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Proximity to Parks in the Phoenix, AZ EnviroAtlas Community Area
Citation:
Sears, A. AND L. Jackson. Proximity to Parks in the Phoenix, AZ EnviroAtlas Community Area. A Community on Ecosystem Services, Washington, DC, December 08 - 12, 2014.
Impact/Purpose:
TO demonstrate spatial information on community impacts from local green infrastructure
Description:
Through EnviroAtlas, EPA and its partners seek to effectively measure and communicate the type, quality, and extent of services that humans receive from ecosystems so that their true value can be considered in decision-making. One of the ecosystem services examined in the community component of EnviroAtlas is the intrinsic value of access to nature and green space with a focus on accessibility of parks. In urban areas, parks provide much-needed green space and are often used to recreate, providing opportunities to socialize with others, participate in physical activity, and engage with nature. The purpose of this analysis is to quantify and visualize the proximity to parks, and the population living within walking distance of a park in Phoenix, AZ, a US EPA EnviroAtlas pilot community.To create these map layers, park entrances were derived based on available federal, state, county, and local data, as well as aerial photography. The distance to each park entrance was then calculated along walkable roads for up to 5 kilometers. Using the distance calculation, proximity zones were interpolated across the selected area. From these distance zones, the residential population within easy walking distance (500 meters) of a park entrance was calculated for each Census block group.The map layers created in this analysis can be used to identify neighborhoods that are underserved in terms of park access and may benefit from additional parks or new park entrances. When overlaid with socio-economic layers available in EnviroAtlas, this map can highlight park proximity for specific age groups and other populations for whom access could be especially beneficial. As EnviroAtlas grows, a cross-city comparison would further inform the utility of this ecosystem service. Although this material was reviewed and approved by EPA, it does not necessarily reflect official Agency policy.