Sense of Inclusion and Race in a Public, Outdoor Recreation Setting: Do Place Meanings Matter?

Abstract

Just and equitable access to public lands is of critical importance. A key dimension of access is the sense of inclusion, or how people feel welcome and belonging in space. We analyzed how trail users experienced the sense of inclusion within a public greenspace in eastern Pennsylvania, USA. We found that people of color felt less included than whites while on the trail, even when controlling for trail use behaviors, demographic characteristics, and other factors. For all trail users, more positive place meanings associated with their visit and more social interaction with other trail users increased the sense of inclusion. Overall, our study suggests that greenspace managers could enhance the sense of inclusion among people of color by working with underrepresented communities to identify and incorporate place meanings into public space features.