Desing for outdoor recreation

• Translation and teaching

Bell, S. (2008) Design for Outdoor Recreation, 2nd Edition, Taylor and Francis, London

The major message is that the outdoors offers particular qualities and benefits for people, which have evolved and been recognized over the past two and a half centuries. Today’s demands can also cause adverse effects on certain landscapes, habitats and wildlife where outdoor recreation and naturetourism occur, and can place burdens on those who use and manage land. It is vital that designers and managers work to maintain a good balance between the qualities and special value of the outdoors, which offer such benefits to people, and the ways in which land is used. It is important to create and maintain opportunities for people to enjoy and understand nature, but recreation has to be sustainable. Future generations must be given the opportunity to experience Yosemite, the Lake District or the Alps just as we can, and preferably at an enhanced level. Past intervention, such as bad design and lack of management of sites or people, has damaged the special qualities of many places. We should seek to reverse that damage, and to design the features and facilities sensitively, allowing nature, not people, to be the dominant influence on how things ultimately shall be.