PRECM 07-05-1989 - Laserfiche WebLink

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facility. Most needs and demands are developed from what we know. Experience shows that demand is not always visible absent appropriate facilities. For example, just because few people were fishing in some metropolitan lakes was not an indication of lack of demand. Construction of fishing facilities were immediately embraced by people and their fishing poles. While looking at current needs it is also important to try to look ahead as well. Nationally, the fertility rate (number of births to women in child bearing years) has remained stable and birth rate's (births per thousand people) have increased due to the large number of child bearing women, resulting in a short term birth boomlet which will level out and may ultimately result in decreases in population growth. Present projections anticipate birth rates to stabilize at replacement levels.. No growth will not mean no change. Over the next 20 years, growth in the population of children and youth is expected to stabilize. Twenty-five to 45 year olds will become 45 to 65, and the over 65+ group will also continue to expand. Coupled with changes in the work place, dramatic changes are anticipated. For example, at the same time that the percentage of employed males in the work force is declining, the number of employed females in the work force is doubling. Nearly 70% of all married households have two incomes and that includes retired couples. 58% of couples with children at home have both parents working. It has long been held that leisure time would be increasing. The trends above have altered those projections: In 1973, people had approximately 26 hours of leisure time per week, which dropped to 18 hours per week in 1987. Leisure time is defined as non-committed time. The result is that the amount and type of leisure time is drastically changing. Child care will join senior adult care as determinants in the expenditure of leisure time. The reduction in leisure time and the complicated schedules of multiple wage earners in a household might mean more convenience recreation and more individual activities. Single person households have also experienced growth. A summary of the current level of participation in the many activities capturing people and their time by age group was reviewed and discussed. One of the .most popular ways people spend their. leisure time is exercise and walking. Gender plays a role in many activities. The majority of the people involved in walking are women (58%) where the reverse is true. NEW BRIGHTON COMMUNITY CENTER Task Force Minutes - June 8, 1989 - 2