Supporting Parks and Revitalizing Communities Study (SPARCS)

Supporting Parks and Revitalizing Communities Study (SPARCS)

Project Goal

Parks are a key feature of the built environment that foster community engagement, make communities vibrant, and support resident wellbeing. This study, built on our prior work on Design Thinking in Parks and the PARCS Study,  will test the impact on community-level health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and mental health of a community-engaged, community-level intervention that aims to improve park-based health and social programming.

Study Approach

The study will leverage neighborhood parks that have recently been redesigned and renovated as part of the Community Parks Initiative, a capital investment and park equity program in New York City. The study will work with eight lower income and predominantly Latino and Black neighborhoods through an asset-based and human-centered design process to co-create and implement one health and one social strategy in each neighborhood park. The health strategy will focus on physical activity and the social strategy will seek to enhance social relationships and networks in each neighborhood. Achieving broad reach, inclusivity, and sustainability are key factors that will be taken into account in the design process. The eight neighborhoods will be cluster-randomized to one of two steps in a stepped wedge intervention trial. The intervention is 24 months in each community, with follow-up to 48 months.

Study Outcomes

The study will study outcomes, including HR-QoL, depression, anxiety, stress and loneliness, at the community level via random, representative samples of adult residents in participating communities at intervention baseline and months 24 and 48 post-baseline. In addition, the study will examine whether the intervention effects might be mediated through social cohesion, neighborhood ties, sense of community, park use and perception and/or health behaviors such as physical activity and sleep. Finally, the study will conduct qualitative research to examine the implementation of the community-level intervention.

Project Mission

Study findings will help inform future best practices in urban community development and park programs and policies to promote population health and reduce health disparities.

SPARCS is here to help make your park an even better place for the community to gather and have fun!

SPARCS is all about what your unique community would like to make playgrounds more active and socially engaging for all.

SPARCS has a purpose. The research we are conducting offers the community an opportunity to enhance the park since being renovated through NYC Parks’ Community Parks Initiative.

SPARCS has a process. In June 2023, we will begin co-designing with your local neighborhood team to create park programs that serve to enrich social and physical activities. Design workshops will be hosted by 3x3, a NYC-based design agency specializing in community- centered design.

Get Involved!
Questions or inquiries, please contact: cscd@sph.cuny.edu.

Principal Investigator: Terry Huang

We want to hear from you!

If you have any comments, or suggestions for how we could better server your community please fill out the form below.