Disparities in access to urban greenspace become more of a concern when social distancing needs to be practiced

Public parks and gardens are recognized as health-promoting assets for urban dwellers. Access to public greenspace, however, isn't uniform or equal. This study investigated that issue during the COVID-19 lockdown in England and Wales when public parks and gardens were the only out-of-home space options for many people.

Researchers accessed data from the UK's Office for National Statistics and Ordnance Survey to quantify availability, accessibility, and per-capita space in parks and gardens in urban parts of England and the three most populous cities in Wales. Availability was quantified by the number of parks within 500 and 1,000 meters of urban postcodes, representing approximately a five and ten minute walk respectively to the nearest park. Accessibility was quantified by the distance of postcodes to the nearest park. Per-capita space available in each public park and garden was quantified by dividing the total area of the park by the population size residing within 1,000 meters of the park. The importance of per-capita space relates to the potential for park crowdedness during periods of high use. Park crowdedness is of special concern when social distancing needs to be practiced.

Data for this study covered over 500,000 urban postcodes in England and Wales, with a total population of over 29 million. In the urban areas studied, approximately 3.8 million people (13%) do not have a park or garden within 1,000 meters (or a ten-minute walk) of their homes. Twenty-one percent of these people are younger than 16 years of age. Forty-three percent of postcodes in England and Wales do not have any public green space within 500 meters. For over 7 million people included in the study who do have access to parks or gardens within 1,000 meters from their homes, there is a risk of overcrowding. Twenty-one percent of this group are children and young adolescents. While postcodes with a higher share of flats generally have a better accessibility to parks based on distance, the parks in those areas are more likely to be overcrowded if used by all residents.

This study highlights how disparities in access to urban greenspace become more of a concern when social distancing needs to be practiced. Specific recommendations are offered on how cities might address this concern.