Disparities in the provision of public parks in neighbourhoods with varied Latino composition in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area

Francisco Lara-Valencia, Hilda Garcia-Perez

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article examines the provision of public parks in Latino and non-Latino neighbourhoods in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Though previous research has examined the socio-spatial distribution of urban parks, few have analysed both accessibility and variations in park features associated with the Latino composition of neighbourhoods. In this study, geographical information systems were employed to assess the availability and accessibility of neighbourhood parks, and Google Earth was used to audit their natural and built environmental features. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Games-Howell post hoc test was applied to examine the hypothesis that park resources are not equitably distributed across neighbourhoods, and that Latino places are disproportionally affected by a suboptimal provision of park space and services. The analysis points to invariance across neighbourhoods in terms of quantity and features of public parks, so the expected systemic pattern of inequality affecting Latino neighbourhoods in Phoenix Metro was not found. The study suggests, however, some areas wherein cities in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area could act to improve the allocation of public park resources and engage the diversity of local populations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1107-1120
Number of pages14
JournalLocal Environment
Volume23
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018

Keywords

  • Environmental justice
  • Latinos
  • Neighbourhoods
  • Park quality
  • Public parks

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

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