Using GIS to Visualize, Act, and Change

Building healthier communities with parks, recreation, and supporting infrastructure is becoming a critical component in combating our nation’s obesity health epidemic. Land use and transportation (infrastructure and systems) are major elements to a built environment that impact persons’ quality of life. A built environment designed to encourage physical activity opportunities, improve safety, and link all residents with recreational resources, will enhance communities’ health and wellness and social equity.   This study examines the opportunity to create, enhance, or expand park and recreational opportunities for a small suburban city in Los Angeles County. Indeed, park and recreation locations (here forth referred to as green spaces) not only improve public health by encouraging healthier community with more opportunities for physical activity, but also create places to relax, meditate, congregate, and socialize (which have mental health benefits).  Through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), an accessibility analysis to the city’s existing parks is performed to quantify any green space resource gaps.  In addition, it will examine a second community to evaluate access to primary health providers using GIS.