Rancho San Ramon Community Park

1998 Rancho Park Loop, San Ramon, CA 94582, United States

Parks and recreation is an important city feature which gives our citizens countless value. These benefits are easy to take for granted. I thought I’d take a minute to highlight some often overlooked quality of life benefits. Here is a list of what we consider to be the benefits of parks and leisure.

Millions of Americans have the chance to be physically active in public parks.

Physical activity is a big fighter against the obesity epidemic. Whether it’s active leisure activities like athletic ligues, dance and fitness programs, trails and active amenities such as playgrounds and swimming pools, our parks provide natural venues for physical activities and unstructured areas which openly or subtly promote physical activity. Suitable park infrastructure is a critical part of the ability of a park and a recreational department to improve a community’s physical fitness. 

Vital green space is provided by parks.

Citizens go to parks to reinvigorate and change their mood. A longitudinal study has shown that people moving to green areas have substantial and long-term mental health improvements. Another study shows that greener environments improve surgery recovery, enable and support increased levels of physical activity and the functioning of the immune system, as well as lead to healthy blood glucose levels for diabetics. Passive recreational activities in parks such as reading and meditation improve mood, reduce stress, and improve health. Green spaces (Think Blackwater Creek Trail) are a cornerstone by which communities improve the quality of life to improve their citizens ‘ physical and mental health.

By public parks, real economic benefits are created.

Public parks increase the value of residential properties adjacent to parks by up to 20 percent–particularly if the park is a natural area. The economic impact of major tournaments, competitions and special events in public parks on local economy will exceed the budgets for running park maintenance, which are usually regarded as fully subsidized cost centers. The area is also attracted by attractions in parks such as exhibits, museums, river sports and state-of – the-art play areas.

Parks protect natural areas and major wetlands and maintain important habitats for wildlife.

It is particularly important to protect trees because they clean up the air we breathe and give shade. US urban trees alone are estimated to remove 75,000 tons of air pollutants annually. Human protection must be done in order to prevent human injury. Conserving is vital to the local and global community as without it, habitats would fall apart as a result of short-sighted growth and species, including jellyfish, monarch butterflies, wasps, starfish, bees, and cod could be endangered or extinct.