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A decade of research from the Center for Systems and Community Design (CSCD) at CUNY SPH helped inform New York City’s new $50 million plan to reconstruct 10 parks in underserved neighborhoods. The effort extends the Community Parks Initiative (CPI), which has already delivered more than 70 park upgrades with over $500 million in capital investment citywide since 2014.
In a recent announcement, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura announced the plan to upgrade 10 additional parks in all five boroughs via the CPI, wherein local parks are reconstructed through a community-driven design process that upgrades sites, adds new play equipment and recreation amenities for all ages, and enhances green space.
The announcement coincides with new findings from the Supporting Parks and Revitalizing Communities Study (SPARCS) and the Physical Activity and Redesigned Community Spaces (PARCS) study by CUNY SPH and CSCD researchers, showing that investments in high-quality green spaces—especially when paired with efforts to increase park use—may help close health equity gaps in communities that have historically lacked access to quality outdoor recreational spaces.
Findings from the SPARCS study showed that individuals who participated in activities such as walking and exercising at their CPI park had higher overall physical activity levels. Park activities contributed to the most overall physical activity among minority groups and males.
CPI investments also have been linked to improved mental health and increased park use. According to findings from the PARCS study, residents in neighborhoods that received CPI park renovations reported:
- More time spent in parks, particularly on weekdays and among adults with children and members of the Latino community.
- Significant increases in satisfaction with park quality, maintenance and amenities.
- Reduced stress levels among residents who frequently used renovated parks, suggesting that high-quality parks are a key condition for realizing the mental health benefits of regular park use.
“Urban parks are increasingly being recognized around the world as crucial for the wellbeing of citizens,” says CUNY SPH Distinguished Professor and CSCD Director Terry Huang. “It is exciting to see that CPI has been successful at improving the level of satisfaction and usage of neighborhood parks throughout the city. Importantly, the park renovations created the necessary condition for New Yorkers to benefit from using these parks in terms of their health and wellbeing. We are fortunate in New York to have such strong leadership and efforts to continue improving the park spaces in local communities through the expansion of CPI.”
