Statewide
Initiative
Recognition
Report prepared July 2025 by:
C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S O N Y O U R U P C O M I N G
N AT I O N A L D E M O N S T R AT I O N S I T E
Elk Mini-Park
Glendale, CA
Exhibit 4
2 PlayCore’s Center for Outreach, Research, and
Education (CORE) uses research and advocacy to
help build healthy communities through play and
recreation. CORE and our Data Service Lab
developed the Community Vitality Framework for
an evidence-based approach, grounded in
comprehensive and validated research that
organizes and communicates the seven indicators
of a vital community.
SO C IAL & EM O T IO NAL H EAL T H
Total community well -being including social, emotional, and mental wellness.
PH YS ICAL H EAL T H & L IF ES TY L E B EHA VIO RS
Health status of the community and a wide variety of health behaviors.
DI VER SIT Y , E QU IT Y & IN CL USI ON
Social determinants of health to ensure diverse, equitable, and economically balanced populations have opportunities to be healthy.
CO M M UNI TY EN G AG EM EN T
Active participation from community members to create a strong sense of connection and nurture creative opportunities for residents.
PU BL IC SER VIC ES
Factors and perceptions of the local services and public spaces.
EN VIR O NM ENT
Natural and built environments supporting health and safety which are essential to a sustainable community.
ED UCA TI ON
Participation and educational attainment of community from early childcare to adult learning.
Community Vitality
S t a t e w i d e In i t i a t i v e P r o g r a m I C P R S 2 0 2 5 Indicator
Use this recommendation to
see how your site’s outcome
data connects to the health
and vitality of your community.
Use the Community Vitality
Framework to help you tell
your impact story.
.
3 State Data for Impact
S t a t e w i d e In i t i a t i v e P r o g r a m I C P R S 2 0 2 5 This table provides a comparison between state and national averages. This data is summarized by different geographic scales that are defined by population size.
Your site can play a vital
role in the community by
providing a high-quality
outdoor space for physical
activity and mental reprieve
for all ages and abilities to
develop meaningful
connections.
.
Map featuring 2022 population counts by county. It was created using CORE Data Lab’s Data Explorer & Mapping tool.
Metric
Community Vitality Indicator
State
Average
National
Average
Metric Definition
Geographic Scale of Your NDS Site Area Data, Source
Adult Poor Mental Health
Social & Emotional Health 17% 17%
Percent of adults reporting poor mental health for
two weeks or more.
Census Tract, CDC1
Adult Obesity
Physical Health & Lifestyle Behaviors
30% 38% Percent of adults with obesity.
Census Tract, CDC1
Youth Disability
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 4% 5%
Estimated number of people under age 18 with
one or more disabilities.
Census Tract, Census2
Families in Poverty
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 9% 11%
Estimated percent of all families that live in
poverty.
Census Tract, Census3
Walkability Index
Environment
12.2 Above
Average
10 Areas with mixtures of land use and transportation
infrastructure that promote walking.
Block Group, EPA4
California was home to 39,538,223 people in
2022.
Based on your community’s needs, we recommend the following National Demonstration Site design best practice to address the community vitality goals identified for your site.
National Demonstration Site Design Recommendation
S t a t e w i d e In i t i a t i v e P r o g r a m I C P R S 2 0 2 5 Organization: City of Glendale
Site Name: Elk Mini-Park City: Glendale, CA
Top Community Vitality Goals Identified for YOUR Site in Application:
Physical Health Outcomes : active play at a variety of challenge levels Public Service Outcomes : publicly available, well -maintained, and drives public satisfaction
By organizing NDS designations around your site’s Community Vitality goals, you become equipped to turn research into practice to tell the unique story of your site’s impact.
PlayOn! Designs Encourage More Physical Activity and Enables Children to Learn New Motor Skills
Each additional play element can result in 50% more physical activity.5 Moreover, exposure to playgrounds can lead to over a 40% improvement in motor skill competencies.6
Pathways for Play Designs Educate Visitors about their Community Leading to Stronger Community Connections .
Trail users express stronger place attachment & community connectedness.12 Literary trails contribute to an understanding of the outdoor space and connects its heritage to a larger idea of the community.13 Inclusive Designs Provides Places to Play & Recreate for All Ages and Abilities – Improving Social & Mental Health
Inclusive play spaces that fosters multigenerational interactions across all ages and abilities can support children’s independent mobility and individual social and creative skills.7
Outdoor Fitness Designs Serve as Publicly Accessible Physical Activity Spaces Which Can Increase Visit Frequency
Fitness in park settings increases recognition of parks as settings for physical activity.8 Park users moderate to vigorous physical activity can increase up to 40% after an outdoor fitness install.9
NatureGround Designs Create Opportunities to Improve Mood & Social Development through Nature Interactions
Natural playgrounds supports children’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.10 Natural features facilitate group play, communication, and collaboration.11
REFERENCES
, 2023, All Rights Reserved.
PlayCore established the Center for Outreach, Research, and Education (CORE) to help communities turn research into practice by researching and advocating for the impact of play and recreation on a community’s vitality and why it’s valuable to invest in community health and wellness.
CORE Data Service Lab uses data-driven strategies specific to your community to enable actionable recommendations and personalized support, maximizing your positive impacts on your community.
For general information on the National Demonstration Site program, go to www.playcore.com/nds.
For access to your National Demonstration Site online portal, go to app.coredataservicelab.com.
For further assistance, please email [email protected]. 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey. Available at cdc.gov/BRFSS.
2U.S. Census Bureau (2021). American community survey: Disability characteristics, S1810. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/table?q=S1810
3U.S. Census Bureau (2021). American community survey, Selected population profile in the United States, S0201.
Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/table?q=S0201
4U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2021). Smart location mapping: Interactive maps and data for measuring location efficiency and the built environment. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-location-mapping. 5Nelischer, C., & Loukaitou-Sideris, A. (2023). Intergenerational public space design and policy: A review of the literature.
Journal of Planning Literature, 38(1), 19-32.
6Cohen, D. A., Han, B., Williamson, S., Nagel, C., McKenzie, T. L., Evenson, K. R., & Harnik, P. (2020). Playground features and physical activity in US neighborhood parks. Preventive Medicine, 131, 105945. 7Tortella, P., Haga, M., Loras, H., Sigmundsson, H., & Fumagalli, G. (2016). Motor skill development in Italian pre-school children induced by structured activities in a specific playground. PloS one, 11(7), e0160244. 8Sibson, R., Scherrer, P., & Ryan, M. M. (2018). ‘I think it adds value, but I don’t use it’: use, perceptions and attitudes of outdoor exercise equipment in an urban public park. Annals of Leisure Research, 21(1), 58-73. 9Cranney, L., Phongsavan, P., Kariuki, M., Stride, V., Scott, A., Hua, M., & Bauman, A. (2016). Impact of an outdoor gym on park users’ physical activity: A natural experiment. Health & Place, 37, 26-34. 10Victoria Carr & Eleanor Luken (2014) Playscapes: A pedagogical paradigm for play and learning. International Journal of Play, 3(1), 69-83
11Coe, D. P., Flynn, J. I., Wolff, D. L., Scott, S. N., & Durham, S. (2014). Children’s physical activity levels and utilization of a traditional versus natural playground. Children, Youth and Environments, 24(3), 1-15. 12Moore, R. L., & Scott, D. (2003). Place attachment and context: Comparing a park and a trail within. Forest Science, 49(6), 877-884.
13Saretzki, A. (2013). Literary trails, urban space and the actualization of heritage. Almatourism –Journal of Tourism, Culture and Territorial Development, 4(8), 61-77.