The racial inequity of park visitation behavior in the post-pandemic era

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing racial disparities in park usage. Although numerous studies have reported a widened racial inequity in park visitation during the pandemic, it remains unclear how this inequity has dynamically evolved in post-pandemic era. In this study, using nationwide location-based mobile data from SafeGraph's Monthly Patterns dataset and the linear mixed effects model, we analyzed four-year longitudinal change (2018–2021) in park visitation behaviors among racially distinct neighborhoods and examined whether neighborhood greenness moderated these disparities in the United States. The results demonstrate that: (1) racial inequity in park visitation has continued to widen over the two-year pandemic period; (2) while park visitation across all groups has gradually returned to and even surpassed pre-pandemic levels, Black-majority groups consistently exhibited lower visit counts and fewer visited parks than Black-minority groups; and (3) neighborhood greenness significantly mitigates racial disparities in park visitation, with higher greenness levels associated with reduced inequity. These findings point out the potential impact of neighborhood greenness on alleviating racial inequity in park visits.