Dog Parks Not a simple concept!
Dogs in urban areas
Dog Parks may seem like a simple concept. However, they are far more complex than putting a chain-mesh fence around a vacant piece of land. The recent article “Restrictions on Popular Park” in The Courier (Newspaper of the Adelaide Hills, Wednesday, 16 October, 2013) highlights some of the issues that the Adelaide Hills Council are now facing with regards to traffic, car parking issues and disturbance to local amenity.
Some issues you will need to consider in planning and design of a dog park include:
- Finding an suitable location for a dog park.
- What location makes a good dog park? A location that is compatible with surrounding activities and land uses.
- Assessing the potential demand of a dog park.
- Who are the potential users/visitors for a dog park?
- Where will they come from?
- What implications will the demand have on traffic, car parking and local amenity.
In South Australia, we have over 20 enclosed Dog Parks and we know very little of how they work and their overall effectiveness. Do dog parks really work?
Dog Parks are a new genre of recreation park, and have been around in South Australia for some 18 years.
From auditing many dog parks in South Australia it would seem that dog parks are designed with a poor understanding of dog behaviour. This only serves to exacerbate risks and conflict in the park, and often contributes to high maintenance requirements.
With a better understanding of dog behaviour and how this influences design not only produces a better design but also encourages a better experience for both dogs and their guardians.
In developing a dog park we need a better understanding of the key stages of planning, design, management and maintenance and the range of issues associated with each.
Many of the issues and key stages of developing a dog park will be covered in a publication we are preparing for the Dog and Management Board, South Australia on Dog Parks. The Guidelines are expected to be released this year (2013).
If you would like a better understanding of the planning and design stages of developing a dog park, please contact Fiona by email or by phone on 0431 863 357.
Other posts you may like:
What makes a successful dog park?
