How do we know if our parks, sports fields and recreation spaces meet the needs of our communities? And how can councils make better decisions about where to invest in the future? 

We are helping answer these questions through GPS-based movement data, revealing valuable insights into how people use our region's active spaces, where they're travelling from and how long they're staying. 

Through our Waikato Regional Active Spaces Plan (WRASP), we work with data partner ActiveXchange to help councils better understand their spaces and make more informed planning and investment decisions. 

But it's not just about visitor numbers. This data helps councils and partners better understand the problem they are trying to solve and choose an appropriate response. 

A well-used space may need additional investment, while another may have capacity that could be unlocked through better programming, accessibility or activation.  

Looking at data across a wider network helps reveal these patterns. Understanding these patterns helps shift planning from assumptions towards evidence and these insights are helping councils understand which spaces serve local communities, which attract regional visitors and where future investment could make the greatest difference. 

Taupō District Council is already using the information to support reserve management planning, improve community understanding and help identify suitable locations for future facilities. 

This evidence can support  and inform priorities within Parks and Recreation Strategies and Action Plans (PARS), Long Term Plans, Reserve Management Plans and wider recreation and facility planning.  

For us, the value lies in moving beyond assumptions to evidence-based decisions, ensuring existing spaces are better utilised and future investment responds to community needs. 

Because better planning isn't always about building more. It's about understanding what we already have and how we can make it work better for everyone.