Over 22 – 26 October 2023, Parks & Leisure Australia and World Urban Parks hosted the Joint International Congress at the Adelaide Convention Centre in Adelaide, South Australia. The Congress theme, Sustainable Places, Spaces, People and Habitats, explored how parks and leisure professionals can make cities more active, cooler, greener, wilder and inclusive.
The organisers and delegates of the congress have developed the Adelaide Statement which constitutes a comprehensive collective declaration representing the consensus of both the organisers and delegates of the congress. To view the statement, kindly click on the link provided below.
The Adelaide Statement listed six Pledges to guide the park and leisure industry as it strives to address the challenges facing our industry. The PLA News will focus on one Pledge each month to help guide how we can fulfill the pledge. The first pledge is to Foster Collaboration.
The Adelaide Statement emerged from the 2023 Joint International Congress held in Adelaide, Australia. This congress brought together professionals, scholars, policymakers, and community leaders from around the world to address critical challenges related to parks, leisure, and the urban environment1.
The Adelaide pledge describes how we will “Champion health and well-being by advocating for the integration of health and well-being considerations into park and leisure programs, planning and design”.
The Adelaide Statement, a platform born from the collaborative efforts of Parks & Leisure Australia (PLA), Green Adelaide and World Urban Parks, resonates with the heartbeat of our cities. Among its guiding principles, “Embrace Innovation” stands tall—a beacon illuminating our profession toward vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable urban spaces.
The Adelaide pledge describes how we will “Advocate for Equity” by striving to create parks and leisure experiences that are accessible and welcoming to all, regardless of socio-economic status, race, gender, age, place of residence or ability.
As the people behind the parks our focus on sustainability includes our parks and natural spaces, our sport industry, our management practices, and the contractors and private companies that we interact with.
We recognise that addressing park and leisure challenges requires collective action and we need to seek partnerships and collaboration across disciplines, cultures, and sectors. However, there is little guidance about how to manage collaboration.