Our most hopeful spaces
How free, public green spaces protect people and the planet
We are landowners of millions of acres, you and I. We share forests and wetlands and prairies and parks. On our collective lands, wildness thrives. Microbes, insects, mammals, birds, and fish all find harbor. Plants provide food and medicine and shelter. Trees extend their roots and throw up canopies of shade. They filter air and conserve water.
And there we are too. In our public green spaces we find sanctuary from the hustle of modern life. We move our bodies, calm our minds, and immerse in the color and sound of the natural world.
We are, after all, animals ourselves. Our free, public green spaces remind us that we are not separate from nature, but born of it.
These free, public local, state, and national green spaces may be our most hopeful spaces. From school playgrounds to pocket parks, green belts, and public gardens, free green spaces increase physical and mental health and fight climate destruction.
And they are ours to share and protect.
Our public lands
According to The National Wildlife Federation, “Americans share ownership of approximately 600 million acres of land and water in the United States. These public lands include federal designations like national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and monuments, as well as state and local areas owned by the public.”
In fact, the Protected Areas Database shows that a whopping 40 percent of land in the United States is publicly owned.
But before we pat ourselves on the back for being such excellent conservationists, know that the distribution of public land is wildly unequal. Some areas of the country are rich in preserved spaces. Other areas have virtually no public green spaces.
In the Pacific Northwest, for example, the national parks and forest services care for large swathes of protected land. Head east into Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona and South Dakota, and you’re likely to find yourself on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management or local tribes. Then the maps go mostly gray to indicate privately held spaces, with a few notable exceptions along the Appalachian range and pockets of local parklands.
Some places are rich in public parks and natural oases. Others lack that access. And it’s a public health and environmental issue.
The importance of free, public green spaces
We children of nature need nature to thrive. Public parks and greenways provide space for recreation, rest, and restoration, in addition to noted physical and mental health benefits and environmental protection.
Improved physical health
If you lived near a public park, trail, or lake growing up, you probably spent time there exploring trails, fishing, and playing games in the grass. We certainly did, because it was relaxing and almost completely free except for some picnic supplies and fish bait.
It makes sense that if you have a local park, you’re likely to head there for a walk, a jog, or a game with friends and family, getting outside and moving your body. That’s why the Trust for Public Land, an organization that creates parks and protects public lands, sees access to green space as a public health issue: “One of our most powerful public health solutions is waiting right outside our doors. Research shows that when people have a quality green space close to home, they’re more physically active, which can prevent chronic conditions like obesity and high blood pressure and lead to longer lifespans.”
Improved mental and emotional health
What many of us have known for ages is finally getting scientific backing—nature makes us feel better emotionally. Now, even some doctors and health practitioners are “prescribing” time in nature.
“Time spent in nature is proven to reduce stress, relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression, and boost cognition, attention, and sleep quality. Green spaces also give communities vital places to gather together, strengthening social ties and lessening isolation.” - The Trust for Public Land
The mental health benefits may be especially pronounced in densely populated urban areas where access to nature is limited. In these areas, life may be more stressful while offering fewer natural escapes and spaces for restoration.
Environmental protection
Even the smallest public parks improve the local environment, offering shade, protection against floods, and increasing biodiversity. Larger parks and forests go even further to combat climate change, providing habitats, clean water, and clean air.
Trees and vegetation act as natural air purifiers, absorbing harmful pollutants and carbon dioxide while releasing oxygen, improving air quality and easing the effects of pollution. In places where drought, heat, and flooding wreak havoc, more parks can help protect the land and revitalize the area.
And these are just the direct benefits of parklands on the environment. Less quantifiable but vitally important—the more time people spend in nature, even in tiny parks, the more connected we feel to the natural world, the less time we spend consuming in unsustainable ways, and the more likely we are to engage in conservation activities in the future.
Public green spaces are not a luxury, but a right
It turns out, free public green spaces and parks are not mere luxuries but essential components of a livable, sustainable world. From promoting physical health and environmental sustainability to enhancing mental well-being and fostering social cohesion, these local sanctuaries enrich our lives and protect our collective land.
Even the tiniest local park can make a big impact. And the more free green spaces we have, the more we spend our time there, learning and relearning to play and rest and move and connect, with each other and all that grows free and wild wherever it has the space and freedom to do so.