Urban Neighborhoods with Greater Access but Less Use of Nearby Parks: Case of Los Angeles,California

Abstract

We examine the relationship between urban residents’ access and use of nearby green spaces, recognizing that this link can vary across neighborhoods. Our study integrates park data from the Trust for Public Land and population mobility data from SafeGraph for the Los Angeles urban area. Using geographically weighted regression (GWR) and multiscale GWR (MGWR), we identify neighborhoods with high park accessibility but significantly lower usage. A post hoc analysis of MGWR results shows that neighborhoods with good park proximity but low usage tend to have fewer White residents and lower educational attainment than those with higher usage. Similarly, neighborhoods with ample park acreage but underutilization are characterized by younger populations, fewer households with children, fewer female residents, and lower educational attainment compared to neighborhoods with higher park usage. These findings suggest that physical access alone may not ensure park usage, particularly among marginalized communities. We discuss implications for urban planners and decision-makers.