Parks and Gentrification

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Maithri Shankar Final Project

Parks and Gentrification

INFO 609 Intro to GIS

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New York has 2325 parks.

NYC Parks is the steward of more than 30,000 acres of land, almost 14 percent of New York City.

Source: NYC Parks Open Data

New York is home to some of the most magnificent parks in the world. These parks have been carefully and thoroughly designed, to enrich the city and provide it with much needed green space. Most people are familiar with the opportunities for relaxation and recreation afforded by their city’s parks. But New York’s parks and playgrounds have another dimension, which is not always as evident: an exciting history.

From the earliest days of European settlement to the present, parks have witnessed the growth of the city, been part of its development, and provided vital green spaces for its inhabitants.

Ever since the first park was designed in 1733 (Bowling Green Park was the first official park), they have acted as a public commons, a place for everyone, regardless of their age, race, socioeconomic status, to enjoy.

However, over the course of time, access to parks has been a major contributor to gentrification of neighborhoods. From Central Park, Bryant Park, and more recently, the High line, which were areas of disinvestment in the 70s, to being hubs of commercial activity with skyrocketing real estate value, the biggest reason for this has been the active involvement of the parks department, as well as conservation efforts to beautify areas with these large parks. Ironically, the enhancement of the quality of parks and open spaces around the city has resulted in a huge increase in market prices, which has resulted in a shift of who gets to reap the benefits of these new and improved parks. And some parks get more attention than others, particularly the ones in predominantly white neighborhoods.

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Maithri Shankar | Final Project

INFO 609 | Intro to GIS

The historical maps here are of Prospect Park (left), and Fort Greene Park (top). Both were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who was responsible for the design of most of the parks in New York during the late 19th and early 20th century.

In Brooklyn, there are 411 people per acre of green space.

NYC Parks Capital Projects There are more than 500 active projects taking place at any time in parks throughout the city.

In many parts of Brooklyn, these projects also result in an increase in influx of high-income residents moving into the neighborhood, resulting in gentrification, and changes the dynamics of who has easy access to these public parks.

Less than $1 million Between $1 million and $3 million Between $3 million and $5 million Between $5 million and $10 million Greater than $10 million

1/2 Mile Walking Distance Several studies show that a half-mile walk to a park is well within a reasonable distance for most people.

It is seen from the map that many neighborhoods still don’t have easy access to public park space, and can be for future park projects, although there doesn’t seem to be funding allocated for that.

Source: NYC Parks Open Data

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Maithri Shankar | Final Project

INFO 609 | Intro to GIS

The need for parks and open spaces was exacerbated by the pandemic.

Almost everyone came out to the parks to be able to get physical activity, as well as manage the stress levels that came with social isolation. Post pandemic and over growing concerns of climate change, parks, streets and open spaces have become a major topic of conversation among the public, to address the needs of the diverse population that is present in America’s largest city. However, green space can also present problems of social inequality. Many worry that new parks, playgrounds, and community gardens will spur gentrification, making neighborhoods unaffordable for lowincome communities. High-profile green spaces can become tourist destinations that feel inaccessible to longtime residents.

Percentage of Brooklynites who pay more than 35% of their income for rent - 2020

Percentage of Brooklynites whose income level is considered to be below the poverty level - 2020

Source: ACS Census Data

0-25%

39-50%

65-100%

In Brooklyn, a large number of people spend around 35% of their income on rent. Rent levels are rapidly increasing, and this is also driving many Brooklynites into being displaced.

Although neighborhoods can be classified as high, middle, or low income, the socioeconomic makeup of a neighborhood often varies greatly from block to block, especially in gentrifying neighborhoods. As one might expect, those displaced are often foreign-born, female-headed households, people in poverty, and senior citizens. They are also the ones who have strong-ties to their neighborhood and its sense of place, and are sometimes willing to stay on in the neighborhood and continue to pay high levels of rent, so they can still feel like they are art of their community.

Source: ACS Census Data

0-10%

15-25%

40-60%

If a family’s total income is less than the family’s threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty ($25,926 for a family of four). The pandemic also saw significant rates of unemployment, drops in income, and overall, 13% of New Yorkers fell below the poverty level. Residents in lowincome neighborhoods have access to 19% less park space per person than those in high-income neighborhoods. Lack of employment opportunity in overly gentrifying areas causes a lot of the members to move to low-quality areas, away from things that would usually ensure high-quality of life, like parks.

Whether residents are displaced or struggling to stay in their neighborhoods, gentrification hurts.

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Maithri Shankar | Final Project

INFO 609 | Intro to GIS

Small scale, neighborhood parks are the lifeline of any community in Brooklyn.

These four parks in different parts of the borough are also considered to be at different stages of gentrification. Areas like Fort Greene and Williamsburg have seen high levels of influx of wealthier residents, and also have a higher budget of Capital Improvements.

Fort Greene Park

McGolrick Park

Herbert von King Park

Maria Hernandez Park

Fort Greene $$$$ Mid to High income level Capital investments of more than $10 million

Williamsburg $$$$ High income level Capital investment of more than $1 million

Bed Stuy $$ Low to Mid income level Capital investment of less than $1 million

Bushwick $$ Low income level Capital investment of less than $1 million

Gentrification is a nuanced topic that involves a lot of factors. Easy access to parks is only one of them. This also directly relates to racial inequity, and wealthy white residents are usually the ones taking over neighborhoods that have been occupied by people of color. It is easy to see who is affected by this the most.

Is gentrification inevitable?

Everyone deserves to live within an accessible distance to a quality park. Capital improvement projects, while necessary, do more harm than good to historically disinvested neighborhoods. It is not enough to just provide green spaces, but to actively involve the community to have a say in its development. NYC Parks is only recently starting to acknowledge this, and has programs like the Community Parks Initiative to address these issues.

The deceptively simple question of who can and cannot afford to pay the rent goes to the heart of America’s crises of race and inequality. Planners and policymakers should strive to address deep rooted inequities in accessible parks working with the poor neighborhoods of color, to not only address systemic issues of racial and income inequity, but also ensure and protecting affordable housing.

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