Understanding how community management has shaped a park as a place: A case study of Randwick Park, Manurewa, Auckland

Abstract

Parks and green spaces have been recognised as helping to mitigate the adverse impacts of urban living on both environmental and human health. They go beyond providing essential ecosystems services, additionally offering a wide range of intangible benefits supporting community development such as social cohesion, building community capacity and resilience. Parks are generally managed in a top-down manner and are the responsibility of the local governing authority. This research examines the case study of Randwick Park, a community in South Auckland, that has assumed de facto ownership of their local park and shaped the park into a place the community love and can be proud of. To understand and examine this phenomenon, semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the Randwick Park community involved with the management of the park or highly engaged it. A thematic analysis approach was applied to the interviews and themes were developed for critical analysis and reflection. The findings are presented as four key themes which relate to the key concepts for this research: place attachment, ownership, citizen participation and community outcomes. The case study demonstrates the benefits of allowing community to take ownership and participate in their parks as an approach to supporting positive community outcomes and overall community wellbeing.