The Alberta Recreation and Parks Association (ARPA) recognizes that the increasing urbanization of Alberta has significant implications parks planning, quality of life and economically sustainable communities. The premise, upon which the Proximate Principle is based, is that residential properties located near an amenity such as a park, open space or water way, will attract a higher capitalized value. Further, the higher capitalized value will result in incrementally higher levels of municipal property taxes, which when aggregated, are theorized to be sufficient to pay for the annual costs related to the development and maintenance of the amenity.