ParkIndex: Validation and application of a pragmatic measure of park access and use

Abstract

Highlights Composite measures of park availability, features, and quality are lacking. Detailed park access and use data were collected in four diverse communities. Number of parks, total acreage, and average park quality were related to park use. Simulated addition and renovation of parks increased the probability of park use. ParkIndex has value for advancing public health and environmental justice.

Unearthing Inequities in the Relationship between Multiple Sociodemographic Factors and Diverse Elements of Park Availability and Quality in a Major Southern Metropolitan Region

“…As described below, CPAT data were used to calculate multiple metrics related to park quality as well as an overall score for each park based on the previously developed ParkIndex [82]. Each park quality metric comprised multiple indicators, which were weighted equally (due to the absence of specific evidence supporting the differential weighting of diverse elements of the parks).…”

“…Total Park Quality Score. Finally, to arrive at a total park quality score for each park (out of 100), the mean of scores for transportation access, facility availability, facility quality, amenity availability, park aesthetics, park quality concerns, and neighborhood quality concerns were calculated [82].…”

“…Objective tools and metrics, like GIS and CPAT, used in this research can facilitate the identification and remediation of park access disparities within and across communities. They can also provide a transparent way to visualize inequalities that allows researchers, citizens, and other key stakeholders to work together toward redressing these concerns [82]. In another perspective, improving park and recreation accessibility is one strategy for better serving disadvantaged residents [104], which may explain positive correlations between higher levels of unemployment and greater transportation access.…”

Nature-based Pathways to Health Promotion: The Value of Parks and Greenspace

“…Vulnerable populations and communities that experience disproportionate burdens of both acute illnesses and chronic disease may benefit most from access to high-quality parks and greenspace. New tools such as at the Trust for Public Land's ParkServe and ParkScore indexes, as well as the newly validated ParkIndex tool [37], provide communities with ways to assess current park distribution patterns and identify and invest in areas of need, ultimately enhancing access to these critical health resources. Equity plans embedded in new park projects, such as the one guiding the growth of Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, help ensure that development does not fuel green gentrification and exacerbate health disparities by displacing the populations who need park-related benefits the most [38].…”

Identifying multilevel predictors of behavioral outcomes like park use: A comparison of conditional and marginal modeling approaches

“…At the park level, audits conducted with reliable and valid tools are increasingly common [ 19 ], including the Community Park Audit Tool (CPAT) [ 20 ]. CPAT measures park access, neighborhood features, activity areas, quality, and safety [ 21 , 22 ]. At the individual level, intercept surveys administered to individuals visiting parks capture information about behaviors or sociodemographic characteristics [ 23 , 24 ].…”