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.

Neighborhoodsort descending Indicator Value Rank
Acipco-Finley 93.5% 50
Airport Highlands 0.0% 95
Apple Valley 0.0% 95
Arlington - West End 100.0% 1
Belview Heights 46.9% 90
Bridlewood 0.0% 95
Brown Springs 97.5% 43
Brownsville Heights 0.0% 95
Brummitt Heights 100.0% 1
Bush Hills 54.2% 87
Central City 100.0% 1
Central Park 100.0% 1
Central Pratt 100.0% 1
College Hills 100.0% 1
Collegeville 89.0% 58
Crestline 70.1% 78
Crestwood North 89.1% 57
Crestwood South 56.2% 85
Dolomite 27.1% 94
Druid Hills 96.2% 46
East Avondale 92.5% 51
East Birmingham 100.0% 1
East Brownville 100.0% 1
East Lake 86.4% 65
East Thomas 95.6% 47
Eastwood 100.0% 1
Echo Highlands 38.8% 91
Enon Ridge 98.4% 40
Ensley 98.8% 39
Ensley Highlands 96.3% 45
Evergreen 72.1% 77
Fairmont 83.4% 67
Fairview 93.8% 49
Five Points South 100.0% 1
Forest Park 99.5% 35
Fountain Heights 99.1% 36
Garden Highlands 100.0% 1
Gate City 100.0% 1
Germania Park 82.4% 69
Glen Iris 80.3% 70
Grasselli Heights 100.0% 1
Graymont 100.0% 1
Green Acres 100.0% 1
Harriman Park 98.4% 40
Highland Park 100.0% 1
Hillman 100.0% 1
Hillman Park 100.0% 1
Hooper City 87.5% 64
Huffman 56.8% 84
Industrial Center 100.0% 1
Inglenook 58.2% 83
Jones Valley 87.7% 62
Killough Springs 90.3% 55
Kingston 98.3% 42
Liberty Highlands 31.0% 93
Maple Grove 100.0% 1
Mason City 91.2% 53
North Avondale 88.3% 59
North Birmingham 48.3% 89
North East Lake 95.4% 48
North Pratt 75.5% 73
North Titusville 74.2% 75
Norwood 100.0% 1
Oak Ridge 100.0% 1
Oak Ridge Park 34.3% 92
Oakwood Place 87.6% 63
Overton 56.0% 86
Oxmoor 90.8% 54
Penfield Park 58.3% 82
Pine Knoll Vista 100.0% 1
Powderly 88.3% 59
Redmont Park 100.0% 1
Riley 77.7% 72
Rising - West Princeton 100.0% 1
Roebuck 84.7% 66
Roebuck Springs 100.0% 1
Roosevelt 100.0% 1
Sandusky 58.9% 81
Sherman Heights 59.0% 80
Smithfield 99.0% 38
Smithfield Estates 50.8% 88
South East Lake 82.9% 68
South Pratt 100.0% 1
South Titusville 89.2% 56
South Woodlawn 73.6% 76
Southside 100.0% 1
Spring Lake 60.6% 79
Sun Valley 0.0% 95
Tarpley City 100.0% 1
Thomas 99.8% 34
Tuxedo 100.0% 1
Wahouma 99.1% 36
West Brownville 100.0% 1
West End Manor 91.5% 52
West Goldwire 100.0% 1
Woodland Park 88.3% 59
Woodlawn 79.1% 71
Wylam 74.4% 74
Zion City 97.3% 44

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.