Parks have a bigger impact than you think

July is National Parks and Recreation Month, and one of my favorite months of the year. As the mayor of Parkland and a father of five, I have spent a great deal of my time in Parkland’s parks as well as parks all over the county, state and country. My kids are very committed to sports, and as a result, I have coached flag football, soccer and little league. While my commitment and belief in the benefit of sports programming and the positive impact it has on a young person’s life has been behind many of my park visits, I have learned through the years that parks play an even bigger role in our communities than most of us realize.

From positively impacting our health, advancing community revitalization and supporting economic development, to creating green infrastructure and increasing community engagement, parks are vital to not only ensuring our communities thrive, but that we thrive. The positive impact parks have on our mental health is, in my opinion, their most important contribution. Not only do parks provide open space for exercise and connecting with nature, but studies have shown that exposure to greenspace can have positive effects on those struggling with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, stress and depression. In one study, 71% of people reduced their level of depression after going on an outdoor walk versus a 45% reduction by those who went on an indoor walk. Another determined that outdoor activity may reduce ADD symptoms in children and time in nature may supplement their medicinal and behavioral treatments.

In addition to strengthening our mental health, the greenspaces our parks provide is also important for the health of our environment. Trees and plants remove pollutants from the air and parks ensure their existence in our cities. According to the City Parks Alliance, trees in urban parks remove up to 7,111,000 tons of toxins from the air annually at a value of $3.8 billion to cities. Additionally, the unpaved surfaces in our parks play an important role when it rains, absorbing rainwater which in turn recharges our groundwater supply.

Knowing the mental health and environmental benefits of parks, it’s no wonder companies and homebuyers are more likely to choose locations that are in close proximity to greenspace. Parks help increase property values, which leads to increased tax revenues. Increased tax revenues help ensure cities have the ability to make infrastructure and capital improvements to attract future homebuyers and businesses.

This past year, the pandemic presented new challenges for all of us, and for many, our parks were a place of refuge when indoor activities were put on pause. In our local parks, I witnessed friends meeting for socially distanced yoga sessions or coffee, and others playing with their kids, reading or walking. Perhaps one silver lining from this past year is that those who were conditioned to spending too much time indoors reconnected with nature, began to reap the benefits, and will hopefully visit their local park more often. The data and research is certainly there to support a commitment from all of us to spend more time outdoors.

Across the country, there are 423 national park sites, 63 national parks and more than 6,600 state park sites spanning 14 million acres of land. At the local level, there are approximately 20,000 community parks nationwide, and here in Broward County, we are so fortunate to have two state parks, approximately 50 county parks, and more than 700 city parks and facilities. If you’re traveling this summer or planning a staycation here in South Florida, I hope you will spend some time in a park. Throw a football or Frisbee with the kids, fly a kite, have a picnic, go for a walk or run, or just sit quietly and connect with the sounds of nature. Your mind, body and soul will certainly thank you for it.