Abstract
As Japanese urban park management shifts from quantitative expansion to qualitative improvement, establishing practical indicators to objectively evaluate multifaceted social values has become an urgent task. Based on insights from previous user behavior surveys, this report develops the "Management and Operational Indicators for Enhancing the Social Value of Parks," a framework comprising "Location Indicators" to measure park potential and "Action Indicators" to assess management efforts. Trial evaluations at 14 parks confirmed the framework's effectiveness in quantitatively visualizing management creativity, irrespective of management type or park size. Crucially, the visualized data functions as an evidence-based communication tool that facilitates consensus-building among government agencies, park managers, and citizens. However, challenges regarding data collection costs and performance tracking in small, unstaffed parks were identified. Future developments must focus on integrating these indicators into routine operations, creating a "simplified version" to alleviate practical burdens, and advancing toward datadriven park management through the utilization of ICT.
