‘The park a tree built’: Evaluating how a park development project impacted where people play

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2015.02.011

Urban Forestry & Urban Greening

Volume 14, Issue 2, 2015, Pages 293-299

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2015.02.011 Get rights and content

Highlights

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Community-designed features promote the use of a local park for physical activity.
•
Renovating a local park improved area safety by reducing use of streets for play.
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Park features alone are insufficient to attract some groups, e.g., adolescent girls.
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Targeted park programs for adolescent girls and older adults may be needed.

Abstract

Community parks have achieved recognition as a public health intervention to promote physical activity. This study evaluated changes in population-level physical activity when an undeveloped green space adjacent to transitional housing for refugees was transformed into a recreational park. A prospective, nonrandomized study design used the System of Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to document the number and activity levels of park users over time, and to compare trends pre- and post-construction. T-tests or tests of medians (when appropriate) were used to compare pre- and post-construction changes in use of non-park and park zones for physical activity and changes in park use by age and gender. Pre- and post-comparisons of people observed using non-park zones (i.e., adjacent streets, alleys and parking lots) and park zones indicated a 38% decrease in energy expended in non-park zones and a 3-fold increase in energy expended within the park (P = 0.002). The majority of park users pre- and post-construction were children, however the proportion of adolescent males observed in vigorous activity increased from 11% to 38% (P = 0.007). Adolescent females and elderly continued to be under-represented in the park. Our findings support an association between creation of accessible outdoor spaces for recreation and improvements in physical activity. Community involvement in park design assured that features included in the park space matched the needs and desires of the communities served. Some demographic groups were still under-represented within the park, suggesting a need to develop targeted outreach strategies and programming.

Introduction

Public health professionals have long recognized the connection between neighborhoods and health, and have identified park improvements and creation of new parks as public health interventions (Bassett, 2009, Nordh and Ostby, 2013). Proximity to parks is associated with greater frequency of physical activity (Cohen et al., 2007), reduced weight (Liu et al., 2007, Ellaway et al., 2005), reduced weight gain (Bell et al., 2008), lower coronary heart disease(Maas et al., 2009, Dengel et al., 2009), social cohesion (Sullivan et al., 2004) and longevity (Takano et al., 2002). The strength of these associations varies based on park facilities and programming (Cohen et al., 2006, Cohen et al., 2010, Cohen et al., 2009, Schipperijna et al., 2013) and by characteristics of the potential park users, including sex, race and ethnicity, and age (Cohen et al., 2006, Cohen et al., 2007, Lachowycz and Jones, 2011). Research to date has been primarily focused on current park users, their preferences for park features, and association of these features with physical activity (Lachowycz and Jones, 2011). While some qualitative research has been done regarding the greening of alleys to improve storm water drainage and reduce crime (Seymour et al., 2010), there is a research gap in understanding how alleys, streets and undeveloped land are used for play and leisure activities in the absence of neighborhood parks, and how construction of a conveniently situated park could influence where play and leisure activities occur, in addition to increasing overall physical activity levels for a community.

In 2009, The Trust for the Public Land (TPL), Denver Urban Gardens and Denver Parks and Recreation proposed transforming a two-acre undeveloped green space, which was situated amidst transitional housing for refugees and Coalition for the Homeless residents, into a recreational park and large community garden (McWilliams, 2010). Prior to construction, a section of the lot was gardened by refugees from Burma, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Nepal, while younger people used a bare patch of land and the surrounding streets and alleys for play (Hanson, 2011). The goal of the project was to improve and unify these spaces to support community access to safe recreation, fresh food and places to socialize. In 2010, TPL and other agency partners held a town hall meeting at the transitional housing site to explain the project. Fifty-one adults and 28 youth attended. Attendees viewed photo albums with pictures of other park projects and worked in small groups to develop their “wish list” for the park. They then voted on the ideas they liked best by placing stickers next to the park features they preferred. Results of this initial meeting were shared a week later with a demographically representative subset of about 12 community members who were invited to participate in a park design meeting facilitated by TPL. Participants were divided into three groups and assembled a “park” by applying cut-outs of park amenities to a blank template of the park boundaries and natural features. A third meeting took place the following month to share the designs and provide an opportunity for community members to vote on their top choice. Residents advocated for improved soccer fields, playground equipment, basketball courts, benches, picnic tables, and preservation of a large shade tree that was a popular gathering place for residents. Residents also emphasized the need for security and maintenance after the park was built, and conveyed safety concerns related to an adjacent creek. These concerns were incorporated into the final park design. All changes were completed in spring of 2012.

