Walking Accessibility to Parks: Considering Number of Parks, Surface Area and Type of Activities

Abstract

Parks and green spaces are desirable destinations for diverse reasons including exercising, playing, relaxing, and socializing. In this paper, we demonstrate that simultaneously considering number of parks, surface area and type of activity provides an improved understanding of walking accessibility to parks in urban areas. Using open datasets and a configurable tool, we find that in Montreal, 95% of the population have access to three or more parks, 83% can access 3 or more playgrounds, and 10% can access 3 or more open air activities within a 1 km walk. The accessible surface area varies considerably across the region. The tool reveals distinct patterns that better reflect the diversity of needs and uncovering specific inequalities, and can therefore contribute to improved decision-making.