Most neighborhood parks go relatively unused by adult populations and women, giving young children, mostly boys, the run of the place.
Nathan Collins reports on the findings of a new study that examines the use of parks around the United States. "The First National Study of Neighborhood Parks" finds that parks are mostly geared toward young children, which is a problem, "because parks are one of the easiest and least expensive places for an increasingly sedentary society to get exercise."
Collins details the methodology of the study, undertaken by RAND Corporation researcher Deborah Cohen and published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. The article includes a few of the demographic highlights from the study.
FULL STORY: Who Uses the Nation’s Parks?
The Battle for Playgrounds
New York City parents are unhappy that fitness enthusiasts are turning to playgrounds for their workouts.
Playgrounds Could Provide Much-Needed Public Space
In communities lacking green space, public access to upgraded school playgrounds is a win-win solution.
A Comprehensive Plan for Every Neighborhood Park
Minneapolis wants more equity in its parks spending—and new plans are a key step in the process of delivering more equitable results.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association