The objective of this study is to quantify and report the use of the surrounding streets, alleys, parking lots and green space for play and leisure activities, and the changes in total energy expended within these spaces following park construction. Variation in energy expended by users of specific park amenities, and their demographic characteristics, are described. We also share lessons and discuss the implications of our findings for policy makers, community planners, public health professionals and researchers interested in designing park environments that will successfully promote physical activity among diverse populations.

Section snippets

Methods

This is a prospective study to assess the number and activity levels of park users over time, and to compare these trends pre- and post-construction (Biglan, Ary, & Wagenaar, 2000). Specifically, the System of Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) tool, developed by Cohen and McKenzie (Cohen et al., 2007), was used to document the number of people observed using the park between June–October 2010 and then again between June–October 2012. Observers rated the number of people,

Inter-rater reliability

Ten percent of all park observations were completed in pairs to assess inter-rater reliability. The percent of agreement was calculated on four variables that were present during the paired sessions, i.e., gender, age category, race/ethnicity, and activity level. Inter-rater agreement ranged between 98% and 100%, with highest agreement for identifying moderate activity level. Interestingly, the lowest agreement was for identifying male gender, most likely due to gender neutral clothing of

Discussion

It is well established that the design of outdoor public spaces influences human activity and social behavior (Lestan et al., 2014, Oka, 2011). For example, recognition of the relationship between urban form and frequency of walking and bicycling (Frank and Engelkel, 2001, Saelens et al., 2003) has implications for urban design, transportation systems (Lee and Vernez Moudon, 2004), recreation facilities, and public health policy (Sallis et al., 2006). The health benefits of accessible green

Human participant protection

The Kaiser Permanente Colorado institutional review board approved all data collection procedures for this study.

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by a grant from Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Community Benefit Initiatives Committee (CBIC). Special thanks go to Denver Parks and Recreation, The Trust for Public Land, Denver Urban Gardens, Mercy Housing, Coalition for the Homeless, and the residents of Mercy Housing and Xenia Village Apartments

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Nature-based interventions in socioeconomically-deprived neighbourhoods might reduce inequalities in access to natural areas, creating attractive destinations for residents, promoting physical activity and/or creating opportunities for social interactions, and improving their health and well-being.
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View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

‘The park a tree built’: Evaluating how a park development project impacted where people play

Highlights

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Methods

Inter-rater reliability

Discussion

Human participant protection

Acknowledgments

Am. J. Prev. Med.

Prev. Med.

Health Place

Am. J. Prev. Med.

Urban For. Green.

Appl. Geogr.

The value of interrupted time-series experiments for community intervention research

Prev. Sci.

Bold steps for the health of Americans: yes we can

Am. J. Public Health

Improving Participation of Muslim Girls in Physical Education and School Sport: Shared Practical Guidance from Birmingham Schools

An observational study of physical activity in parks in Asian and Pacific Islander communities in urban Honolulu, Hawaii, 2009

Prev. Chronic Dis.

Public parks and physical activity among adolescent girls

Pediatrics

Contribution of public parks to physical activity

Am. J. Public Health

New recreational facilities for the young and the old in Los Angeles: policy and programming implications

J. Public Health Policy

How much observation is enough? Refining the administration of SOPARC

J. Phys. Act. Health

Spiraling up

J. Commun. Develop. Soc.

Graffiti, greenery, and obesity in adults: secondary analysis of European cross sectional survey

BMJ

The built environment and human activity patterns: exploring the impacts of urban form on public health

J. Plann. Lit.

Refuge in Denver

Land & People

Differences in youth and adult physical activity in park settings by sex and race/ethnicity

Prev. Chronic Dis.