Are there relationships among racial segregation, economic isolation, and proximity to green space?

Abstract

Prior research has investigated differences in exposure to green space between racial and economic groups across the United States. Results have generally shown that people of color and lower-income groups tend to live in neighborhoods with less green space than their more-advantaged counterparts. Our research extends existing studies by measuring the association between racial and economic differences in exposure to green space and racial or economic segregation across neighborhoods within cities. Findings show that cities with lower levels of racial segregation exhibit smaller racial disparities in exposure to green space. By contrast, in cities with greater racial segregation, white people tend to live in neighborhoods with more green space than do people of color. This difference is more pronounced between white and Hispanic people. Finally, there is a strong association between segregation among different income groups and differences in exposure to green space between lower- and higher-income people. Consistent with much of the literature on racial and economic segregation—and studies of environment (in)justice—we find that lower-income people and members of minority groups live in neighborhoods with much less vegetation than their wealthier, white counterparts and these differences are exacerbated in racially and economically segregated cities.