1. Park System Planning
and Public Health
David Rouse
Principal, WRT
Park Pride Annual Conference
March 25, 2013
2. What I Will Cover
1. The Public Health Perspective
2. How Park Systems Can Improve Public Health
3. Case Studies
• Cleveland Metroparks Strategic Plan
• Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation Plan
• GreenPlan Philadelphia
4. Discussion
3. The mission of the public health profession is to…
fulfill society’s interest in assuring conditions in which
people can be healthy.
(Medterms Medical Dictionary)
4. Key Determinants of Public Health
• Behavioral: Tobacco use, exercise, diet, alcohol consumption, etc.
• Environmental: Exposure to toxic substances and other hazards in
the built (and natural) environment.
• Social-economic-cultural: Education, income, and occupational
status.
Action to address public health issues must be EVIDENCE-BASED.
How can park systems influence the key determinants of public
health? What EVIDENCE supports this connection?
5. Connections Between Public Health and Park Systems
Triple Bottom Line Benefits
• Environmental: Parks improve
air and water quality, which
directly impact human health.
• Economic: Parks promote
physical activity and other
healthy behavior, resulting in
reduced healthcare costs.
• Social: Parks (and the contact
with nature they provide)
alleviate mental stress and can
help reduce health disparities.
6. Environmental Connection: Improved Air Quality
Temperatures in Baltimore City
Parks were as much as 5o F. cooler
at 2 pm and 13o F. cooler at 9 pm
than in center city; cooling effects
outside the parks averaged 36% of
park diameter during the day and 78
% of park diameter during the night
(Heisler et. al, 2007)
Vegetation in Philadelphia parks
removes the equivalent of $1.5
million in air pollution annually
(Trust for Public Land, 2008)
7. Economic Connection: Reduced Healthcare Costs
Protected open space in SE
Pennsylvania yields $577 million in
annual recreation benefits for
residents
This recreational activity reduces
medical costs by $795 million and
lost productivity costs by $485
million, for a total of $1.3 billion
savings annually provided by
protected open space (Economy
League of Greater Philadelphia,
2011)
8. Social Connection: Improved Mental Health
Exposure to natural environments
improves the mental health of
residents
In Philadelphia, regular interactions
with nature could result in 13,000
fewer cases of mood disorders such
as depression (Robert Wood
Johnson Health & Society Scholars
Program, University of Pennsylvania,
2007)
9. Park System Planning and Design to Improve Public Health
How can park systems create conditions in which people can be healthy?
• Develop walking connections and access between and to parks from
neighborhoods
• Provide facilities within parks to promote health (exercise trails,
community gardens, etc.)
• Offer programs and services focused on health and wellness (fitness,
nature education, etc.)
• Maximize parks as green infrastructure to improve environmental
quality (land acquisition, tree planting, stormwater management, etc.)
• Ensure equitable access to parks and green infrastructure for
poor/underserved communities
10. Cleveland Metroparks: Green Infrastructure for the Urban Community
Northeast Ohio’s Emerald
Necklace: 21,315 acres in
Cleveland and Cuyahoga County
Traditional mission focused on
nature conservation, education,
and recreation (in that order)
New directions set by Centennial
Strategic Plan:
• Restore urban ecosystems
• Connect Cleveland Metroparks
to the urban core
• Promote community health and
wellness
11. Cleveland Metroparks: Green Infrastructure for the Urban Community
The region’s natural life support system, green infrastructure refers to a
network of parks, greenways, trees, wetlands, and other green resources that
provide essential environmental, economic, and community benefits and
ecosystem services for the people of Northeast Ohio.
Environmental Benefits Economic Benefits Community Benefits
• Preserve habitat • Attract businesses and workers • Enable recreation
• Mitigate stormwater/flooding • Generate revenue • Improve public health
• Improve watershed health and • Provide access to local businesses • Promote equity and access
water quality • Increase property values • Foster community
• Improve air quality • Lower energy costs • Provide gathering spaces
• Regulate climate • Lower healthcare costs • Connect people with nature
• Sequester carbon
Leads to a greater return on investment over traditional “gray” infrastructure
12. Cleveland Metroparks: Green Infrastructure for the Urban Community
Cuyahoga County ranks 69th of 88 Lyndhurst 88.5
Ohio counties in health outcomes Hough 64.0
• 81st in physical environment
• 78th in morbidity
• 67th is socioeconomic factors
• 57th in mortality
Most health disparities affect
underserved groups (socioeconomic
status, race/ethnicity, etc.)
13. Cleveland Metroparks: Green Infrastructure for the Urban Community
Traditional conservation Hough
mission focused on
preserving the Emerald Hough
Necklace through suburban
parts of Cuyahoga County
14. Cleveland Metroparks: Green Infrastructure for the Urban Community
Strategic Plan sets new direction to address health disparities of
underserved groups:
• Greenway/trail network
inward from the Emerald Hough
Necklace
• Programs focused on
health and wellness,
nature education for
urban youth
• Environmental restoration
of vacant lands
Partner with universities,
healthcare institutions, etc.
in the above
15. Prince George’s County: Building Partnerships for Public Health
• Parks, Recreation, and Open
Space Master Plan led by the
Department of Parks &
Recreation (DPR)
• DPR manages 27,000 acres of
parkland in the County and
provides a broad range of
facilities, programs, and services
• Plan adopts a comprehensive
view of the county’s park and
recreation resources with a focus
on health and wellness to
improve health outcomes Photos courtesy of the Prince George’s County
Department of Parks & Recreation
16. Why Focus on Public Health?
Prince George’s County has poor health
behaviors and outcomes when
compared to other Maryland counties
and national averages
• Ranks 17th out of 24 Maryland
counties for overall health outcomes
• Exceeds state and national averages
in:
• Premature deaths
• Low birth weights
• Adult obesity
• Teen births
• Sexually-transmitted diseases
17. Prince George’s County: Building Partnerships for Public Health
Master Plan Goals
CONNECTIVITY
Connect Prince George’s County residents to quality
parks, trails, recreational facilities and programs, and
schools.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Improve the health (physical, mental, environmental)
of Prince George’s County residents and promote a
wellness ethic for the community as a whole.
$ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Contribute to Prince George’s County economy and the
financial sustainability of the community. Photo courtesy of the Prince George’s County
Department of Parks & Recreation
18. Prince George’s County: Building Partnerships for Public Health
Master Plan Targets
Increase the trail network from 134 miles to 400
miles to meet the needs of the projected 2040
population
Include a health and wellness component in at
least 75 percent of DPR’s programs
Reduce the percentage of the county population
that is obese by at least 10 percent over the next
10 years
Photos courtesy of the Prince George’s County
Department of Parks & Recreation
19. Prince George’s County: Building Partnerships for Public Health
“Chronic diseases – specifically
diabetes, heart disease, hypertension,
asthma, and cancer – are the health
conditions most amenable to
improvement…in Prince George’s
County.” (UMD School of Public
Health, Public Health Impact Study)
Prince George’s County (with DPR as
catalyst) is partnering with the UMD
School of Public Health on a county
health improvement initiative
20. Prince George’s County: Building Partnerships for Public Health
Potential Partners
• PGC Health Department
• PGC Healthcare Action Coalition
(responsible for implementing the
PGC Health Improvement Plan)
• PGC Department of Parks and
Recreation
• PGC Planning Department
• PGC Public Schools
• Institute for Public Health
Innovation
• UMD School of Public Health
21. GreenPlan Philadelphia: Parks Without Borders
Expands the definition of open
space beyond parks to
components of the city fabric and
the benefits they provide
• Green elements and places
• Network of benefits:
environment, economy,
quality of life
Philadelphia will be a “greene Country Towne
which will never be burnt, and always be
wholesome.”
- William Penn
22. GreenPlan Philadelphia: Parks Without Borders
Physical Framework
ELEMENTS OF GREEN PLACES GREEN PLACES
Trees
Parks and Recreation Spaces
Stormwater Management Tools
Green Schoolyards
Meadows
Vacant Land Opportunities
Trails and Bikeways
Waterfronts
Wetlands
Green Streets
Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens
Green Development
High Performance Surfaces
Plazas and Auxiliary Spaces
Renewable Energy
Rail and Utility Corridor Enhancements
23. GreenPlan Philadelphia: Parks Without Borders
Network of Benefits
ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY GREEN QUALITY OF LIFE
Clean Air Efficient Energy Use Fresh, Local Produce
Healthy Watersheds Valuable Properties Convenient Recreation Access
Robust Habitat Productive Land Use Healthy Residents
Hospitable Climate Competitive Economy Strong, Safe Neighborhoods
How many of these benefits improve public health?
24. GreenPlan Philadelphia: Parks Without Borders
Equitable access based on level
of service
• % of people living within half
mile of a park or playground
• Parks serving over 500
people per acre of park
within the half mile radius
Served Area
Underserved Area
35. Where’s the Money?
GOVERNMENTAL SOURCES
CDC Community Transformation Grants
– MaineHealth received $220,000 to implement no- or low-cost recreational programs for
overweight youth and to develop a media campaign to encourage advocacy for recreational
programs and facilities
HUD Sustainable Communities Planning Grants
– Shelby County, TN is funding a Greenways and Green Infrastructure Health Impact
Assessment as part of a $2,619,999 grant for the Mid-South Regional Greenprint &
Sustainability Plan
EPA Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance Grants
– The City of Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management received $50,000 to help
develop conceptual designs for potential greenspace in two neighborhoods
36. Where’s the Money?
GOVERNMENTAL SOURCES
Stormwater Utility Fees
– Philadelphia, PA uses stormwater billing to fund green street and other green
infrastructure projects ($18.5 million projected in FY 2014)
– The Lenexa, KS Rain to Recreation program uses stormwater utility fees and other
funding sources to implement projects that manage stormwater and create greenspace
NONPROFIT & PRIVATE SOURCES
National Foundations/Grant Programs
– The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Program
supports investments in parks and green infrastructure projects to reduce childhood
obesity (41 communities received a total of $33 million under this program in 2012)
37. Where’s the Money?
NONPROFIT & PRIVATE SOURCES
Local Health Care Systems/Institutions
– North Central Health Services in Wabash, IN contributed $500,000 to help fund the Wabash
River Corridor environmental, economic, and recreational enhancement project
– Heart Clinic Arkansas raised $2.1 million to help the City of Little Rock fund the Medical Mile
(part of the Arkansas River Trail)
Local Foundations
– The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham raised more than $17 million to help
fund the City’s Three Parks Initiative, which will develop two new parks and enhance a
nature preserve (the Foundation has a major initiative called People Can Lead Healthy Lives)
Local Businesses
– In Cary, NC, Greenways, Inc. donated its services and partnered with local businesses to use
their waste products to develop the Swift Creek Recycled Greenway
38. Discussion
How can we leverage the value of parks in
improving public health?
How can the parks-public health
connection be demonstrated by evidence?
