THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF PARKS AND THEIR ECONOMIC IMPACTS 1 Introduction Green space is critical for outdoor physical activity and a key driver of improvements in overall physical health. Proximity and exposure to trees and greenery can promote mental health by providing psychological relaxation and stress alleviation. At the community level, parks can contribute to disaster recovery and resilience planning and provide several environmental benefits. Additionally, parks foster opportunities for individuals to gather, connect, and socialize with their neighbors and other park users. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of accessible green space in a way that no event has before. Parks have played a critical role in supporting mental and physical health and have provided essential space for social gatherings and community events. Parks have a substantial impact on health equity. Parks are often the only free, publicly accessible areas for physical activity. In communities with limited access to places to walk, roll, and bike safely or to amenities such as gyms or private green spaces, many of the health benefits associated with physical activity are only accessible through parks and public green spaces. In some urban spaces, parks and planned green spaces can also serve as an access point to nature, which can promote restfulness and improve mood. However, not every household has equal access to quality green spaces, and in fact, access is often constricted along racial and socioeconomic lines. Formerly redlined2 communities have the least access to green space (Nardone et al. 2021). Data show that parks in Black and brown neighborhoods are smaller in size and are more crowded (Trust for Public Land 2020). Lack of economic resources, racism encountered in park space, policing of park spaces, historical racial covenants, current segregation patterns, and placement of Black and Brown communities have all limited access to park space for people of color (Scott and Lee 2018; Yañez et al. 2021). Ensuring that all people are able to use and enjoy safe, quality, and accessible green space will mean dismantling systemic barriers that prevent some from feeling welcome. This research summary will explore the evidence for health benefits associated with parks and green space. But evidence suggests that these health benefits cannot be untangled from issues of access and equity. The research reviewed will focus not just on what health benefits exist but also on who is able to access them and how can that access be made more equitable. The burgeoning “park justice” movement is highlighting the idea that to build a beautiful, engaging park is by itself not enough. To develop equitable, quality parks, policymakers and local leaders must confront the systemic disinvestment embedded in the history of these spaces. These policies and practices have entrenched
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