Urban Neighborhood Park Accessibility for Highest Density Areas of Youth in Minneapolis, Minnesota Brianna Joslin-Zirngible

Research Questions and Hypothesis My project will focus on answering the following questions: 1.Are there neighborhood parks in city of Minneapolis that are accessible (within one-quarter mile walking distance) to areas (census block groups) with highest density of youth (ages )? 2.Do these accessible neighborhood parks offer features that cater to needs of youth? 3.What kind of park features do youth need in neighborhood park? Hypothesis= There are parks within a quarter-mile distance from highest density areas of youth in Minneapolis. These accessible parks provide features that have been determined by previous studies to be needed by youth. Studies have shown that urban neighborhood park accessibility is important for physical, mental, and social health of youth (Owens & McKinnon 2009; Flouri et al. 2014; Floyd et al. 2008). Because parks are shown to be important to youth I wanted to examine accessibility of urban neighborhood parks for highest density areas of youth in city of Minneapolis, MN.

Research Correlates with Geographic Traditions and Concepts Traditions Spatial Area Human-environment Concepts Formal region Spatial analysis Leisure landscapes

Review of Literature for Parks and Youth Baran et al. (2014) Observed youth in urban parks to identify what park features attract (0-5 yr olds), (6-12 yr olds) and (13-18 yr olds) to parks Compared male and female preferences of park features Measured park proximity to youth by one-quarter mile distance from park and noted street connectedness and sidewalk accessibility Relates- interested if youth in Minneapolis live one-quarter mile from park. Differs- not focused on going to parks and observing what park features youth utilize. Focus only on year olds and not difference between male and female park feature preferences. Do not consider sidewalk accessibility or street interconnectedness. Contribution- supplements this study in that I want to determine if there are urban parks in Minneapolis that youth live in proximity to

Review of Literature for Parks and Youth Loukaitou-Sideris & Sideris (2010) Survey/ observe children yrs in urban and suburban parks to determine park feature preferences Studied impact of park proximity, urban vs. suburban youth, gender, and ethnicity on youth park use Relates- youth years old park feature preferences, park proximity to youth, urban parks. Differs- focus specifically on age,not ethnicity or gender. Not focused on survey /observe park features youth in parks prefer. Contribution- Look at most populated areas where youth live and if city lacks parks that cater to the needs of youth

Review of Literature for Parks and Youth Cohen et al. (2006) Study regards 11 year old girls Determine if levels of metabolic equivalent-weighted moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MW-MVPA) are impacted by proximity to urban parks and park features. Measured park proximity to youth by one mile distance from girls’ address and measured access by street connectivity Relates- Similar age group, park proximity focus Differs- not focused on details of whether a park provides features that promote MW-MVPA for youth. Measure park proximity to youth by location of block group not by specific addresses of youth. Contributions-my study enhances research by focus on proximity of parks to youth that offer park features they need

Background on Parks and Youth in Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis, MN Total population= 389,112 (U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates) Youth (10-14 yrs old) make up 4.8% of total population (U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates) 6,743 acres parkland within city limits (CBS Minnesota 2013) Minneapolis is known for spending money on their parks (CBS Minnesota 2013) “In June, 2013 the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board earned the first‐ever “five park bench” rating on The Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore® index and was named the number one park system in the nation” (Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 2014, 3).

Methods

Limitations ACS data is a 5-year estimate for the years year estimate data is not most current information. Data contains a degree of error because data is based on sample of population and not total population. Data used to determine park features that youth like is limited Park features found in articles may not be representative of Minneapolis, MN youth preferences Study does not determine sidewalk accessibility

Results

Location of Parks and Youth in Minneapolis, MN

Data Analysis

Conclusion

Bibliography Baran, Perver K., Smith, William R., Moore, Robin C., Floyd, Myron F., Bocarro, Jason N., Cosco, Nilda G., Danninger, Thomas M Park Use Among Youth and Adults: Examination of Individual, Social, and Urban Form Factors. Environment & Behavior 46, no. 6: GreenFILE, EBSCOhost (accessed February 18, 2015). CBS Minnesota Minneapolis Parks Rated No. 1 By National Group. CBS Local. no-1-by-national-group/ (accessed April 13, 2015). no-1-by-national-group/ Cohen, Deborah A., Ashwood, J. Scott, Scott, Molly M., Overton, Adrian, Evenson, Kelly R., Staten, Lisa K., Porter, Dwayne, McKenzie, Thomas L., Catellier, Diane Pediatrics 118, 5: e1381-e (accessed March 30, 2015). Flouri, Eirini, Midouhas, Emily, Joshi, Heather The role of urban neighbourhood green space in children’s emotional and behavioural resilience. Journal of Environmental Psychology 40: (accessed March 25, 2015). Floyd, Myron F., Spengler, John O., Maddock, Jason, Gobster, Paul, Suau, Luis J Park-Based Physical Activity in Diverse Communities of Two U.S. Cities An Observational Study. American Journal of Preventative Medicine 34. 4: (accessed March 30, 2015). Loukaitou-Sideris, Anastasia, and Athanasios Sideris What Brings Children to the Park? Analysis and Measurement of the Variables Affecting Children's Use of Parks. Journal of The American Planning Association 76, no. 1: Environment Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 21, 2015). Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 2014 Annual Budget. (accessed April 12, 2015). Owens, Patsy Eubanks, and Innisfree McKinnon In Pursuit of Nature: The Role of Nature in Adolescents’ Lives. The Journal of Developmental Processes 4, 1: (accessed March 14, 2015).