October 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 82

D E S I G N I N G P A R K S F O R H E A LT H

Shade trees, green spaces
and opportunities for
community gardens

and in particular, greenness and parks, the
research group consolidated this work into
five, key points that represent leading elements of the Master Plan, supported by
extensive research demonstrating beneficial health associations.

provide significant health
benefits.
the results went online in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, they announced
the results of the study at the department's
sixth annual Great Parks Summit and conducted workshops for planners and designers to apply the results to a current park
retrofit project.
Nardi believes that " working with emerging evidence on parks and built-environment
impacts on health and well-being enables
parks and public spaces to contribute to
more equitable communities. " She also observes that collaborations with community
partners in both research and implementation " offer the most effective way to achieve
beneficial outcomes. " Current MDPROS
partners include the Florida Department
of Health in Miami-Dade County, Public
Housing and Community Development
and the Transportation and Public Works
Department. These partnerships have led
to enhanced data-mapping, which enables
broader, shared awareness of the conditions
in greatest need of amelioration. Nardi noted that, " MDPROS is then able to correlate
data to capital projects. "
Park Design for Health
The MDPROS Master Plan is a comprehensive document that addresses both the
internal conditions of parks and the connections of parks to neighborhoods, based
on the understanding that the realm of
parks begins at each resident's door and extends through the connective fabric of the
city and its parks and open spaces. With an
equally comprehensive body of data on the
health impacts of the built environment,
80 Parks & Recreation

Mixed-Use

The five points begin with mixed-use.
Access to mixed-use destinations provides multiple reasons for more people
to walk. Neighborhoods with mixed-use
destinations show higher levels of social
interaction and physical activity, essential
elements of a healthy lifestyle. Mixed-use
in a parks context can mean that the park
is part of a mixed-use district with shops,
residences and other kinds of activities
nearby, or that the park itself serves as a
mixed-use destination in the neighborhood. This can be seen in parks that provide for a variety of uses within the park,
and extend to include opportunities for
food and other services.

Connectivity

Mixed-use depends on connectivity.
Multiple destinations are only beneficial when they are accessible. Studies
show that people walk more in areas

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with connected sidewalks and having
many route choices is associated with
high connectivity. A greater density of
intersections, for example, is associated
with more walking and higher levels of
physical activity. The ability to access
mixed-use destinations through a variety of paths ensures a greater likelihood
of frequent social interaction, as well as
the benefits of physical activity through
walking. Generally, shorter blocks and
more paths connecting blocks support
more activity and community cohesion.
The Master Plan illustrates numerous
conditions for increasing connectivity
to parks and enhancing neighborhood
walkability. This reinforces the concept
of parks and open spaces as opportunities to build connectedness throughout
an otherwise sprawling region.

Greenness

The third element, and most obviously related to parks, is the presence of greenness. Shade trees, green spaces and opportunities for community gardens provide
significant health benefits. Often, parks
dedicated to a particular sport may be limited in providing greenness. This is where
the streetscape and sidewalk system that
connects a park to its neighborhood can
help to contribute greenness. There is a
significant body of research on the role of
neighborhood greenness in enhancing
community identity and encouraging
physical activity. There is also evidence
that higher levels of greenness are associated with higher property values. The
case for green addresses individual, population, economic and ecological health.

October 2016 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2016 - Parks & Recreation