Infrastructure in a Park and Recreation Setting: The Example of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area – “The Teams behind the Partnership Brand”

Abstract

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a large national park located in the complex and urban San Francisco Bay Area, has successfully completed many large-scale infrastructure projects. A series of case studies of relatively quick transformations of surplus, sometimes derelict, lands and facilities into national parklands makes the case for the public sector’s ability to accomplish transformational work, identifying factors of setting, history, and organizational experience. Multiple goals were addressed in concert, including repair of the park’s aging buildings and infrastructure, protection of natural and cultural resources, and development of visitor access. Rehabilitation of historic building complexes was achieved under public-private partnerships, including long-term leases, with reuses to benefit the public. At GGNRA, infrastructure projects included restoring function to natural systems, with the local community as a partner in carrying out the work. The complexity of projects required inclusive, multi-disciplinary professional teams, with team members who had a full array of collaborative leadership skills, a project environment in which many women thrived.