Urban Parks, Environmental Justice, and Voluntarism: The Distribution of Friends of the Parks Groups in Milwaukee County

Abstract

In many cities, urban parks have emerged as an important environmental justice issue. Parks in predominantly lower-income and minority areas are frequently smaller, with fewer amenities, and they are often beset by neglect or problems with crime or perceptions of crime. As public funding for parks has declined, urban park systems are increasingly turning to volunteers and volunteer organizations to perform important functions. Consequently, the achievement and preservation of environmental justice may depend on ensuring that parks in neglected areas are served by active volunteers. We analyze the distribution of Friends of the Parks volunteer groups in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. We find that most parks in the County lack Friends groups, regardless of demographic characteristics in the surrounding neighborhood, and we find that parks in all parts of this highly segregated county have Friends groups. However, our findings indicate that Friends groups are more likely to remain active at larger parks more common within affluent, predominantly white neighborhoods, while Friends groups are more likely to become inactive at smaller parks more typical in inner-city communities. As public funding for parks continues to decline, we propose that an important environmental justice priority for urban parks systems will be to find ways to keep groups active and engaged at smaller inner-city parks.