Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space

The Benefits of Parks: Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space BY Paul M. Sheerer Published by: 116 New Montgomery Street Fourth Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 495-4014 www. Tip. Organization 02006 the Trust for Public Land †Reprint of â€Å"Parks for People† white paper, distributed In 2003. Chapter by chapter guide Forward: Will Rogers, President, Trust for Public Land 5 Executive Summary 6 America Needs More City Parks U. S. Urban communities Are Park-Poor Low-Income Neighborhoods Are Desperately Short of Park Space Case Study: New Parks for Los Angles The Public Wants More Parks 8History of America's City Parks: Inspiration, Abandonment, Revival The Decline of City Parks A Revival Begins Budget Crises Threaten City Parks 10 Public Health Benefits of City Parks and Open Space America's Twin Plagues: Physical Inactivity and Obesity Access to Parks Increases Frequency of Exercise Exposure to Nature and Greenery Makes People Healthier 12 Economic Benefits of Parks 14 Increased Property Values Property Values in Low-Income Urban Areas Property Values at the Edges of Urban Areas Effects on Commercial Property Values Economic Revitalization: Attracting and Retaining Businesses and Residents TourismBenefits Environmental Benefits of Parks Pollution Abatement and Cooling Controlling Stemware Runoff 17 Social Benefits of Parks Reducing Crime Recreation Opportunities: The Importance of Play Creating Stable Neighborhoods with Strong Community 18 Conclusion 20 Notes 21 Bibliography 24 3 Forward At the turn of the twentieth century, most of Americans lived in country regions and modest communities, moderately near the land. Toward the start of the 21st century, 85 urgent need of spots to encounter nature and revive ourselves in the out-of-doors.The development of America as a urban country was foreseen by Frederick Law Limited and other nineteenth century park visionaries, who gave us New Work's Central Park, San Franciscans Golden Gate Park, an d comparative stupendous parks in urban areas the country over. They were cultivators and architects yet additionally evangelists for the intensity of parks, terminated from inside by the understanding that they were molding the nature of American lives for a long time into the future. In the perspective on these park visionaries, parks were not â€Å"amenities. They were necessities, giving amusement, motivation, and fundamental rest from the city blast and clamor. Furthermore, the visionaries were especially worried that parks be accessible to the entirety of a city inhabitants particularly the individuals who didn't have the assets to run away to the open country. As populace moved to suburbia after World War II, this vision of parks for all blurred. Numerous urban communities lost the assets to make new stops. Furthermore, in the new rural areas, the rambling scenes of bending CUL-De-sacs were broken for the most part by square shaped strip malls and solid stopping lots.The opp ortunity has arrived for Americans to rededicate themselves to the vision of parks for all the country's kin. As the activity's driving preservation bunch making parks in and around urban communities, the Trust for Public Land (TIP) has propelled its Parks for People activity in the conviction that each American youngster ought to appreciate helpful access to a close by park or play area. This white paper traces how frantic the need is for city parks-particularly in downtown neighborhoods. Also, it proceeds to portray the social, ecological, financial, and medical advantages parks bring to a city and its people.TIP trusts this paper will produce conversation about the requirement for parks, brief new exploration on the advantages f parks to urban areas, and fill in as a source of perspective for government pioneers and volunteers as they put forth the defense that parks are basic to the wellbeing and prosperity all things considered. You will discover more data about the requirement for city parks and their advantages in the Parks for People segment of Tap's Web website (www. Tip. Organization/poor) where you can likewise pursue Parks for People data and bolster Tap's Parks for People work.TIP is pleased to feature the requirement for parks in America's urban areas. Much obliged for Joining our push to guarantee a recreation center close enough for each American home. Will Rogers President, the Trust for Public Land City stops and open space improve our physical and mental wellbeing, fortify our networks, and cause our urban areas and neighborhoods increasingly appealing spots to live to and work. However, excessively barely any Americans can appreciate these advantages. 80% of Americans live in metropolitan regions, and huge numbers of these territories are seriously ailing in park space.Only 30 percent of Los Angles inhabitants live inside strolling separation mile. Low-salary neighborhoods populated by minorities and late outsiders are particularly shy of p ark space. From a value viewpoint, there is a solid need to review this irregularity. In Los Angles, white neighborhoods appreciate 31. 8 sections of land of park space for each 1,000 individuals, contrasted and 1. 7 sections of land in African-American neighborhoods and 0. 