By George Washington University
Newswise — A new study from researchers at George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health reveals that not all urban parks provide equal health benefits. Parks in less privileged neighborhoods across the United States tend to be smaller, hotter, and more polluted than those in wealthier areas – highlighting persistent environmental inequities in cities nationwide.
The study analyzed park access and environmental conditions across the 24 most populous U.S. urban areas using data from Trust for Public Land’s ParkServe database, U.S. Census data, and satellite imagery.
Key Findings:
- Parks in less privileged neighborhoods had higher levels of air pollution.
- More privileged neighborhoods had larger parks in most cities studied.
- Parks in less privileged areas were often hotter.
Why It Matters
Urban parks are linked to better physical and mental health. They can reduce exposure to air pollution and extreme heat, while also supporting physical activity and reducing stress. However, this study shows that these benefits are not distributed equally.
The disparities are rooted in longstanding structural inequities, including historic redlining and urban development patterns that placed highways and industrial infrastructure closer to lower-income and minority communities.
Highlights Across States:
- Big differences in park access: Park space ranged from less than 1% in Indianapolis to 37.5% in Seattle-Tacoma.
- Gaps in major cities: In New York-Jersey City-Newark, San Francisco-Oakland, Chicago, and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, parks in less privileged areas had notably higher pollution.
- Large disparities in California: Park access gaps were especially wide in San Jose, San Diego, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, and San Francisco-Oakland.
- Sharp contrasts within cities: In Los Angeles, parks in wealthier areas had much cleaner air, while in San Francisco, parks were more polluted across all neighborhoods—especially in less privileged areas.
- Local differences vary: Unlike most other metro areas, park size in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria region was similar across neighborhoods..
“Urban parks are often seen as equalizers for public health, but our findings show that the quality of those parks varies significantly depending on where you live,” said Kelvin Fong, researcher and environmental health scientist and epidemiologist at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. “Communities that could benefit the most from cleaner air and cooler environments are often the least likely to have access to high-quality parks.”
Implications for Policy and Planning
Lead author Greta Martin says, “Simply adding more parks is not enough. Improving park quality – including reducing pollution exposure, increasing tree cover, and expanding park size is critical to closing health gaps.”
“Parks can play a powerful role in improving health equity,” said Fong. “But to do that, investments need to prioritize both access and environmental quality in underserved communities.”
Potential solutions include:
- Expanding green space in underserved neighborhoods
- Planting more trees to reduce heat and pollution
- Replacing or redesigning urban infrastructure, such as highways, that contribute to environmental burdens
The study, “Neighborhood privilege and environmental conditions in urban parks: an analysis across the 24 most populated urban areas in the United States” was published in Environmental Research Letters.
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