Parks and Recreation agencies provide vital support for creating and sustaining active communities across the United States. In New York City, Parks Department properties promote physical activity, community engagement, and cultural awareness. Over 5,000 Parks sites cover 14% of New York City, and range from athletic fields and playgrounds, to nature centers and beaches, to Read more about Celebrating the ‘Power of Play’ in July![…]
Since its commencement, PARCS has been focusing on the relationship between physical and overall wellbeing and built environment among adults. This spring, we expanded our focus and began working with children as well, conducting similar measures on activity and adding a component to track sleep, to gain a more comprehensive view of movement across a Read more about Exploring the Relationship Between Child Movement and BMI[…]
The team at PARCS greatly values insights from our participants and their communities. In order to deepen and continue conversation and engagement outside of our direct work, we are launching a platform on Facebook to speak directly to our audience. We aim to learn through their feedback, as well as share our message and communicate Read more about PARCS is on Facebook![…]
Poorly thought-out urban design is not only a detriment to the health of residents, as we have discussed in-depth on this blog, but it is also a key driver of social inequity in cities. One organization attempting to reverse this trend is the Strong, Prosperous, and Resilient Communities Challenge, or SPARCC. The coalition has committed Read more about Improving Social Equity Through Urban Design[…]
An individual’s health is directly influenced by his or her surrounding environment. Research has shown that environmental characteristics are linked with many chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. These structures also impact individuals’ mental health, as built environment is associated with depression and anxiety. These negative impacts disproportionately impact lower-income communities, which Read more about A Joint Call to Action: Coming Together to Improve Community Health[…]
