2016 - Innovative Leisure Practices: Cases as Conduits Between Theory and Practice (Vol. 2)
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Item Cultural heritage, leisure and citizenship: A case study of La Boqueria food market in Barcelona (Spain)(World Leisure Centre of Excellence in Sustainability and Innovation at Vancouver Island University, 2016-12) Crespi-Vallbona, Montserrat; Domínguez Pérez, MartaIn Barcelona, la Boqueria is the most well-known food market. In its neighbourhood, the market provides the main groceries to the local community. Relevant restaurateurs also visit the market to supply their kitchens. And finally it is one of the most famous attractions in the city among tourists. It is designated as a highly recommended attraction at different websites, tourist guides, blogs, ... and therefore is considered as interesting resource for those who like spending time on culture, gastronomy and leisure, both local residents and tourists. Therefore, the current tourism trend "Behave as a local" shares its popularity with another one addressed to residents: "Behave as a tourist." Behaving as a local, tourists can be involved in the real way of life of the inhabitants of the destination; therefore, walking through the food markets halls, observing the display windows, watching and tasting the traditional food, talking with the sellers... In that sense, tourists have a more authentic and pleasant local experience. On the other hand, when behaving as a tourist, residents can enjoy their city and food markets as visitors, paying attention to the most highlighted aspects and taking pleasure with the planned cultural and leisure activities. These kinds of behaviours represent a new governance goal in order to ensure coexistence between citizens and visitors. Therefore, food markets need a new sustainable management proposal focused on the cultural and leisure invigoration. La Boqueria food market is an illustrative case and starting point to define a system of sustainable (in the sense of compatible) gastronomic, cultural and leisure activities for both regular user groups.Item Placemaking through deep cultural mapping: The Where is Here? project(World Leisure Centre of Excellence in Sustainability and Innovation at Vancouver Island University, 2016-12) Vaugeois, Nicole; Rosser, Sunny; Karsten, Sharon; Williams, Alanna; Shaw, PamelaOne of the most visible avenues used by small cities to retain competitiveness can be seen in the attempts to revitalize their downtown areas to create places and spaces enjoyed and valued by residents and visitors. Formerly recognized as the heart or centre of small cities, many downtown areas have suffered due to urban sprawl and a loss of connectedness or familiarity among new residents. While efforts to address downtown revitalization are evident such as the creation of public spaces, events and support for small businesses, there remains a need to understand if, and how, residents in small cities value their downtown areas. Small cities are increasingly turning to cultural mapping as a way to identify the assets and values associated to the places and spaces within their boundaries. This case study highlights the Where is Here? project, an innovative initiative to develop cultural maps in three small cities on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, namely in the cities of Nanaimo, Port Alberni and Courtenay. The cultural mapping process included the active participation of local citizens, business owners, municipal development leaders, arts and culture associations, and Aboriginal groups. Three public engagement events or “walk abouts” were coordinated where 85 videos were captured of residents speaking to the places that they felt most connected to in their downtown core. The videos were shared widely in digital form on the project website and collectively, uncovered deep layers of meaning associated to a variety of downtown places. Leisure emerged as a central and embedded theme in the connect spots shared both in terms of the venues profiled and the experiences of residents. Leisure researchers may play a critical role in supporting small city place making initiatives by uncovering and mapping how residents engage with places and spaces within their leisure. Cultural mapping may provide a tool to leisure researchers to aid in these investigations.Item Understanding recreation and leisure as a vital component in employee health and wellness programs: A case study of a university-based leisure education program(World Leisure Centre of Excellence in Sustainability and Innovation at Vancouver Island University, 2016-12) Wilson, Cait; Gauci, Melanie; Negley, SandraPEAK Health and Fitness is a health and wellness clinic at the University of Utah that offers a university-based employee wellness program in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. PEAK currently offers a range of health-oriented services such as nutrition consultations, fitness testing, health assessments, and fitness classes to university faculty, staff, alumnus, and the Salt Lake community. This case study highlights a partnership formed between the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (PRT) academic department at the University of Utah and PEAK Health and Fitness. A comprehensive leisure education program which included leisure education workshops and one-on-one consultations was developed for the clinic by faculty and graduate students in the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism department. Throughout the first year of this partnership, the primary focus was to bring awareness of the value of recreation and leisure in promoting overall health to the professionals working in PEAK’s clinical setting. Due to this unique approach to partnership, the application of recreation and leisure in a university-based health clinic has positively impacted PEAK employees’ perceptions of recreation and leisure thus, resulting in support to implement the leisure education program in subsequent years.Item Active offices: Changing workplace culture by "breaking up the day"(World Leisure Centre of Excellence in Sustainability and Innovation at Vancouver Island University, 2016-12) Sheehan, Dwayne; Martin, Tracey; Sharma, Nishan; de Grood, Chloe; Day, TrevorThe average adult is sedentary between 55 and 71% (9 to 11 hours) of their waking day, many of these in the workplace. Recent research into healthy lifestyles has shifted from measuring time spent in physical activity, to time spent in sedentary behaviours. Independent of regular physical activity, sedentary behaviour contributes to major negative health outcomes, namely obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression, in addition to reduced workplace productivity and increased absenteeism due to illness. In collaboration with Vivo for Healthier Generations, a community recreation centre in Calgary, Alberta, we performed a pilot project that aimed to reduce sedentary behaviour through feasible and sustainable changes in workplace practice. With the support of their employer, volunteers had their offices retrofitted with sit-stand desks and anti-fatigue mats for a six-month workplace intervention. To complement the workstations, participants were offered motivational support and created individual action plans to personalize their movement goals. Participants in the study were provided workshops, newsletters, and other positive social prompts designed to embed standing and walking into a daily office routine. A mixed-methods approach was used in this six-month pilot study to fully explore the objective measures and the story of the participants.Item Implementing organizational change: A case study of a leisure professional association's structural change, to remain relevant to its members as well as in its support of the profession(World Leisure Centre of Excellence in Sustainability and Innovation at Vancouver Island University, 2016-12) James, J. Joy; Weddell, Melissa S.North Carolina Recreation and Park Association (NCRPA), a leisure and recreation professional association, recognized its need to transition from a traditional professional association model to a new model that engaged members and professionals in the field, provided opportunities for volunteer involvement that are short and long-term, and become relevant in a fast changing world. Due to decreased time professionals have to volunteer, and competing for membership with other niche leisure professional organizations, NCRPA recognized its organizational structure needed drastic change. The main players of innovation included the NCRPA Executive Director, its Board President, and the Executive Board as well as an all-volunteer Ad Hoc committee appointed by the President. NCRPA’s strategy was to institute fundamental changes to its organizational structure and culture using the book Race for Relevance (2013) to create a new model for the organization to keep pace in today’s fast changing world. To facilitate this change, the Ad Hoc Committee utilized NCRPA’s membership and marketing plan called Project Supercharged (developed specifically for NCRPA with a consulting group), its strategic plan, and the book which proposes five “radical changes” for professional associations. After the Ad Hoc committee’s determined recommendations, they were presented and unanimously approved by the NCRPA Board in 2015. Thereafter committees were developed to determine how to implement these recommendations for 2017. While the impacts of this change are still in process, it has created both eagerness and uncertainty within its current membership. Throughout the process the committees determined how to implement the recommendations by fostering engagement and excitement in NCRPA. Implications from NCRPA’s changes include lessons learned on the process of developing an effective board, ways to engage volunteers and illuminating “out of the box” thinking to effect drastic change for a nimble organization to be responsive and engaging to its members.