Access to parks and open spaces is crucial for our physical and mental health. This has been
shown in study after study in recent years. But we know that access to nature and the
outdoors is not equitably distributed in the United States. That, too, has been shown in study
after study in recent years, at different spatial scales, from the neighborhood level to
nationwide.
We know that having access to neighborhood parks within walking distance — about a
half-mile or a 10-minute walk — is highly correlated with positive health outcomes. We also
know that access to neighborhood parks is inequitably distributed. We studied six states, in a
preliminary study that we hope to expand nationwide, and found that from 22% to 68% of the
residents in those states did not have a neighborhood park near their homes.
So we also wanted to see how many of those households had regional parks or open spaces
that they could visit within driving distance of their homes. We used the average distance of a
social or recreational trip from the National Household Travel Survey to measure this
distance. We were surprised to find that percentage was much, much greater than we had
imagined. From 98.5% to 99.9% of the residents in the six states we studied have regional
parks or open spaces within driving distance of their homes. And many have numerous to
choose from.
Why is this important? Read our report here. You’ll also find a link to our interactive website in the report.
