Inequities in children’s access to nature are a world-wide phenomenon, occurring in both Western and non-Western countries and in countries with both strong and weak economies. In many communities, inequitable access to nature applies to home, school, and neighborhood environments.

Socioeconomic status is one of the primary factors related to inequitable access, especially in urban environments. Urban inequity in opportunities for nature engagement can be experienced in various forms, including proximity, accessibility, and quality. Different types of nature or natural environments (green and blue spaces, managed and wild, public and private) can also play a role in equity, in that not all natural environments provide the same kinds or levels of benefit.

Vulnerable groups in some communities live near and have access to parks, but those parks are less attractive

This study in Lodz, Poland investigated whether the most or the least vulnerable residents lived near parks with greater barriers, including those related to availability, accessibility and attractiveness. Results showed that most of the city residents generally enjoy good park availability (proximity); but for the most vulnerable groups (low-income people, children and youth, seniors, and the elderly), parks lack attractiveness. Additionally, children and youth tended to have less access to parks than other age groups.
Biernacka, Łasziewicz, & Kronenberg, 2022. Park availability, accessibility, and attractiveness in relation to the least and most vulnerable inhabitants.

Access Study 

Certain racial/ethnic groups have fewer public transportation options to large parks in the Western U.S. than other groups 

Researchers used a novel measure of public transit access to parks (the T2P index) to determine the number of large parks that residents in the 15 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the Western United States can reach by using public transit and walking within a given time. Relating those results to neighborhood-level disadvantage (income, race/ethnicity, and age) provides some evidence of environmental injustice, with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities having not only worse walking access to large parks, but also worse transit access to such parks compared to non-Hispanic White people.
Park et al., 2021. Transit to parks: An environmental justice study of transit access to large parks in the U.S. West.

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Access to urban green space in Mexico City is linked to a neighborhood’s socioeconomic status

This study examined the equity of access to urban green space (UGS) in Mexico City at the neighborhood level. Findings showed limited access to small green spaces in most of the neighborhoods. High-poverty neighborhoods had the most pronounced limited access to UGS. Increasing UGS access in neighborhoods with higher rates of poverty may help mitigate the disproportionate negative effects experienced by more marginalized people when faced with public health emergencies such as pandemics.
Huerta, 2022. Rethinking the distribution of urban green spaces in Mexico City: Lessons from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Access Study 

Greater access to natural spaces and private gardens close to home may be especially important for children in more economically deprived neighborhoods

Linking Scottish children’s actual use of green space to their geocoded home address locations and their socioeconomic status showed that children (age 10-11) from more economically deprived neighborhoods spent more time in natural space closer to home than children in more advantaged neighborhoods. The fact that children of lower socioeconomic status spent more of their time in natural spaces within 100 meters of home highlights the need for quality natural spaces and private gardens in all neighborhoods. Planners should utilize this information when examining and planning neighborhoods to ensure access to natural spaces and private gardens close to home, as nearby natural places were used more frequently by children living in the most deprived areas.
Olsen et al., 2022. Socioeconomic inequality in Scottish children’s exposure to and use of natural space and private gardens, measured by GPS.

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Schools in Santiago, Chile mimic the vegetation inequalities seen throughout the city

Satellite imagery was used to determine the level of vegetation on and around the grounds of more than 1,500 schools in Santiago, Chile. The data showed that private schools had higher levels of vegetation than public or subsidized schools. The study also showed that the level of vegetation on school grounds is very similar to that of the surrounding neighborhoods, with low-income areas having the least amount of vegetation. Rather than lessening vegetation inequalities, public or subsidized schools may be exacerbating the situation by mimicking the uneven distribution seen throughout the city.
Fernández, Pérez-Silva & Villalobos-Araya, 2022. Vegetation cover within and around schools in Santiago de Chile: Are schools helping to mitigate urban vegetation inequalities?

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The level of greenness on school property need not reflect the environmental injustices suffered by low-income, high minority communities

A study of four school districts across North Carolina (U.S.) found that more socially vulnerable neighborhoods had less green space than less vulnerable neighborhoods. Green space at the public schools, however, was more equally distributed than in the surrounding neighborhoods and was not related to socioeconomic or racial composition of students.
Zhang et al., 2021. Equally green? Understanding the distribution of urban green infrastructure across student demographics in four public school districts in North Carolina, USA. 

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Nature, while beneficial for all children, may be especially helpful for children at risk for poorer physical, mental, social, emotional, and educational outcomes as a result of economic disadvantage. This phenomenon is referred to as the “equigenic effect.” While a number of studies already in the Research Library (e.g., Bohnert et al. 2021; Flouri  et al. 2014; Li et al. 2021; South et al. 2020; Kuo et al. 2018; Mygind et al. 2021) have suggested that nature may help “level” the health and well-being disparities between advantaged and disadvantaged children and youth, the studies in this section of the Digest specifically explored this possibility. 

Improving the quantity and quality of public open space in disadvantaged neighborhoods may help reduce mental health inequities

This systematic review of 14 quantitative studies from multiple countries indicates that young children living near nature and public open space tend to have better mental health than young children without nearby nature. Two of the three studies which compared associations across socio-economic strata found that public open space may be more important to children from more disadvantaged backgrounds.
Alderton et al., 2019. Reducing inequities in early childhood mental health: How might the neighborhood built environment help close the gap? A systematic search and critical review. 

