Economic Benefits of New York City Parks

New York City is home to some of the world’s most iconic parks, including the 843-acre Central Park, which offer a wide range of benefits to residents and visitors. But what exactly are the system-wide benefits conveyed by all of these parks? To help answer this question, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) recently released a report entitled The Economic Benefits of Parks in New York City. While previous studies have investigated the economic impact of individual parks, this new report is the first benefit study of the city’s entire integrated park system. 

To prepare The Economic Benefits of Parks in New York City, a team of economists, specialists, and research partners used geographic information system (GIS) technology to measure the fiscal impacts of city, state, and federal parks within NYC. The report explains how parks lower healthcare costs for people who exercise there, provide natural air and water filtration, increase property values, and promote tourism while serving as a place for people to connect with nature.

As Sunny Fleming and David LaShell explain in this article on the Esri Blog, the project was no small task. NYC maintains over 48,000 acres of parkland across the city’s five boroughs, making parks a valuable public asset and a critical part of the city’s infrastructure. New York State also maintains important recreational assets like Shirley Chisholm State Park; the National Park Service oversees iconic places like Liberty Island and Grant’s Tomb; and there are many multi-jurisdictional parks like Governors Island and Hudson River Park.

To learn more about the study, including how it is already impacting policy and funding decisions, please read the source article.