116 months postoperatively. Minor complications which did not affect the eventual clinical outcome occurred in 23 patients. Factors associated with failure of the operation included breakdown of the repair in the early postoperative period, fistula, and pelvic floor neuropathy. The results show that even after severe injury to the sphincters surgical reconstruction can restore continence in most patients.

Concept for a Large Multimission Amphibian Aircraft

A very large aircraft has been proposed for meeting both civil cargo and military transport needs for 1995 and beyond. The concept includes a wide noncircular fuselage cross section with a low wing, thick inner wing section, fuselage-mounted engines, and an air cushion landing gear. The civil freighter operates independently of congested passenger airports, using sheltered water as a runway and a waterfront land site for parking and ground operations. The military transport can operate from a wide variety of surfaces and temporary bases. The air cushion landing gear weighs substantially less than conventional gear and permits the use of extended takeoff distance resulting in improved payload/gross weight ratio.

THE SURGICAL TERATMENT OF ANAL INCONTINENCE

This study is review of 31 patients undergoing surgery for anal incontinence. Three groups of patients are defined--those with incontinence due to trauma (nine patients), to a combination of trauma and degeneration (five patients), and to degeneration alone (17 patients). Two surgical techniques were used--either a direct repair of the anal sphincter or a postanal repair of the levator ani muscles and external sphincter (Parks operation). In the trauma group and the combined group the more common method used was a direct repair (ten patients)--five underwent a Parks operation. In the degeneration group all but one patient underwent a Parks operation. A defunctioning proximal colostomy was carried out in only four patients--all with incontinence due to trauma. Satisfactory continence was restored in 80% of these patients. Although this is a small series, the results are considered worthwhile and greater awareness and use of the above technique is recommended.

Recreation Program Development Impacts: A Dynamic Regional Analysis

Controversy exists with respect to the effectiveness of outdoor recreation programs in contributing to regional development. According to Garbacz, recreation may be the major economic opportunity for revitalizing some rural areas. In contrast, Meyer observes that past studies do not confirm the common assertion that tourism-recreation has the potential for stimulating the economies of distressed areas. The lack of adequate data on regional impacts of concern to local, provincial, and federal interest groups in Canada (as well as the United States) has delayed the construction and development of national parks proposed to preserve unique ecological landscapes or to create new recreational opportunities (MacMillan, Lyon, and Brown; Clawson and Knetsch). Analysis to date has not compared recreation with other development programs and has been limited to measuring the importance of visitor expenditures (Beyers, Hinman). Critical issues that have been neglected include the impacts associated with park construction, operation, manpower training, visitor expenditures, and income distribution. The primary purpose of this note is to compare impacts of a recreation program relative to agricultural development programs utilizing a dynamic regional economic model developed by Tung, MacMillan, and Framingham. This note is organized into three sections: (a) inclusion of recreation in a regional model, (b) an assessment of recreation versus agricultural development programs, and (c) development policy implications. The results indicate a low level of recreational impacts relative to agricultural program benefits. Thus, recreation may often be oversold as a stimulus for regional development.

Nonassisted Private Suburban Development

Kingwood is a successful 11,000-acre (45 km/FR/US2/TU/TF) privately financed balanced community on the outskirts of Houston, Tex. Master planning consists of residential villages and commercial and industrial areas tied together by a network of thoroughfares and linear parks. An innovative system of independent municipal utility districts provides bond-financed water, sewer, and drainage services. Police and fire protection, parks operation, and other municipal services are provided by resident-supported community associations. Utilities and community services are carefully phased to keep homeowner costs reasonable and to make eventual annexation by Houston feasible. Although Kingwood is still expected to earn the developer a reasonable profit, the large pre-investments and high risks connected with major new town development will likely restrict future efforts to smaller short-term projects.

Optimizing Traffic Flow on Existing Street Networks

Experimentation was conducted under real-life conditions in Newark, New Jersey and Louisville, Kentucky to determine the effect of minor physical improvements on traffic operations. Experiments investigated the effects of modifications involving parking and loading operations, pedestrian controls, bus loading, signal controls, lane striping, channelization and signing. Surveys to measure changes in operation were conducted using timelapse photography, instrumented vehicles and human observers. Two of the thirty-seven experiments are described in the paper to illustrate the benefits obtained. These are the use of reversible lanes on Broad Street, Newark and the improvement of bus loading on Market Street, Newark. Demonstrated benefits of traffic operations programs should encourage our traffic-congested cities to participate in the Traffic Operations Program to Increase Capacity and Safety (TOPICS).

An Ecologist's View of National Park Operation and Management

An Ecologist's View of National Park Operation and Management

Municipal Liability to Individuals for Nonfeasance in the Operation of Parks

Municipal Liability to Individuals for Nonfeasance in the Operation of Parks