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Contributed Talk

Session: : Urban Ecosystems 6

COS 138-4 - Beyond Accessibility: Inequity among socio-demographic groups in park access, amenities, and ecosystem service benefits

Tuesday, August 8, 2023
4:15 PM – 4:30 PM PDT
Location: E146
Abstract: Studies in multiple cities across the United States show that people of color live less proximate to parks and green spaces. As a result, people of color have reduced access to the benefits associated with green spaces, such as reduced temperature, increased space for recreation, and access to nature. However, the design and location of parks are not equal, and thus the potential benefits of parks can vary greatly. This paper explores how accessibility to parks containing different physical, health, and environmental variables differs by socio-demographic groups within the United States. Specifically, we utilize data from the Trust for Public Lands (TPL) to identify 122,988 parks within urban areas (as defined by the United States Census) within the United States. We then compiled characteristics for each park, including park size, number and length of trails, the total area of playgrounds, area of water,land surface temperature, noise levels, and tree cover within the park. In addition, we calculated these variables for the urban area the park is located within to make direct comparisons between the park and its surrounding landscape. Through these comparisons, we highlight when parks positively differ from their surrounding landscape (e.g., have higher levels of canopy cover or have cooler average temperatures) or negatively differ from their surrounding landscape (e.g., have higher average temperatures or higher average levels of noise). Finally, we used 10-minute walksheds generated by the TPL and information from the United States Census to identify the socio-demographics of those who lived within walking distance of each park. Our results show that access to parks among different racial and ethnic groups is often proportional to the population of a given urban area. Still, the quality of the parks greatly differs. Specifically, people of color tend to have less access to parks with potentially beneficial characteristics, such as lower average heat levels.

In contrast, whites tend to be overrepresented in terms of access to parks with amenities, lower heat levels, and lower noise levels. We highlight the importance of looking beyond park accessibility when considering environmental equity. We also caution about over-generalizing parks as "good" or "bad" because residents' preferences for specific park characteristics may vary. Understanding these patterns will enable planners and park managers to build more equity and multidimensional aspects of quality into park design and care.