Modern public spaces, such as citywide park systems, are made up of places and facilities that are complex, which makes it difficult to assess conditions in real time.
MIG’s Ryan Mottau, Director of Digital Engagement, recently published a white paper for the City Parks Alliance, “Parks and Technology: Guidelines for implementing technological tools for parks and public spaces” that explores how to utilize new technology to manage public spaces.
“Park agencies are an important market for new technology providers and are being targeted as customers and as a testing space for all kinds of new tools,” said Ryan. “To maintain public trust, these agencies need to move slower than the technology firms and consider some important questions.”
He recommends the following approach for adopting new technology tools:
Define the problem
The better we can understand a specific challenge—by defining the problem at the beginning of the project—the more successful the solution is likely to be.
An excellent way to do this is by developing problem statements in collaboration with the community. This exercise not only identifies challenges and needs but also helps the project team compile questions to ask potential solution providers. Plus, having a solid foundation to answer your “why” makes it easier for the project team to explain to any audience—from elected officials to community stakeholders—how they chose the technology.
Starting this engagement early will help build trust and avoid surprises during implementation.
Don’t let tech make the decision for you
With so many solutions and applications out there, it can be tempting to try to use the newest and most impressive technology. But technical applications are not one-size-fits all—really dive into the kinds of tools you need to evaluate for a solution. It doesn’t help to have all the bells and whistles when none of that can address your problem.
Sometimes, it can even be as simple as asking how other agencies or divisions within your organization have addressed similar concerns. This internal collaboration can provide valuable insights and suggestions, but also tools that your organization may already subscribe to.
The City Park Alliance has facilitated extensive programming over the past two years allowing practitioners to compare notes about complex topics like using cell phone location data to better understand park use. These peer conversations have proven more useful in understanding the strengths and limitations of any specific tool than is offered by the developers trying to sell it.
Think critically about your data
Technology can only get you so far. Rather than subscribing and assuming the tool will provide answers, the most sophisticated agencies review and evaluate their toolkit regularly. Does the problem previously defined still exist? Has the platform contributed to a solution?
Building in time for this review process will help answer questions about the accuracy of results and prevent abandoning tools due to outdated information.
Be as adaptable as your information
The process of adopting new solutions is iterative, and no one solution is going to solve all problems. Working through this process creates a foundation based on organizational policy and practices, supporting clarity in decision-making and maintaining trust with community stakeholders.
Data sources, models, and communities change. It can be a major project to understand something like the equity implications of capital improvements in your park system. Building your models to adapt and be updatable, for new Census data or the next update of a critical tool, will expand the value of that initial investment.