Parks Have Social Superpowers. Let’s Make More of Them.

Written by

Howard Frumkin · Seattle Times · May 17, 2024

Howard is a Nature and Health researcher and Steering Committee member

Across our nation, the bonds of familiarity, trust and solidarity that sustain a strong society are badly frayed. One of the best tools we have to strengthen these bonds is parks and green space.

The social superpowers of parks play out in several ways:

  • Social isolation
  • Segregation and polarization
  • Trust in institutions
  • Civic engagement

Of course, parks and green space aren’t a panacea. Alone, they can’t mend our social fabric. But evidence shows that they can make substantial contributions — in ways that are affordable, practical and acceptable across the political spectrum.

Unfortunately, parkland is too scarce, and unequally distributed. According to research by Trust for Public Land, roughly 100 million Americans, including 28 million children, lack access to a park within a 10-minute walk of home — with communities of color and low-income communities being the least well-served.

Making Green Space Available to All

Written by

Trust for Public Land · Seattle Times · October 18, 2023

Featuring Howard Frumkin, Nature and Health researcher and Steering Committee member

Trust for Public Land staff collects park design input from Jennie Reed Elementary students. Credit: Adair Freeman Rutledge, courtesy Trust for Public Land

Nature invites you to discover the many benefits it offers. Spending time in nature can perk up your mental health, improve your cognition and calm your busy brain. Mounting evidence suggests nature promotes both physical and psychological well-being.

Green spaces — forests, parks, shrubs and tree-studded neighborhoods — play a large part in nature’s design.

“If we had a medicine that delivered as many health benefits as parks, we would all be taking it,” says Dr. Howard Frumkin, senior vice president and director of the Land and People Lab for Trust for Public Land.

Parks are a mental health resource, with studies showing that people who spend regular time in green spaces enjoy lower levels of stress and are less likely to experience anxiety disorders and depression. For young people, parks provide a space to decompress, exercise and hang out.

Beyond Inclusive Design: Creating a Welcoming, Accessible, Nature-Based Park

Written by

Public parks define our neighborhoods and shape our communities, yet too few are holistically designed to be inclusive and even fewer in a nature-based setting. On February 10, 2021, founders of The Eli’s Park Project shared their roles in designing a welcoming, accessible and nature-based park for all at Burke-Gilman Playground Park in Seattle. This interactive discussion centered on engaging community in an inclusive design process to create outdoor spaces for everyone.

Clayton Beaudoin, PLA ASLA (he/him) is a Principal at Site Workshop and has spent the bulk of his 15 years of professional practice engaging communities in the creation of place. While this priority on community-driven design has resulted in a wonderful portfolio of built work, he is equally appreciative of how the design process itself has contributed to stronger communities and many new friends. Clayton also strives to design with the local ecology in mind, working hard to make his projects more sustainable, meaningful and always more playful.

Paige Reischl (she/her) is Eli’s mom and began her career teaching reading and writing in Seattle Public Schools. Her experiences in the classroom and parenting children with and without disabilities led her to her current role as an Inclusion Coach with the University of Washington’s Haring Center. Paige supports teachers in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) and middle school teaching teams working to develop and grow equitable and inclusive teaching practices.

Shawn M Rundell, PT, DPT, PCS (she/her) was Eli’s physical therapist and has been a physical therapist for over a decade, working with children in a variety of settings, including clinics, homes and outdoors. She is currently an instructor within the University of Washington’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. She is passionate about promoting inclusion in the community for children with disabilities, increasing early mobility through the use of assistive technology, developing fitness-related programs, working collaboratively with families and other professionals and creating inclusive and accessible park space.

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