Key Citations:
1. Bowler DE, Buyung-Ali LM, Knight TM, Pullin AS. (2010) A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. BMC Public Health. 2010 Aug 4;10:456. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20684754.
2. Grant RH, Heisler GM, Gao W. (2002) Estimation of pedestrian level UV exposure under trees. Photochem Photobiol. 2002 Apr; 75(4):369-76. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12003126
3. Kuo FE, Taylor AF. (2004) A potential natural treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: evidence from a national study. Am J Public Health. 2004 Sep ;94(9):1580-6. Available at: http://www.niu.edu/~carter/courses/526/articles/Kuo_and_Taylor.pdf
4. TPL (2013). Economic and Health Benefits. Trust for Public Land. Accessed April 2013. Available at: Effects of Parks on Health: http://www.tpl.org/research/parks/economic-health-benefits.html.
5. Goldsby TU, George BJ, Yeager VA, Sen BP, Ferdinand A, Sims DM, Manzella B,Cockrell Skinner A, Allison DB, Menachemi N. Urban Park Development and Pediatric Obesity Rates: A Quasi-Experiment Using Electronic Health Record Data. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016 Apr 8;13(4):411. doi: 10.3390/ijerph13040411.
Access to Parks and Open Space
The Access to Parks and Open Space indicator measures the percentage of a neighborhood’s population within a half mile (10 minute walk) of a park. Evidence suggests that built environments such as sidewalks, parks, trails, and neighborhood safety are associated with increased physical activity, and several studies have noted that high-quality built environments are associated with increased physical activity and lower obesity rates while insufficient or low-quality built environments are linked to inadequate levels of PA and increased obesity rates. Studies also find links between increased time outdoors and decreased attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Trees and green space in parks also help mitigate negative climate issues by lowering air temperature, improving air quality by removing pollutants, and absorbing and cleaning water run-off from impervious surfaces. Found in the Natural Areas domain, the Access to Parks and Open Space indicator is also relevant to the Economic Health, Social Cohesion, Health Systems and Public Safety, Environmental Hazards, and Neighborhood Characteristics domains. Data for the Access to Parks and Open Space indicator is derived from the City of Birmingham parks database and U.S. Census.