The scale and scope of the "Parks and recreation infrastructure" ranges from urban parks, gardens, trails and recreational facilities to expansive national or international parks and preserves.  Modern science has demonstrated that providing human beings with access to quality outdoor space, sport and leisure activities can have a profoundly positive impact on human physical, mental and emotional health.  Environmental economic research may also demonstrate that providing such facilities may even have a positive economic return in terms of reducing public healthcare costs related to obesity and other physical and mental health problems and may simultaneously boost workforce productivity and innovation.  In addition, providing parks and open space can also help to improve air and water quality, ecological diversity. 

"Parks and recreation facilities" may include facilities and assets such as urban/village/town parks, gardens & public squares; pedestrian, equestrian and bicycle trail networks and systems; recreational facilities (sport, fitness and social centers); regional/national/international parks and preserves; forest, wetland, open-space, wildlife, aviary, marine and biosphere preserves and sanctuaries; parkland and scenic roads, railways and trails; and similar facilities and assets.  The mix between public and private ownership and/or operations and maintenance of each category of parks and recreation infrastructure facility varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.  

To be clear, the topic of "parks and recreation infrastructure" does not include any element of administration of recreational activities which occur within the respective facilities.  "Parks and recreation infrastructure" involves the planning, design, financing, operations and maintenance of buildings, facilities and assets including parks, gardens and public squares; indoor and outdoor recreational facility structures (buildings and outdoor sporting fields, courts, pools, beaches, golf courses and equestrian facilities and buildings); trail and road networks and systems; and similar facilities and assets.  Auxiliary assets related to parks and recreational facilities can include assets such as interior and exterior furnishings; parking facilities; building heating, cooling and ventilation (HVAC) systems; administrative and maintenance facilities; park fountains, lighting, bench, table, trash receptacle and wayfinding infrastructure, security and surveillance systems and facilities; ticketed entry systems and facilities; food/dining/retail facilities; gardening and landscape maintenance facilities; and other similar assets.  The functional design, aesthetics, operations and maintenance of each type of park and recreational facility needs to accommodate the intended types of recreational and leisure uses and related activities that occur within the respective type of facility.  

DCS experts can assist both public and private sector clients in evaluating, planning, financing, developing, constructing, operating and managing all types of parks and recreational facility infrastructure assets.

In the parks and recreational facility infrastructure segment, DCS experts can add significant value through application of innovative technologies and processes, and public-private partnerships.  Our advisory services help our clients align the capabilities of private sector capital, innovation, "know-how", efficiencies, life-cycle operational and maintenance discipline, and management resources with the societal objectives of providing access to highly functional, high-quality and well-maintained parks and recreational facility facilities.  Our experts also have significant experience and competence in delivering social infrastructure assets under various development, financing, operating and ownership models, including Design-Build (D-B), Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC), Design-Build-Finance (DBF), Operations & Maintenance (O&M), Design-Build-Transfer (DBT), Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (DBOT), Design-Build-Operate-Maintain (DBOM), Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM), Design-Build-Own-Operate (DBOO), Design-Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (DBOOT), and similar variations.  We also have significant experience advising on public-private partnership (P3) within the infrastructure/social infrastructure space.  Our broad and global experience also includes all forms of P3 models, under a regulated or deregulated user fee regimes, long-term availability payment, user-fee and hybrid concession and/or lease transactions.

Within the parks and recreational facility infrastructure segment DCS experts maintain relationships with related project consultants and participants including: both international and local legal advisors; technical, engineering and environmental/social advisors, economic/market consultants; contractors, vendors and technology providers; strategic and financial equity sponsors; lenders (including commercial lendersinternational/development financial institutions (IFIs/DFIs), Export Credit Agencies and Export-Import Banks (ECA/Ex-IMs), institutional lenders, bond funds and investment banks) and credit rating agencies (if applicable).  We are always prepared and highly experienced in taking on a lead transaction advisory or project/program management role where we coordinate and manage (in some cases, procure and retain via subcontract) various technical, legal and other consultants required for the project.  On behalf of our clients we are also prepared and accustomed to leading and concluding negotiations with governmental/public sector or equity sponsors, contractors and venders, lenders, rating agencies and regulators, as may be relevant for a given project.

In many client cases, there may also be a significant nexus between parks and recreational facility infrastructure facilities and other sectors that we specialize in, such as transportation (parking facilities and systems, rail, busshuttle and urban mobility systems), social infrastructure (complimentary education; arts & cultural facility; stadiums, arenas, convention/exhibition centers); real estate (mixed-use, shared-use, transit-oriented development), hospitality & tourism and others, as relevant.  We are prepared to bring our complementary expertise in these other sectors to our parks and recreational facility sector clients, as their specific project may benefit.  There may be many collaborative partnership opportunities between diverse companies and public and private service providers, who may also have synergistic objectives and opportunities related to parks and recreational facility infrastructure assets and systems.  We can help our clients expand the horizons of their project and analyze and understand synergistic economic and commercial impacts related to parks and recreational facility infrastructure assets and services.  This will help forge potential new innovative partnerships with both private and public sector parties, where significant added-value can be realized.  

Please click on the below links to learn more about the specific services related to the parks and recreational facility infrastructure segment that DCS experts can offer:​



DCS focuses on providing the above services in the parks and recreational facility infrastructure sector to the following categories of clients:


social infrastructure

parks and recreational facilities

WHAT WE DO

SECTORS covered

dcs advisory Experts team

parks & recreational facilities





Daniel Dean

Vienna, Austria





Lloyd Richardson

Washington NC, USA













Meet Our Parks & Recreational Facilities Infrastructure Experts Team!