Newport Comprehensive Land Use Plan - Existing Conditions | Página 139

9 Open Space & Recreation
always been a more private and intimate beach that has a fairly low amount of patrons. The amenities to this beach
are limited to the sand and the ocean water.
Newport has a number of other smaller public and private beaches along its coast, including one located within Fort
Adams State Park.

Existing and Future Open Space and Recreation Needs

Newport parks and open spaces are used by a wide range of people – residents, workers, tourists, seasonal residents,
and students. The year-round population of Newport is about 24,700, but it swells up to 100,000 on peak summer
weekends (summer population is approximately 65,000 on average).

Year-Round Resident Park Demand
The year-round population has been steady, with a slight decrease from 2000 to 2010 (-7%). Newport’s population is
economically and demographically diverse. Income varies significantly, with 16% of households earning less than
$20,000 annually and 17% earning more than $125,000. Overall, 11% of households live in poverty. This is higher
than other communities on Aquidneck Island (Middletown’s household poverty rate is nine percent and Portsmouth
is eight percent), but lower than the average across the state (14%).
Newport residents are also diverse in terms of age. Newport’s median age is 37 years old, younger than Middletown
(42), Portsmouth (46), and the state as a whole (40). Nearly a quarter of Newport’s residents are between 15 and 34
years old, giving the city a higher percentage of young adults. Overall, 21% of households have one or more children
living at home. Eight percent of Newport’s population is 5-14 years old, and four percent is under five years. At the
same time, 14% of residents are over 65 years, and this number is projected to increase in the future. Open space
planning and programming must balance the diverse needs of residents of all ages.
These different ages are also distributed unequally
throughout the city. More children and youth live in the
North End compared to other parts of the city, while a higher
percentage of older residents live in central and southern
parts of Newport. This can be translated to a higher relative
need for playgrounds and athletic opportunities in northern
parts of Newport, and a higher relative demand for passive
open space in the central and south.

Park demand is higher in the
North End and Downtown
than in other parts of Newport,
Source: Sasaki and Associates.

Other factors that relate to park demand are density and income. Lower income residents have a higher demand for
nearby parks because they are less likely to have access to a car to access more distant parks. Density also prompts
the need for open space; denser communities have a higher need for nearby parks than lower density areas.

Seasonal Resident and Tourist Park Demand
In the summer, Newport’s population swells with tourists and seasonal residents. Seasonal / occasional use is 11% of
Newport’s housing (American Community Survey). Tourists come from across the country and around the world to
visit Newport. The majority of domestic visitors come from New England or the Mid- Atlantic. International visitors
frequently come from Europe (57%), Canada (19%), and Asia / Middle East (12%). These visitors and seasonal
residents increase demand for open space, especially in the summer. In fact, several open space destinations are
some of the City’s top draws for tourists, including the Cliff Walk, Fort Adams State Park, Easton’s Beach, and Brenton
Point State Park.

Draft Existing Conditions (March 2016)

Page 9-15