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The Knoxville Urban Wilderness Trail System and Baker Creek Preserve Bike Park: A Profile of Users and Physical Activity
This study is listed as the first in a series of Knoxville Urban Wilderness (KUW) health and economic impact reports. This paper details the number of KUW users during 2021. Findings include that the users of the KUW trail system are predominately white, adult males, and that mountain biking, running, and walking are the most…
Citation
Fitzhugh, E.C., Gregory, D. and Sims, C. 2023. The Knoxville Urban Wilderness Trail System and Baker Creek Preserve Bike Park: A Profile of Users and Physical Activity. Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee.
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Environmental Justice and Outdoor Recreation Opportunities: A spatially explicit assessment in Oslo metropolitan area, Norway
This study assesses outdoor recreation opportunities focusing on green space accessibility for different demographic groups in the Oslo metropolitan area in Norway. Overall, most people prefer large wooded green areas, high tree density, and water presence. Migrants and low-income households were found to have relatively less access to places for daily recreation.
Citation
Suárez, M., Barton, D.N., Cimburova, Z., Rusch, G.M., Gómez-Baggethun, E. and Onaindia, M. 2020. Environmental justice and outdoor recreation opportunities: A spatially explicit assessment in Oslo metropolitan area, Norway. Environmental Science & Policy 108(2020): 133-143.
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Equity in Access to Outdoor Recreation – Informing a Sustainable Future.
Residents in four large metropolitan areas in California were interviewed by phone to determine differences in outdoor recreation participation in national forests by ethnoracial groups, age, and gender. The researchers found that the most listed constraint to participation among all groups was a lack of time, though minority respondents were more likely to list resource-related…
Citation
Winter, P.L., Crano, W.D., Basáñez, T. and Lamb, C.S. 2019. Equity in access to outdoor recreation—Informing a sustainable future. Sustainability 12(1), 124.
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Recreation Equity: Is the Forest Service Serving Its Diverse Publics?
Across the U.S., racial and ethnic minorities visit national forests much less than white counterparts from neighboring counties. This disparity is the most pronounced in areas with the highest share of minorities living nearby, suggesting a significant need for creative outreach efforts.
Citation
Flores, D., Falco, G., Roberts, N.S., and Valenzuela III, F.P. 2018. Recreation Equity: Is the Forest Service Serving Its Diverse Publics? Journal of Forestry 116(3): 266-272.
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Enchanted Circle Trails: Final Survey Results
Benefit
Group
Region
Year
In Taos, New Mexico, Hispanic residents and low-income residents are less likely to have used trails during the previous year, but those who have used trails during the previous year use them just as often as other (non-Hispanic) residents. Among low-income residents, those with a park or trail within a 10-minute walk of their house…
Citation
RRC Associates. 2016. Enchanted Circle Trails: Final Survey Results. Prepared for Taos Land Trust; Headwaters Economics. Boulder, CO: RRC Associates.
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Exploring the Distribution of Park Availability, Features, and Quality Across Kansas City, Missouri by Income and Race/Ethnicity: An Environmental Justice Investigation
This study explores the disparities in park availability, components, and quality across socioeconomic and racially/ethnically diverse census tracts in Kansas City, Missouri. The authors found that low-income census tracts contained a higher amount of parks, but also had more quality concerns per park and fewer parks with playgrounds. Categorizing census tracts into high minority (where…
Citation
Vaughan, K.B., Kaczynski, A.T., Wilhelm Stanis, S.A., Besenyi, G.M., Bergstrom, R. and Heinrich, K.M. 2013. Exploring the distribution of park availability, features, and quality across Kansas City, Missouri by income and race/ethnicity: An environmental justice investigation. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 45(Suppl_1): S28-S38.
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Neighborhood Income Matters: Disparities in Community Recreation Facilities, Amenities, and Programs
At a sample of recreation centers in southern California, researchers find that several measures of facility condition and amenities are better in high-income neighborhoods relative to low-income neighborhoods. The likelihood that a child uses the recreation center increases 23 percent for each $10,000 increase in neighborhood income, but the authors do not find a relationship…
Citation
McKenzie, T.L., Moody, J.S., Carlson, J.A., Lopez, N.V. and Elder, J.P., 2013. Neighborhood income matters: disparities in community recreation facilities, amenities, and programs. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration 31(4): 12.
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Neighborhood Poverty, Park Use, and Park-Based Physical Activity in a Southern California City
A large study of 50 urban parks in Southern California measures park use by nearby residents and other users across high-, medium-, and low-poverty areas, finding that parks are used less in high-poverty areas. Those who do use parks in high-poverty areas, however, on average use the parks more per week, are more likely to…
Citation
Cohen, D.A., Han, B., Derose, K.P., Williamson, S., Marsh, T., Rudick, J. and McKenzie, T.L., 2012. Neighborhood poverty, park use, and park-based physical activity in a Southern California city. Social Science & Medicine 75(12): 2317-2325.
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Childhood Obesity and Proximity to Urban Parks and Recreational Resources: A Longitudinal Cohort Study
By following a large sample of children over time, this study demonstrates that children who participate in recreation programs, or who live a walkable distance from parks, are much less likely to be obese or overweight. These benefits can be achieved through formal parks and programs, but also through accessible green space or other small,…
Citation
Wolch, J., Jerrett, M., Reynolds, K., McConnell, R., Chang, R., Dahmann, N., Brady, K., Gilliland, F., Su, J.G. and Berhane, K., 2011. Childhood obesity and proximity to urban parks and recreational resources: a longitudinal cohort study. Health & Place 17(1): 207-214.
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Planning for Environmental Justice in an Urban National Park
The authors conducted a survey in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Los Angeles to understand park accessibility and how socio-demographic characteristics affect individuals’ use of the park. They found that the average park user is white, male, middle-aged, has a college education, earns between $50,000-$75,000 per annum, and was born in the United…
Citation
Byrne, J., Wolch, J. and Zhang, J. 2009. Planning for environmental justice in an urban national park. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 52(3): 365-392.
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Effect of Exposure to Natural Environment on Health Inequalities: An Observational Population Study
Research has established that low-income people tend to have higher mortality rates than high-income residents. This study across all of England demonstrates that this gap in mortality rate is about half the size in areas with the most green space compared to areas with the least green space.
Citation
Mitchell, R. and Popham, F., 2008. Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities: an observational population study. The Lancet 372(9650): 1655-1660.
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Parks and Park Funding in Los Angeles: An Equity-Mapping Analysis
In Los Angeles, historic land use policies that emphasized low-density housing and did not prioritize public park spaces have led to significant inequities of park access across race, ethnicity, and income. A fund designed to improve access to public parks could exacerbate this problem unless it considers proposals for nontraditional public spaces such as schoolyards…
Citation
Wolch, J., Wilson, J.P. and Fehrenbach, J., 2005. Parks and park funding in Los Angeles: An equity-mapping analysis. Urban Geography 26(1): 4-35.
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Outdoor Recreation Constraints: An Examination of Race, Gender, and Rural Dwelling
In this study from 2001, the authors use the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment to better understand the constraints faced by black people, women, and rural residents in the U.S. when they attempt to participate in their favorite outdoor recreation activities. They found that women are most likely to feel constrained by personal…
Citation
Johnson, C.Y., Bowker, J.M. and Cordell, H.K. 2001. Outdoor recreation constraints: An examination of race, gender, and rural dwelling. Journal of Rural Social Sciences 17(1): 6.
Library of Trails Benefits
This Trails Benefits Library is a collection of studies on the positive impacts of trails on businesses, public health, and quality of life. Use this form to search by type of benefit, use, year, and region.