More than green spaces

Parkland areas have always been a pleasing feature in our urban areas, providing areas of respite from city chaos, as well as open space for outdoor activities and recreation. However, there has been an underestimation of the importance of parks from a health perspective, argues Geoffrey Godbey, President of Next Consulting and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management at Pennsylvania State University.

Although the importance of physical activity for human health is well-understood, Professor Godbey says the vital role that parks play in providing an outlet for this physical activity has only recently been acknowledged. In his comprehensive evaluation of the scientific evidence on the value of parks, Professor Godbey has argued the case for the importance of parks in the provision of physical activity that delivers health benefits.

“Public park and recreation services are becoming part of the healthcare system of the United States and are now recognised as such,” he says.

The importance of parks
There is evidence to support this transition. As Professor Godbey has explained, when there are parks close to where people live, the result is more physical activity and better health for residents. Given that the need for physical activity in daily life has declined dramatically, due to factors such as motorised transport and sedentary occupations, the role of parks will become increasingly important to maintain our health and fitness.

“Recent research shows that leisure, not paid work or housework, is now the part of life where most physical activity occurs,” he says. “While many people experiment with forms of physical activity that are good for them but not pleasurable, they tend to stay with activities they enjoy.”

That is where parks come in, as, unlike gymnasiums, they are accessible and affordable to all people and provide a range of different activities to enjoy.

“Government park and recreation services provide close-to-home, no or low-cost, readily available areas, facilities, programs and instruction which provide pleasurable physical activity opportunities,” Professor Godbey says.

“The number of parks and playgrounds in a community and the physical area devoted to them are positively related to physical activity levels.”

Big results on small investments
With the increasing prevalence of obesity and diseases related to inactive lifestyles, especially cardiac disease and diabetes, the availability of local parks holds great promise in addressing these expensive health problems.

Another factor that determines the success of parks in delivering the benefits of physical activity is money spent. To put it simply, Professor Godbey says that the old adage of “you get what you pay for” holds true.

“There is evidence that small additional investments in park and recreation services would provide substantially more health benefits,” he says. “A tiny bit of extra spending, even $10 a year per capita, has been shown to provide significantly increased amounts of physical activity.”

Professor Godbey says there is a need to promote parks and recreation as an essential component of the healthcare system, which will require greater levels of collaborative partnerships between health care sector workers and those employed in recreation.

“Stand-alone professionalism is dead,” he declares.

“What is being tried in the United States is partnerships between recreation and park departments and a variety of health organisations, from hospitals to public health departments of government to health maintenance organisations.

“These partnerships enter into agreements to sponsor recreation programs, facilities, events and trails which have health benefits…. Most of these are centred on increasing physical activity but, in the future, there will be more emphasis on stress reduction through viewing nature.”

Better programs for parks
Professor Godbey has also compiled evidence to show that the creation of more organised programs and the presence of active park features is linked to higher use of parks and greater physical activity.

“Park and recreation programming should target a wider cross section of the public and offer a wider menu of programs,” he says.

So what next for parks if we envision them as a branch of healthcare? One requirement is more policy development, says Professor Godbey.

“There needs to be more policy written that states the ways in which recreation and park agencies will fulfil health objectives set by government; to identify what policies need to be in place for parks and recreation to better make the health contributions that we increasingly understand they are capable of making.”

Also sorely needed is more research, which is currently focused on the cost-saving potential of recreation programs.

“What dollar savings can be attached to improvements in health care costs brought about by investment in recreation and parks?” asks Professor Godbey. “This line of research has begun but needs to go much further. What is the projected return over ten years on a 25 per cent increase in targeted spending for health forms of park and recreation services? What savings can be made in terms of targeted health problems, such as heart disease?”

Another challenge will be to implement appropriate training to accompany the change of mindset about the role of parks in healthcare.

“There needs to be additional training of park and recreation staff to better understand how their service does and can better provide health benefits,” says Professor Godbey.

It will be interesting to see if other countries follow suit and begin to see parks and green spaces not as just recreational sites but as crucial components of healthcare for their citizens.

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