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Parks offer many services that often don’t get the appreciation they deserve. Typically, one thinks of a park as a place for children to play or a premiere location for the avid jogger. In addition to recreational activities, studies have shown that access to urban green spaces can boost our mental health. However, depending on what socioeconomic or racial group you belong to, green spaces might not be readily available to you.
An urban green space is a recreation or aesthetic area within a city or town that has an abundance of vegetation. Parks, gardens, and forests offer unique amenities that can be enjoyed by humans and animals alike. For those who live in cities, having a scenic area set aside to decompress from all the hustle and bustle can benefit their physical and mental health. Trees and vegetation can help block noise pollution that inadvertently causes a range of health issues, including heart disease and high blood pressure.
The World Health Organization attributes lack of physical activity to over three million deaths each year. Public green spaces like parks or nature reserves that have walking paths can be utilized by surrounding residents as a means of exercise. In addition to working out, green spaces help the mind release stress that can also negatively affect health. Several studies show that just looking at trees can help lower blood pressure.
Some metropolitan areas are better equipped to host parks than others. Large cities that have smaller populations can be home to hundreds of parks. Densely populated cities might have to get creative about how they incorporate green spaces. Vertical landscaping and rooftop gardens are a few ways to increase green availability when acreage isn’t an option.
Access is a Luxury
Despite a recommendation from WHO that all people should live within a five-minute walk from a public green space, many don’t.
Residential parks and similar spaces are more common in affluent white communities. On the flip side, polluting facilities are more commonly found in people of color and low-income neighborhoods. Many factors play an active role in the perpetuation of these inequalities. For one, affluent communities can donate money to create and maintain local green spaces. They also have more influence on policymakers who make decisions regarding the placement of toxic sites.
This creates quite a conundrum because nature is a great way to decrease pollution levels. Not only do trees and vegetation combat noise pollution, but they are also excellent air filters. Their biology allows them to remove harmful pollutants from the air around them and convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. Protecting and promoting green spaces is a priority of those who are working on climate change solutions.
Trees can also reduce a phenomenon called “heat islands.” This happens when an area with a large percentage of pavement has a higher temperature than the surrounding area. Plants release water vapor through their leaves and create shade that cools the environment. Placing trees throughout cities can provide relief to city residents during the summer.
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The communities that would benefit the most from green spaces are the same communities that unjustly lack access to them.
BIPOC Utilize Natural Spaces Less
After lifting the shutdowns experienced during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, national parks witnessed a resurgence in tourism rates. People who had spent the majority of 2020 in their homes were desperate to reconnect with nature. However, Black and other minority Americans explored national parks much less frequently.
National parks’ seclusion contributes to visitor inequality. Those who live near a park are more likely to visit. The same goes for urban green spaces. When something is easily accessible, people are more likely to use it.
There is little available research that explores why Black communities have less green space available to them. One potential reason coincides with the placement of a polluting facility.
Redlining is when services are unfairly denied to areas that have a large minority presence. Following the Great Depression, government-insured mortgages were granted to homeowners as a way to boost the economy. The government issued maps that colored in city blocks to signal which areas were worthy of receiving a loan.
The impact not only affected properties but also discouraged grocery stores from establishing themselves in redlined areas. Many of the harmful side effects of redlining are still present today.
More Spaces for Us By Us
As with most racial disparities in America, systemic racism plays a role. Black people can lose their lives for simply jogging or face harassment for bird watching. Traveling to a different neighborhood to experience the outdoors could potentially be a death sentence. Creating more public outdoor spaces is not only necessary but highly sought after.
Some social justice groups are pushing for the creation of more urban green spaces. In 2021, the NAACP passed a resolution to advocate for federal funding that will help create more green spaces in Black communities nationwide.
Local advocacy groups are also crucial when it comes to enacting community change. In 2022, the Penn Medicine Urban Health Lab partnered with local organizations to make West Philadelphia greener. By converting vacant lots into green spaces they hope to reduce crime rates and poor health outcomes.