Mapping Park Equity

Why are parks so important?

Parks are important to the quality of life in a community in multiple ways, including through economic value, health and environmental benefits, and social importance. According to the National Recreation and Park Association, parks improve the local tax base and increase property values while making a community desirable to businesses. Studies show parks can improve overall mental and physical well-being as there are significant correlations to reductions in stress, lowered blood pressure, and perceived physical health to the length of stay in visits to parks (Penn State University). Furthermore, parks provide a gathering place for communities to strengthen their ties and have the power to make communities more resilient. However, not every community is made equitable. The Trust for Public Land's 2023 Startegic Plan explains that over the past few decades, low-income communities have seen a disproportionately low share of park space investment.

According to the Trust for Public Land, research shows that systemic racial and economic disparity is at the heart of America's park equity gap. Arlington County, Virginia, like many American cities, implemented exclusionary housing policies decades ago that still affect housing, demographics, and development today. In 1932, Arlington was "formally" split in two via the street naming system, streets ending in "North" were north of Route 50 and those ending in "South," south of Route 50. However, the cultural and economic disparities between North and South Arlington began well before that system was put in place. In the early 20th century, there was one black neighborhood north of what is now Route 50/Arlington Boulevard, High-View Park/Hall's Hill. Furthermore, there were housing covenant's in North Arlington that forbade the sale or lease of homes “to anyone not of the Caucasian race.” Although these covenant's are no longer in place, there are lasting impacts on real estate values and neighborhood characteristics.

Let's talk about Arlington's park programs...

According to the ParkScore Index, 99% of Arlington's residents live within a 10-minute walk to a park. While Arlington only recieved 36 points in the 2024 ParkScore Index for Acreage, Arlington has 186 parks. These 186 parks cover only 11% of Arlington's total land area, 4% below the national median of 15% (Trust for Public Land). They are also scattered through the entire county area, rather than being only in North Arlington or South Arlington.

In 2024, Arlington earned the full 100 points from the ParkScore Index for investment in parks and 90 points for amenities in parks. According to the Trust for Public Land, the county is spending $303 on a per-capita basis in park investment. This is more than double the national average of $124. This makes sense as Arlington is one of the wealthiest areas in the country.

All of Arlington's 186 parks are shown on the map below!

Like many American cities, Arlington is complex.

Five categories of factors went into calculating park equity in the 71 census tracts of Arlington County, Virginia. These categories were acreage, investment, amenities, access, and equity. For the purposes of this research at the census tract level, both the investment and amenities categories were kept constant with 100 and 90 points respectively given to each census tract; these numbers were based on the 2024 ParkScore Index points earned.

The acreage category is an average of both mean park size and parkland as a percentage of census tract area. The access category is based on the percentage of the population living within a 10-minute walk of a public park. The equity category is a bit more complex and is based on four equally weighted measures: the ratio of nearby public park space between neighborhoods of color and white neighborhoods, the ratio of nearby public park space between low-income neighborhoods and high-income neighborhoods, the percentage of people of color living within a 10-minute walk of a public park, and the percentage of low-income households living within a 10-minute walk of a public park.

While not every one of the census tracts with the top five most nature points is in North Arlington, every single one of the census tracts in the bottom five is in South Arlington. The census tract with the highest number of points awarded has the highest total percent of population that is people of color in Arlington. This and the higher amount of acres dedicated to parks likely attributes to its Number 1 rank. Each of the census tracts in the bottom five ranks have only one park and less than one acre of parkland; total acres of parkland was rounded, hence why some have one park but zero acres. However, it is clear from the results that park acreage was not a make-or-break factor for a high ranking, the equity charcteristics of each census tract significantly affected the ranking of the census tract in overall points.

The results prove Arlington has earned its high ranking in the Trust for Public Land's ParkScore Index. There was no census tract that earned less than 200 points. However, this does not mean there is not still work to be done to make neighborhoods in Arlington have more equitable access to nature and green space. It is clear that Arlington's neighborhoods need more equitable access to nature.

The map below highlights each of the census tracts in the top five and bottom five.

Arlington has been working to increase equity among neighborhoods access to open park space since 2019. Arlington Analytics and the Arlington County Civic Federation published a report in 2020 regarding equity among open public spaces in the county and had several recommendations based on their findings. Two of the recommendations referenced parkland aquisition: there needs to be more land acquisition in high density areas to increase tree canopy and the county needs to expedite general parkland aquisition to meet their 2019 Public Spaces Master Plan goals. The report also recommended that Arlington County reorganize space uses, suggesting that the county must focus efforts to increase the quality of and public proximity to alternative open space when there are net increases in publicly owned and privately owned (with public use rights legally guaranteed in perpetuity) open public spaces.

To reiterate the driving force behind this project into park equity among Arlington's census tracts and conclusion of this project:

Parks are important to our communities and need as many resources and support we can provide them to ensure all Americans have equitable access to nature.