THE RURBAN FRINGE

Exploring Rural Development: Rurban Recreation Land Use Conflicts

Posted on | February 20, 2010 | No Comments

To kick off The ‘Fringe’s 2010 limited online series on rural/rurban development, I proudly introduce Nicole Vaugeois, BC Regional Innovation Chair in Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development at Vancouver Island University.  Nicole writes a great tourism development blog (found here) and I’m pleased she’s able to offer her insight … enjoy!

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Rurban Recreation Land Use Conflicts

By Nicole L. Vaugeois

It’s not uncommon to hear about recreation land use conflicts in the ‘rurban zone.’  As our urban areas expand, they bring residents into areas where land has been used for a variety of purposes which may or may not be understood by recreation users.  The result is that rurbanite recreation pursuits can interfere or disrupt land use patterns.

While many examples exist, I will illustrate with some personal observations as I live in a rurban area south of the city of Nanaimo (on Vancouver Island) and see examples of these recreation conflicts regularly. 

Our area has become quite popular for cyclists coming from Nanaimo to enjoy the scenic farmland while, at the same time, the scenic backroads have been the recreation playground for rural residents to horseback-ride on. 

The issue is this … horses do not respond well to silent cyclists who do not make any noise and can often surprise both horses and riders, often with disastrous results.  Worse yet, are large cycling events where 20 or more cyclists appear quickly and leave limited time or space for a safe response.

This is just one of many classic examples of recreation conflict and by no means am I suggesting whose needs should take priority.  Realities are that urbanites are increasingly seeking to get out into more natural settings and their limited time availability means that they seek nearby locations for recreation. 

In BC, the visitation statistics for our regional parks provide evidence of this trend – they are bursting at the seams.  Our provincial and national park statistics show just the opposite – a declining trend of visitation.

These sorts of conflicts stem from different values and behaviours and they are a growing concern in rurban areas. 

Recreation in urban areas is often organized, group-oriented and competitive and includes highly subsidized facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, and hockey arenas.  But these are not necessarily the recreation pursuits of those in rural areas and – the simple fact is – we have a very limited understanding of what rural recreation looks like in Canada.

In order to plan and manage recreation facilities, we are going to have to learn a lot more about the types of conflicts that are occurring, who is involved, who is “winning” and who is “losing.” 

My hunch is that the sheer size and presence of urban recreation pursuits are dominating recreation management decisions and pushing rural recreation land uses to the fringe based on a lack of understanding and urban-centric decision making systems.  If this holds true, we need to ask what the consequences are over the long term … or find ways to ensure equitable access to an expanded set of recreation pursuits.

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