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Public parks are for everyone, by definition, but they don’t always feel that way. For example, women might avoid densely wooded trails if they’re worried about safety. Elderly visitors could feel uneasy on paths shared with skaters and cyclists. And people of color could choose to avoid parks where visitors are overwhelmingly white.
Macalester College geographer Dan Trudeau and his students are studying Phalen Regional Park in St. Paul, Minnesota, to understand how this heavily used oasis attracts visitors who reflect the city’s racial and ethnic diversity. Offering a wide range of facilities and activities, including events that reflect different cultures and traditions, is an important draw. So are clean bathrooms and ample signage.
“Parks are like a city’s living room,” Trudeau observes. “Designing, building and managing them well makes people more likely to go there and stay a while.”
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