The Inequality of American Parks
Neighborhoods of color have access to 44% less park space, according to a new analysis.
Crowds socially distance at Mission Dolores Park in San Francisco in May 2020.
Photographer: Scott Strazzante/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
When the pandemic forced millions of Americans to shelter indoors, parks saw a surge in popularity. Parks in North Carolina received an all-time high of 20 million visitors in 2020, an uptick of one million from the year before. In New York, the number of park-goers topped 78 million. Cities also mobilized their green spaces in the pandemic-fighting effort, using them to distribute PPE, meals and even vaccines. In Memphis, Tennessee, a 360-foot long tent was erected on Liberty Park fairgrounds in April, aiming to administer 21,000 vaccines weekly.
But even as green spaces proved to be a crucial element to people’s physical and mental well-being — especially for urban dwellers — the pandemic further exposed the disparity in who has access to parks. New data from the Trust for Public Land shows that in the 100 most populated U.S. cities, neighborhoods that are majority nonwhite have, on average, access to 44% less park acreage than majority white neighborhoods. Low-income communities have access to 42% less than high-income neighborhoods.