Review on U.S. National Park Service Denver Service Center and Implications for China

The Denver Service Center(DSC) is the central planning, design, and construction management office of the National Park Service(NPS). From the introduction of the organization, working jurisdiction and technological support, the study summarizes the characteristics of DSC, which are maintaining protection with a high priority, attaching great importance to research, controlling quality with detailed guidelines, building partnerships to achieve win-win cooperation. Based on status quo analysis of protected areas planning in China, the study presents three suggestions, which are 1) to ensure the seriousness, scientificity and compulsoriness of protected areas' plan and design in institutional framework of national park system; 2) to emphasize the scientific decision making based on survey, research and scenario comparison in terms of content and depth requirements of national park planning and design; 3) to formulate the guidelines and standards gradually for the planning and design of protected areas in China.