Recently Fiona De Rosa and Kylie Fergusen of Balancing Act Adelaide were invited to present a paper at the APA Conference, May 2013, Adelaide. This is a great opportunity for us to talk about our pet subject; engage with local councils regarding the complexities of planning, designing and managing enclosed dog parks, and illustrate

Today, I walked my dog E.B. to our local park.  The park is a shared park which means that dogs are allowed off-leash at specified times of the day (i.e. early in the morning and late in the evening). The park is a generous size, houses a kids playground and is fenced on 3 sides

In a recent article, Dr Kersti Seksel highlights that: “dog parks can be very challenging environments for dogs. Although it appears to us, as people, that dog parks are great, this is not the case for every dog … Every dog has different play styles, social skills and experiences around other dogs. In addition, many

Urban planning and design has traditionally focused on the human need. However, a new urban resident is emerging – man’s and women’s best friend, which we need to accommodate. With the rate of pet ownership being one of the highest in the world with almost 36% of Australian households owning a dog (Australian Companion Animal

Dog parks were unheard of a decade ago in South Australia. In South Australia we have some 21 enclosed dog parks (includes metro and rural areas). In the US they date back to the 1980’s when dog owners and off leash advocates pushed for designated dog parks. The first official dog park in the US