Contact: Maridith Geuder
After surveying national case studies, a Mississippi State University landscape architect is producing an illustrated guide for developing outdoor recreation areas.
G. Glenn Cook's "Innovative Outdoor Recreation Developments" is a new publication of the Virginia-based National Recreation and Park Association. The 99-page guide is intended for professionals who design, develop and maintain parks, with an emphasis on recreation areas Cook considered the most innovative and successful.
In Mississippi, he spotlights Pascagoula's Adventure Island Playground, a recreational facility designed for youngsters with disabilities. Also featured are large and small parks in states stretching from Florida to California.
"To be included in the book, park developments had to be based on best design and implementation principles and had to be in use long enough to be proven successful," Cook said.
Among specific topics are funding methods, safety, signage, playgrounds, activities, and environmental issues.
Cook, an associate professor of landscape architecture who formerly headed his own business, holds a bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University and a master's in urban and regional planning from the University of Mississippi. In 1999, he was named a fellow by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the highest rank bestowed by the professional organization.