Neighborhood Parks and Equitable Access
摘要
Public parks are considered cultural, political, and economic assets that are essential to the social life and public healthPublic health of cities. Widespread empirical evidence suggests that public parks provide a wide range of benefits to adjacent neighborhoods in terms of economic values, environmental benefits, physical and mental health, and social connections. These benefits are only realized when the parks are accessible to residents, are inclusive, and meet community needs. Studies have shown inequities and exclusions due to poor park and green space distribution. Low-income households and people of color in urban areas tend to have less access to well-maintained and highly utilized parks and green spaces. The impact of COVID-19 has exacerbated this inequity in the U.S., especially in communities with predominantly low-income households and people of color. Many attempts have been made to measure park distribution equityEquity by utilizing numeric attributes such as the number of parks and acres of parks per resident, which fails to capture environmental indicators that influence individual park visits at a micro scaleScale. The chapter tackles this methodological challenge and aims to measure a series of environmental indicators that influence park accessibilityAccessibility. This chapter aims to propose a new approach to park evaluation that pays attention to morphological context and evaluate the role of park context to ensure that the benefits of parks and green spaces are equitable. This chapter provides an evaluative framework for city planners and parks and recreation authorities to improve accessibilityAccessibility to parks and green spaces.