6 sections of land in Latino neighborhoods. This unjust dispersion of park space hurts the inhabitants of these networks and makes considerable expenses for the country as a whole.U. S. Voters have over and again demonstrated their eagerness to raise their own expenses to pay for new or improved parks. In 2002, 189 protection financing measures showed up on voting forms in 28 states. Voters endorsed seventy five percent of these, creating $10 billion in preservation related subsidizing. Huge numbers of the country's extraordinary city parks were worked in the second 50% of the nineteenth century. Urban organizers accepted the parks would improve general wellbeing, ease the worries of urban life, and make a showin g open space where rich and poor would blend on equivalent terms.By the mid-twentieth century, city parks fell into decrease as individuals fled downtowns for suburbia. Suburbia fared no better, as individuals accepted that terraces would meet the necessity for open space. Over the recent decades, enthusiasm for city parks has restored. Governments and municipal gatherings around the nation have revalidated run-down city parks, fabricated greengages along streams, changed over deserted railroad lines to trails, and planted network gardens in empty lots.But with the current financial downturn, states and urban communities confronting serious spending emergencies are cutting their park burning through, undermining the strength of existing parks, and shortening the production of new stops. Solid proof shows that when individuals approach parks, they practice more. Normal physical movement as been appeared to expand wellbeing and decrease the danger of a wide scope of ailments, includin g coronary illness, hypertension, colon malignant growth, and diabetes. Physical action additionally diminishes manifestations of misery and tension, improves disposition, and upgrades mental well-being.Beyond the advantages of activity, a developing assortment of exploration shows that contact with the regular world improves physical and mental wellbeing. In spite of the significance of activity, just 25 percent of American grown-ups participate in the suggested degrees of physical action, and 29 percent take part in no recreation time physical movement. The stationary way of life and unfortunate eating routine of Americans have created a pestilence of stoutness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has required the making of more stops and play areas to help battle this epidemic.Numerous examines have demonstrated that parks and open space increment the benefit of neighboring private property. Developing proof focuses to a comparable advantage on business property estima tion. The accessibility of park and amusement offices is a significant personal satisfaction factor for enterprises picking where to find offices and for accomplished people picking a spot to live. City stops, for example, San Notation's Riverview Park regularly become significant the travel industry draws, contributing intensely Green space in urban zones gives considerable natural benefits.Trees decrease air contamination and water contamination, they help keep urban communities cooler, and they are a progressively viable and more affordable approach to oversee stemware spillover than building frameworks of solid sewers and waste trench. City stops additionally produce significant social and network advancement benefits. They make downtown neighborhoods increasingly bearable; they offer recreational open doors for in danger youth, low-salary kids, and low-pay families; and they give places n low-pay neighborhoods where individuals can feel a feeling of community.Access to open par ks and recreational offices has been unequivocally connected to decreases in wrongdoing and specifically to diminished Juvenile misconduct. Network gardens increment occupants' feeling of network proprietorship and stewardship, give a concentration to neighborhood exercises, uncover downtown youth to nature, interface individuals from various societies, lessen wrongdoing by tidying up empty parts, and manufacture network pioneers. Considering these advantages, the Trust for Public Land requires a recovery of the city parks development of the late nineteenth century.We welcome all Americans to Join the push to bring parks, open spaces, and greengages into the country's neighborhoods where everybody can profit by them. 7 The occupants of numerous U. S. Urban areas need sufficient access to parks and open space close to their homes. In 2000, 80 percent of Americans were living in metropolitan zones, up from 48 percent in 1940. 1 The recreation center space in a large number of these me tropolitan zones is terribly lacking. In Atlanta, for instance, parkland covers just 3. 8 percent of the city area.Atlanta has no open green space bigger than 33% of a square mile. 2 The city has just 7. Sections of land of park space for each 1,000 inhabitants, contrasted and a 19. 1 section of land normal for other medium-low populace thickness urban areas. 3 The story is a lot of the equivalent in Los Angles, San Jose, New Orleans, and Dallas. Indeed, even in urban communities that have significant park space all in all, the inhabitants of numerous areas need access to close by parks. In New York City, for instance, about portion of the city 59 network board distri