Key Points

• City Parks can provide much-needed stress relief during CV-19.
• CV-19 demonstrates the value of city parks, which should influence city planning.

The Value of Parks

Mental health and well-being, along with stress relief, are critical for avoiding long-term psychological costs from the CV-19 pandemic. Access to natural spaces, which positively affects well-being, could be especially beneficial in the current crisis. During this time of heightened stress and anxiety, stay-at-home orders, and social distancing, the respite provided by simple things like a stroll or run through a park is more important than ever.

“Number one, parks are not just green spaces. They’re public spaces for people. They’re not just for physical health, but for mental health,” New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver said at the Kinder Institute Forum on March 4, just before life in the U.S. was turned on its head by COVID-19. “Study after study will tell you just being in a park for 20 minutes will improve your mental health. It will reduce your anxiety, it will reduce stress and it actually in some cases will reduce crime. So I tell people, ‘don’t take a mental health day. Just take a walk in the park.’”

So I tell people, ‘don’t take a mental health day. Just take a walk in the park.’”

Mitchell J. Silver, New York City Parks Commissioner

Unfortunately, personal wealth affects park usage. Like many things, public parks are plagued by inequity in both access and amenities. More than 100 million people in the U.S. live farther than a 10-minute walk from a park, with low-income neighborhoods having more limited access. Indeed, in the U.S., car ownership can control the ability to access green space. WHO guidelines recommend that to maximize equity in the health benefits of green space, all households should have a publicly accessible green space of at least 1.2 acres no farther than 300 meters from home.

Urban green space for well-being during the pandemic is not merely “nice-to-have”; rather, incorporating nature into cities is essential. And it provides multiple additional benefits: protecting urban biodiversity and ecosystems, improving air quality and wastewater management, and mitigating heat island effects. When the value of these spaces for mental health and well-being is considered alongside their environmental benefits, their true worth is apparent.

One potential positive outcome of the pandemic is a new or renewed appreciation for public spaces. Green spaces can offset the negative effects of lockdown measures on mental well-being.The restrictions on citizens at this unusual moment can also invite healthy reflection about how to improve urban environments. Accessible green space in cities supports mental and physical health; natural spaces in cities also help mitigate climate change. As a result, enhancing those spaces should be a focus of urban development discussions.