Heckert models three different methods of measuring equity of access, based on race and socioeconomic status, to greenspace in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in order to both assess inequity, as well as if the method of measurement has an impact on the findings. She goes on to assess the impact of the Philadelphia Land Care (PLC) program—an initiative to manage blight through the temporary greening of vacant lots (cleaning up trash, planting vegetation, and installing basic infrastructure).
Heckert drew data on public greenspace from the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department as well as from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and spot-checked each space using Google Streetview to ensure that they were mostly covered in vegetation. Racial and ethnic demographic information, and two proxies for income level—housing ownership status and households led by females—were drawn from US Census data. The three methodologies used for measuring access were based on “distance to any greenspace, total amount of greenspace accessible to residents, and a hybrid measure that determined access based on proximity to a threshold amount of greenspace.”
Results revealed that while African Americans, Hispanics, female-headed households and renters were more likely to live in closer proximity to green space than whites, non-female headed households or homeowners in Philadelphia, they live in proximity to smaller overall amounts of greenspace. The opposite results were demonstrated when total access to green space was the measure. When the hybrid method was used, whites and non-female headed households were most likely to have access. Thus initiatives to green vacant lots through the PLC program have increased the number of residents who live close to greenspace, but have little impact on the total access to greenspace. Efforts should thus be directed towards changing the relative likelihood of having access to a sufficient amount of greenspace.
This study provides important information about the impact of method of greenspace assessment on conclusions about equity in access to greenspace as well as a more nuanced understanding of the impact of certain types of greening programs. The author emphasizes that greenspaces provide benefits, such as cleaner air and noise buffering, irrespective of whether or not they are actively used by residents. Therefore, she suggests that vacant land greening programs like the PLC might serve as a transitional solution on the way to longer-term strategies to improve greenspace access and urban health.
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