changelabsolutions.org 9 Mapping metrics provides added insights, especially about parks system inequities, when overlaid on the following base maps or map layers: • Demographics. These layers may include population by race and ethnicity, gender, or age distribution; income distribution; populations or households at or below 200% of poverty level; or households without access to a vehicle or without an adult who speaks English well. • Priority areas. These layers can help highlight specific areas where certain health-promoting opportunities are lacking. These could include: neighborhoods with high rates of chronic disease, areas around schools where more than half of the students receive free or reduced-price meals, or areas that lack spaces for physical activity and recreation. • Parks and open space network. Map layers can show the locations of parks and other amenities are located, such as schools, libraries, or grocery stores. Using a geographic information system, or GIS, can be a good way to record, maintain, and map data spatially. Obtaining and preparing data for spatial analysis and creating maps can be labor-intensive and may require training, but this method enables robust analysis and is effective for visualizing a large amount of information, seeing how different factors overlap or interact with each other, and identifying spatial patterns or disparities. It’s likely that some personnel in local planning, transportation, public works, or public health departments have expertise and skills in GIS mapping. Mapping data using GIS or an open-source mapping platform can be especially valuable in understanding inequities within a parks system, since parks are less accessible and not as well-maintained in areas where people of color and people with low incomes tend to live. Depending on the local context, other underserved groups that warrant additional attention may include seniors; youth and young adults; people with disabilities; the re-entry population; people who are homeless, identify as LGBT+, or don’t speak English as their first language; immigrants; or refugees. Establish a Baseline and Track Data over Time An important purpose for measuring parks indicators is to track progress toward achieving a Complete Parks system over time. Measuring a set of indicators for the first time generates a baseline, against which all future measurements can be compared. Tracking indicators as strategies are implemented can yield insights into what’s working well and what might need adjustment. Over time, the indicators can speak to whether a city, county or town’s efforts to create a Complete Parks system are having the desired impact and whether goals are being met.
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