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The natural environment could be of greater benefit for children from less-advantaged backgrounds, particularly in the development of prosocial behavior

A study involving 774 Scottish children (age 10-11) found that immediate neighborhood natural space and private gardens are positively related to children’s well-being but that the level of impact tends to be greater for low- versus high-income children. This research indicates that “the ‘equigenic’ effect of natural space may prove crucial to preventing, reducing, or at least minimizing the widening of health inequality.”
McCrorie et al., 2021. Neighborhood natural space and the narrowing of socioeconomic inequality in children’s social, emotional, and behavioural wellbeing

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People around the globe are actively working to make children’s access to nature more equitable. Examples of this work can be found in schools, public parks, other types of urban green space, camp programs, youth gardening initiatives, and other public and private venues. Of these, green schoolyards may be “particularly powerful drivers of health equity by promoting well‐being at the level of the individual, school, and community” (Bohnert et al. 2021). Community engagement, different groups working together, and a vision of a more inclusive and just society help to fuel these initiatives. Related research provides evidence of these initiatives yielding positive outcomes for disadvantaged children and youth.

Increases in physical activity and positive social interactions linked to the greening of schoolyards in low-income neighborhoods were maintained over time

After three public schools in low-income neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois (U.S.) developed a green schoolyard on their grounds, behavioral mapping showed a significant decrease in children’s sedentary activity and significant increases in positive social interactions. Surveys completed by teachers and caregivers showed increased perceptions of safety, fewer injuries, less teasing/bullying, and less gang-related activity. These positive outcomes were maintained over time.
Bates, Bohnert & Gerstein, 2018. Green schoolyards in low-income neighborhoods: Natural spaces for positive youth development outcomes.

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Collaboration between designers and community members for park improvements can potentially support environmental justice in low-income minority neighborhoods

Interviews regarding proposed changes to a park in a low-income, predominantly African American neighborhood in the U.S. gave park users the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings about the park. This process, called “place-making,” is a community-driven process incorporating the park users into the park design process. Interview responses revealed a potential mismatch between what the designers had planned to do and the neighborhood priorities. This research supports community involvement as a potential avenue for facilitating effective park design, thereby improving equitable access to urban parks.
Carnahan et al., 2020. Place-making practices for park improvements to support environmental justice in a low-income African American neighborhood.

Access Study 

Collaborative efforts between organizations can advance social and ecological justice 

The executive directors of two education-related organizations in Canada worked together to make a forest school experience available to a wider group of children. Commitments in a co-developed memorandum included jointly operating a licensed forest school childcare program.
Niblett et al., 2020. Partnering for outdoor play: A case study of forest and nature school programming in the context of licensed child care in Ottawa, Ontario.

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Involving stakeholders in playground development can benefit children, teachers, families, and others in the community

This field report describes how wide community engagement contributed to the creation of a culturally appropriate and locally sourced playground in Papua New Guinea. Developing the playground not only created a safe and stimulating place for children to play, but a vibrant community hub, as well. Since the introduction of the playground, some children are attending school more frequently and are more engaged in class.
Simoncini et al., 2016. Playground development in Papua New Guinea: Creating new play, learning and research environments.

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Children can help revitalize critical connections between access to Indigenous food systems and Indigenous food security

This paper addresses concerns relating to food security in Indigenous communities in Canada and provides an overview of two initiatives addressing these concerns. One involved young Indigenous children (age 5-7) working with their Elders in collecting, preparing, and eating traditional food. The other involved a wider age-range of Indigenous children (age 5-12) and focused on differences between local food and imported food. By providing young people with hands-on access to Indigenous food systems, such initiatives could be key to a more secure food system for the Indigenous people of Canada.
Bagelman, 2018. Unsettling food security: The role of young people in Indigenous food system revitalisation.

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A garden-based program promotes youth development and social justice 

Youth (age 14-15) participating in a garden-based education program in Minneapolis, Minnesota (U.S.) worked in teams led by undergraduate student mentors and community mentors in gardens located throughout a low-resourced area of the city. In addition to supporting food and horticultural skills among urban youth, the program also promotes environmental, social, and racial justice through special projects initiated by the teams. As well, undergraduate mentors obtained leadership experience.
Rogers et al., 2019. Growing North Minneapolis: Connecting youth and community through garden-based experiential learning. 

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Ecopedagogies empower urban youth to critically examine issues of environmental justice in their community

This research used two case studies to explore how a school-based project reflects ecopedagogy, an instructional approach aimed at disrupting cultural patterns of environmental oppression. Both cases illustrate how secondary education students can be meaningfully involved in challenging dominant Western cultural norms which have contributed heavily to current environmental problems.
Zocher & Hougham, 2020. Implementing ecopedagogy as an experiential approach to decolonizing science education. 

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Making art can help students address local ecological challenges and ecojustice goals

A rain barrel painting project with ninth graders in the U.S. emphasized care and empathy as ecojustice goals. The decorated rain barrels were sold at an auction to support the local nature reserve’s work and invited conversations about ecological concerns. Feedback from students and teachers indicated that the project deepened both groups’ understanding about how they can help create a more just, equitable and sustainable future.
Miller & Cardamone, 2021. Educating through art, ecology, and ecojustice: A rain barrel project.

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Many summer camps in the U.S. are making changes to promote access, equity and inclusion

Early summer camps in the U.S. promoted cultural ideals valued by the dominant class and perpetuated systems by which the dominant class maintained power. In contrast, three case studies examined in this paper demonstrate specific ways that camps can address long-ignored social justice issues. Implications and lessons learned from these studies are offered as steps towards increasing access, equity and justice through camp practice.
Browne, Gillard & Garst, 2019. Camp as an institution of socialization: Past, present, and future.

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