March 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 36

INFRASTRUCTURE
We live in a moment of risk,
but also unparalleled opportunity
to make bold moves toward equity
and justice through our public
parks. Under the American Rescue
Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), parks
in qualifying census tracts, which
include communities
disproportionately
affected by COVID-19,
are eligible for funding to support
healthy outdoor recreation while
allowing physical distancing.
For example, the Chesterfield,
Virginia, Board of Supervisors
voted unanimously to allocate $25
million - more than a third of the
county's $68.5 million in ARPA
funding - for parks maintenance
and enhancement (tinyurl.com/
mrxuf33w). The unprecedented investment
in Chesterfield Parks and
Recreation, which saw record usage
last year in response to COVID-19
closings and physical distancing
mandates, will enable the department
to proceed more quickly than
expected on new facilities in the
county's most economically underserved
and vulnerable areas. By
allocating meaningful funding to
both renovation and maintenance
of parks, communities like Chesterfield
are making great strides in
efforts to adjust the use and care of
these important spaces.
Improving Inequities
Through Green Space
Desiree Dickerson, a clinical psychologist
in Spain who specializes
in academic mental health
and well-being, when speaking of
the value of green space to society,
states, " Back in the day, if we
were isolated, we'd either be eaten
or we'd starve. We are wired for
social connection and belonging.
And when those needs aren't met,
we see increased psychological
distress, anxiety, depression and a
raft of other health issues " (tinyurl.
com/3fyn46a3).
Communities that are considered
most at risk in the current pandemic
are often vulnerable to current
and forecast effects of climate
change. In September, the Columbia
University Climate School released
a report that provided eight
specific recommendations for New
York
City
to
help
underserved
communities survive summer heat.
Residents in substandard or poorly
insulated housing without adequate
cooling mechanisms, like air
conditioning, may suffer from dehydration,
aggravated cardiovascular
and respiratory conditions, and
disturbed sleep. Notably, the report
recommended planting vegetation
and expanding green spaces, such
as those found in parks, in neighborhoods
with high-heat vulnerability.
This strategy would help
cool urban neighborhoods in need
of safe spaces to cool off while providing
other additional short- and
long-term health benefits (tinyurl.
com/mrykc637).
Many neighborhoods in the
Recently, Boston conducted a
comprehensive upgrade and modernization
of the 4.5-acre Langone Park and Puopolo
Playground, a signature waterfront park in
the city's historic North End.
36 Parks & Recreation | MARCH 2 0 22 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
United States need interventions
like these to improve inequities in
health and well-being. The 2021
Parks and an Equitable Recovery report
released by The Trust for Public
Land (tinyurl.com/4xkhvhhf)
estimates that nearly 100 million
Americans - almost a full third
of our population - don't have
a park close to their home where
they can safely exercise outside,
gather with friends and maintain
their mental health. The pandemic
has heightened our awareness
of this disparity while the specter
of heat spikes and floods from
climate change make " tree equity "
a life-or-death issue. Recent
research suggests that 92 percent
of low-income blocks in the United
States have less tree cover and
hotter average temperatures than
high-income blocks; these figures
are not accidental but rather an
IMAGE COURTESY OF WESTON & SAMPSON
http://www.tinyurl.com/mrxuf33w http://www.tinyurl.com/mrxuf33w https://www.tinyurl.com/3fyn46a3 https://www.tinyurl.com/mrykc637 https://www.tinyurl.com/mrykc637 https://www.tinyurl.com/3fyn46a3 https://www.tinyurl.com/4xkhvhhf
March 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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