Officials who wish to attract new industrial firms to their city should require developers and architects to utilize waterways and passive, parklike settings in their specific plans. As pointed out in the previous section, though night lighted active sport complex parks are intrusive in residential areas, they can benefit from and be a benefit to, an industrial park. Residents participating in weekend and evening recreational activities can benefit from the under-utilized parking facilities. Commercial returns Expenditures by residents and regional visitors that can be directly related to greenways and waterways help to support the economy. The more attractive and accessible the physical and visual environment available for recreation, the greater the length and frequency of use.
Leisure time is free time where participants select and control their activities.
Outdoor recreation is a major component of leisure activity and leisure and recreation expenditures account for a substantial amount of our discretionary spending. When one looks at the broad spectrum of recreational opportunities in North County, and the start-up costs required to participate in one or more of these activities, the commercial benefits that can be derived by local merchants and manufacturers are staggering. When you consider all the different types of water, trail, and traditional park recreational pursuits available to us and the equipment and clothing required to participate in the activity you can begin to understand how valuable our parks, open space, golf courses, greenways and waterways are to our economy and the tax revenues they generate. Equipment rental also contributes to the overall economic picture. Although every city is required to generate a General Plan for its development, none have found a way to assess the value of open space, greenways and waterways in developing the plan.