Program on the Environment

Parks like Discovery Park have such a long history, providing a window into stories about places, people, and experiences. They also provide immense services; environmental, social and even psychological, thus play a very important role in a city. But in today’s day and age, the traditional interpretive materials for urban parks tend to be very passive. Due to the importance of keeping the public’s interest for parks, technology can be an alternative to traditional methods of sharing interpretive material. The purpose of this study was to better understand the opportunities and barriers for non-profit organizations to utilize technology for their interpretive material. While interning with Friends of Discovery Park, I interviewed seven different non-profit organizations that work with urban parks both over the phone and through emails. To further investigate, I also conducted a literature review on the use of technology in these types of spaces and their potential benefits. Findings from interviews show that the biggest opportunities were increased exposure, community engagement, and visitor education and engagement. On the other hand, barriers to utilizing technology dealt with financial burdens, capacity, and connectivity. While no one solution was found, a possible solution to the barriers could be through partnerships and collaborations with tech companies, local government, and also universities. Through these partnerships, organizations can continue to better utilize technology to educate and engage park visitors about parks and the environment for generations on.