Locating the green space paradox: A study of gentrification and public green space accessibility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This study examined gentrification patterns associated with eighteen new public green spaces created across Philadelphia, Pennsylvania around 2010. Our study had three primary goals: 1) Characterize the local relationships between green space creation and gentrification across the city; 2) Investigate how different models of ownership and management approaches impact the public accessibility of newly created green spaces, 3) Examine connections between the public accessibility of new parks and the gentrification of the neighborhood. We drew on data from the 2000 US Census and the 2011-2016 American Community Survey Estimate data at the Block Group level, a field survey on public accessibility for parks that explores ownership, management, use/users, and quality, and semi-structured interviews conducted with six key informants from July-October 2018. We used Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) to examine local patterns of gentrification and qualitative analysis to examine the public accessibility of the public green spaces and experiences of residents and community leaders during the park development process. We found that public green spaces may anchor gentrification processes. Additionally, new spaces in wealthy neighborhoods were more publicly accessible than parks in gentrifying neighborhoods. Many spaces located in gentrifying neighborhoods relied on private management and had surveillance strategies, including cameras to security personnel. Our research points towards several key paradoxes associated with park development that can inform policy decisions regarding equitable park provision.