General, Mental, and Physical Health Benefits of Tree Canopy Cover and Recreational Park in 77 Communities of Chicago, U.S.

Abstract

There were three main interrelated areas of focus in this paper related to urban green spaces (UGS): the general well-being, mental, and physical health. In this paper they were analyzed separately. The data of the three health aspects were collected from the Healthy Chicago Survey, an annual telephone survey that interviewed adults in Chicago, U.S., based on randomly selected addresses. UGS have been associated with better health and well-being. They provide sites for physical activity, buffer air and noise pollution, and alleviate thermal discomfort. UGS also promotes social interaction and increased social cohesion. However, research was limited in the health benefits from different types of UGS provisions. This paper aimed to reveal the associations  between the availability of two types of UGS — tree canopy cover and recreational park — and urban residents’ general, mental, and physical health in Chicago, the third largest city in the U.S. The UGS spatial data were derived from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) and the Chicago Data Portal (CDP). The percent tree canopy cover (TCC), the number of parks, park areas, and
the percentage of park areas were analyzed through ArcGIS ESRI’s ArcMap 10.7.1. Using hierarchical regression models that controlled for a range of confounding factors (age, gender, race, education level, employment status, and poverty level), this study assessed the variances of the general, mental, and physical health benefits from different UGS types. The results indicated that the increase of the park area was significantly associated with better general health perception. Higher percent TCC was significantly associated with lower levels of psychological distress. And an increase of the percentage of park area and the number of parks were associated with lower body mass index (BMI). The paper highlighted that different UGS types have various impacts on general, mental, and physical health to urban residents. By adding scientific evidence, this study may help policymakers, urban planners, landscape architects and designers, and other related professionals to make informed decisions on maximizing the health benefits of UGS and to achieve social equity.