Follow the money: Do gentrifying and at-risk neighborhoods attract more park spending?

Recent research has shown that spending in urban green spaces including parks has fostered gentrification, a process known as green gentrification. But could ongoing gentrification and gentrification risk also precede local spending on new or existing parks? Focusing on the City of Los Angeles, we investigate whether park investment generated through developer fees in 2016-2018 went disproportionately to neighborhoods undergoing gentrification or at risk to gentrify. Logistic regression models show that park spending occurred disproportionately in tracts with traits of ongoing gentrification, some characteristics of gentrification risk, and higher educational attainment. Also, areas with higher proportions of Black and Asian residents saw fewer park investments. As cities around the world increasingly rely on developer fees to fund public amenities, planners and policymakers should develop strategies to ensure such investments do not accelerate existing gentrification and displacement of the most marginalized.

Automated summary

Recent research has found that spending in urban green spaces, such as parks, has contributed to the development of new gentrified areas, also known as green gentrification. This study focused on the city of Los Angeles and investigated whether park investments, funded through developer fees between 2016 and 2018, were disproportionately allocated to neighborhoods undergoing gentrification or at risk of gentrification. The findings showed that park spending was concentrated in areas with ongoing gentrification, characteristics of potential gentrification, and higher educational attainment, while areas with higher proportions of Black and Asian residents received fewer park investments. The study emphasizes the importance of developing strategies to ensure that public investments funded by developer fees do not further exacerbate existing gentrification and displacement of marginalized communities.