Alderson outlines benefits of urban parks and walk-to-park initiative
Alderson describes the multifaceted benefits of urban parks including physical and mental health, stormwater capture, tree canopy, and community cohesion. She explains the Walk to a Park initiative and other efforts like opening schoolyards and NYCHA edge open spaces to close walk gaps.
You all are aware of this, but urban parks are very important to the city's urban population.
They have multifaceted benefits, respite for residents.
It also provides for physical and mental health benefits.
New York City parks are also...
Have many environmental benefits.
They help with stormwater capture.
They also aid in the preservation of the city's tree canopy and provide opportunities for new trees.
And they also, for the mental health and well-being of residents, they also provide spaces for community cohesion.
And we also know that proximity to public open spaces is key for residents getting the benefits out of these spaces.
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This is one part of our effort to increase the amount of public open space in underserved areas.
This is our walk to a park initiative.
There are other ways that we try to close the walk gap.
We work with the Department of Education to open up more schoolyards for larger community use.
We opened up a set of new schoolyards last year.
We also have worked over recent years with the New York City Housing Authority to focus on edge open space properties so that they can be open to the public, serving gap areas and also providing
enhanced and improved amenities for the NYCHA residents.
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