Urban green equity and COVID-19: Effects on park use and sense of belonging in New York City

Abstract

Public spaces in cities of today are characterized by socio-spatial inequalities that often result in restricted mobility for, and exclusion of, marginalized populations—inequalities that have intensified due to COVID-19. In this exploratory study, we distributed a survey comprised of close- and open-ended questions through convenience sampling in late July 2020 with the aim of understanding (1) if and how sense of belonging to urban green space (UGS) has shifted since the start of the pandemic and (2) how do changes in UGS use, satisfaction, and sense of belonging relate to sociodemographic characteristics of New York City (NYC) neighborhoods. Participants (N = 138) were racially diverse, predominantly female and between 18–44yo with a neighborhood median income of $67,500. While the level of satisfaction that people feel in relation to their UGS did not change with the offset of the pandemic, how much people use these spaces and how much they “feel at home” in them did. Participants reported higher use of UGS currently in comparison to their use of these spaces pre-pandemic. This increased use of UGS was particularly evident among White participants and participants living in more upper-middle- and upper-income areas. The same trend is evident when it comes to sense of belonging. New Yorkers in general reported a stronger sense of belonging to UGS spaces as a result of the pandemic. As with UGS use, while both reported a favorable sense of belonging, White and more affluent participants had a stronger sense of belonging pre-pandemic, and their sense of belonging showed greater rise due to the pandemic. Overall, our research suggests that COVID-19 has widened existing socio-spatial disparities in NYC, with the lowest income neighborhoods most effected. We suggest further exploration of sense of belonging to UGS as an avenue to promote urban green equity in multicultural cities.