Access to Parks

Access to Parks measures how many residents in the St. Louis region live within a 10-minute walk of a park. The Trust for Public Land defines parks as publicly-owned local, state, and national parks, school parks with a joint-use agreement with the local government, and privately-owned parks that are managed for full public use. By this definition, approximately 53% of all residents in the area live within walking distance of a park.

Access to Parks Indicator Scores

City of
St. Louis

99

St. Louis
County

100

St. Charles
County

100

St. Clair
County

100

Data Source: ParkServe from The Trust for Public Land, 2018

Data Note: ParkServe uses demographic information derived from ESRI 2017 Demographic Forecast Block Groups data to estimate access to parks within municipal jurisdictions and Census Designated Places (CDPs). For St. Clair, St. Charles, and St. Louis Counties, indicator scores are based on estimated access using these jurisdictions within the county. Some jurisdictions are too small to provide accurate estimates disaggregated by race; those have been left out of the analysis.

What does this score mean?

A score of 100 represents racial equity, meaning there are no racial disparities in the outcomes between black and white populations. The lower the Equity Score, the greater the disparity.

For Access to Parks, a score of 100 – a score reflecting racial equity – would mean black and white residents are equally likely to live within a 10-minute walk of a park. It is important to note that for this indicator, equity is not our only goal; we also want to improve outcomes for all.

WHAT DOES THIS ANALYSIS MEAN?

There is very little racial disparity in access to parks for residents. White residents in the City of St. Louis are slightly more likely to have access to parks (94.9%) than their black counterparts (94.2%). If there were equitable access to parks in the City, approximately 1,105 more black residents would live within walking distance of a park – less than 1% of the City of St. Louis’ black population. In the counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, and St. Clair, black residents are slightly more likely to be within walking distance of a park.

While nearly all residents in St. Louis live within walking distance of a park, those parks are of varying quality. Within the 108 parks owned by the City of St. Louis, parks can be small corner lots with grass only, to medium-sized parks with playgrounds, to large parks like Forest Park with many amenities. Furthermore, this indicator does not necessarily consider driving distance in access to parks. Therefore, we cannot conclude further as to whether there is equitable access to public green spaces in the more suburban and rural areas of the region.

Why Does Access to Parks Matter?

Parks give people a place to exercise, socialize, relax, and build community. Having safe places to play are especially important for child well-being. According to RAND researchers, people who live close to parks are more likely to exercise and are less likely to suffer from obesity and related diseases. Economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland have identified quality of life amenities such as parks as a key variable that influences economic growth for regions.

Which Calls to Action from the Ferguson Commission’s report are linked with this indicator?

While there are no direct calls to action related to access to parks, the Commission calls for supporting the whole child. Examining access to parks is an example of applying a racial equity lens to city services. Other related calls to action include:

Questions for Further Investigation:

  • Why is there a racial disparity in Access to Parks?
  • What can St. Louis do to reduce racial disparities in Access to Parks?
  • What initiatives are currently underway to reduce racial disparities in Access to Parks?

How can I learn more about this issue?

The Trust for Public Land is leading a national campaign to ensure that every person in America has access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home. Through their platform ParkServe, they have evaluated park access for cities, towns, and communities nationwide.

Access to Parks Data

 AllWhiteBlackDisparity RatioEquity Score
Residents Who Live Within 10-Minute Walk of a Park
299,184139,071136,711
Population
316,483146,545145,128
Percent of Residents with Access to Parks
94.50%94.90%94.20%1.007 to 199

Data Source: ParkServe from The Trust for Public Land, 2018

 AllBlackWhiteDisparity RatioEquity Score
Residents Who Live Within 10-Minute Walk of a Park
399,222114,041246,419
Population
807,261189,008580,075
Percent of Residents with Access to Parks
49.50%60.30%42.50%0.705 to 1100

Data Source: ParkServe from The Trust for Public Land, 2018

 AllBlackWhiteDisparity RatioEquity Score
Residents Who Live Within 10-Minute Walk of a Park
85,6804,66474,770
Population
290,81415,034255,916
Percent of Residents with Access to Parks
29.46%31.02%29.22%0.942 to 1100

Data Source: ParkServe from The Trust for Public Land, 2018

 AllBlackWhiteDisparity RatioEquity Score
Residents Who Live Within 10-Minute Walk of a Park
83,83028,92838,474
Population
233,36965,631116,907
Percent of Residents with Access to Parks
35.92%44.08%32.91%0.747 to 1100

Data Source: ParkServe from The Trust for Public Land, 2018