Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
MULTIPLE USE OF RECREATIONAL RESOURCES
The example of the urban fringe highlights the diversities of land uses which may occur
in a sometimes contested landscape, where a wide range of resource management issues
emerge. O'Riordan (1971:19) described resource management 'as a process of decision-
making whereby resources are allocated over space and time according to the needs,
aspirations and desires of man'. In this process, it is the ability to accommodate
multifunctional resource use in specific recreational spaces that is critical to achieving
societal recreation objectives. The key to achieving this lies in the compatibility of
specific recreational activities with both the resource base and other users. Although
Chapter 9 discusses the role of planning and management in more detail, it is important to
recognise at this point that two fundamental concepts need to be explored in managing
the supply of recreational resources:
conflict
and
compatibility
.
Many notions of recreational conflict (avoidance of which is one of the goals of
planning) are predicated on the concept of the incompatibility of one activity versus
another. Jacob and Schreyer (1980:369) define conflict thus: 'For an individual, conflict
is defined as goal interference attributed to another's behaviour.' This definition assumes
that people recreate to achieve certain outcome goals. Yet they argue that goal
interference does not necessarily lead to incompatibility. In understanding the nature of
recreation user conflict, the interactions which occur need to be understood in relation to
a range of factors:
• the nature of the activity and personal meaning attached to it
• the significance attached to a specific recreation resource
• the mode of experience, especially how the natural environment is perceived
• lifestyle tolerance, namely an individual's willingness to accept or reject lifestyles
different from one's own.
These factors provide an interesting framework in which to evaluate conflict, especially
for recreational resources with a high degree of conflict potential. As Jacob and Schreyer
(1980:378) assert, 'In failing to recognise the basic causes of conflict, inappropriate
resolution techniques and management strategies are likely to be adopted'. These findings
are reflected in the recreational behaviour observed in Illinois by Bristow et al. (1995),
where a wide variety of activities were incompatible and led to increased travel times to
seek recreational sites able to accommodate personal preferences. Not only does this raise
important planning issues for recreation site planning and design (for more technical
detail see Ravenscroft 1992; Pigram and Jenkins 1999), it also raises the importance of
recreation resource management to monitor sites to ensure the resource base can continue
to accommodate the compatibility of uses. For example, Bell's (2000) analysis of the
public inquiry into attempts to impose a speed restriction on the use of Lake Windermere
to curb power boating serves as a notable example of the conflicting demands often faced
in recreational settings between passive and active users, both recreational and tourist
together with the arguments levelled by the local community as stakeholders in the
process of recreational management (see also C.M.Hall and Härkönen 2006).
