Parks have been associated with more physical activity (PA) and positive health outcomes, yet investments in parks are low. For the largest 100 US cities, the average spending for parks and recreation in 2022 was $126 per capita, with $37.59 per capita for programming and $63.11 per capita for maintenance. In contrast, the spending for health care in 2022 was $13,493 per capita, more than 100-fold higher than spending on parks. The goal of this study was to assess whether allocations by Depts of Parks and Recreation are related to health outcomes.
This study used the Park Score data collected by the Trust for Public Land to test the association between per capita spending in programming, maintenance and total spending in 2022-23 by Depts. of Parks and Recreation in 10 Southern California cities and health outcomes among 732,504 adult residents who received healthcare from Kaiser Permanente in the same two years. The results showed that for every $30 per capita spent on programming, the prevalence of multiple diagnoses was lower.
The study concluded that programming has a stronger relationship than park maintenance with health outcomes, likely because it is the sports, exercise classes, and events (5K walks and runs) that more strongly attracts park visitors and supports physical activity. However, a longitudinal study is needed to prove causality. More funds should be spent on park programming and events to assess the impact on population health.
