Spatial Assessment of the Association of Park Access and Infrastructure on Health Outcomes at the City- Level: A Research Note
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2025-12395Keywords:
Green space, Nature, Spatial Analysis, Urban Planning, EducationAbstract
As urbanization accelerates and public health concerns persist, understanding how park infrastructure and access relate to population health has become increasingly important for informing equitable and effective urban planning. Nuanced understandings of how specific park infrastructures relate to health outcomes can inform prioritization of targeted investments for health promotion. This study spatially assessed the relationships that park infrastructure (e.g., playgrounds, pools) and access (i.e., 10-minute walkability to parks) have on physical and mental health outcomes at the city-level, accounting for potential confounding effects of sociodemographics and spatial dependence of health metrics. Using data for 96 U.S. cities from three national data sets, spatial regressions demonstrated that higher prevalence of playgrounds is associated with lower rates of depression at the city-level. Associated planning implications related to parks and mental health promotion include investing in equitable playground access and quality, co-locating playgrounds within greenspaces, and encouraging multi-generational use to maximize benefits.
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