Impacts of a Temporary Urban Pop-Up Park on Physical Activity and Other Individual- and Community-Level Outcomes

Abstract

Physical inactivity is a known risk factor for obesity and a number of chronic diseases. Modifying the physical features of neighborhoods to provide residents with equitable and convenient access to spaces for physical activity (PA) is a promising strategy for promoting PA. Public urban recreation spaces (e.g., parks) play an important role in promoting PA and are potentially an important neighborhood element for optimizing social capital and liveability in cities. Most studies examining the effects of park availability and use on PA have focused on traditional, permanent parks. The aims of this study were to (1) document patterns of park use and park-based PA at a temporary urban pop-up park implemented in the downtown business district of Los Altos, California during July-August 2013 and May-June 2014, (2) identify factors associated with park-based PA in 2014, and (3) examine the effects of the 2014 pop-up park on additional outcomes of potential benefit for park users and the Los Altos community at large. Park use remained high during most hours of the day in 2013 and 2014. Although the park attracted a multigenerational group of users, children and adolescents were most likely to engage in walking or more vigorous PA at the park. Park presence was significantly associated with potentially beneficial changes in time-allocation patterns among users, including a reduction in screen-time and an increase in overall park-time and time spent outdoors. Park implementation resulted in notable use among people who would otherwise not be spending time at a park (85% of surveyed users would not be spending time at any other park if the pop-up park was not there-2014 data analysis). Our results (significantly higher odds of spending time in downtown Los Altos due to park presence) suggest that urban pop-up parks may also have broader community benefits, such as attracting people to visit downtown business districts. Pending larger, confirmatory studies, our results suggest that temporary urban pop-up parks may contribute to solving the limited access to public physical activity recreation spaces many urban residents face.

Health by Design: Interweaving Health Promotion into Environments and Settings

“…Pop-up parks are by definition small and temporary, and are located in areas typically reserved for cars (parking lots, streets) (90). A recent study in Los Altos, CA, USA, found that a small, urban pop-up park attracted a large number of multigenerational users (91). High levels of PA in the pop-up park were observed among youth.…”

“…High levels of PA in the pop-up park were observed among youth. Among users, the presence of the pop-up park was associated with less screen time, and with more time spent at a park, outdoors, and in the downtown central business district of Los Altos (91). Pop-up parks represent a promising strategy for communities with limited space for public recreation facilities, both to promote PA, as well as to improve social capital and quality of life through the revitalization of urban settings.…”

Punching above their weight: the ecological and social benefits of pop‐up parks

“…Moreover, by examining patterns of PUP use through robust direct observation, Salvo et al . () showed that PUPs triggered beneficial changes in time‐allocation patterns among users, including a reduction in screen time and an increase in overall time spent outdoors; we believe that this is the first, and thus far only, published work to provide empirical evidence of the social benefits of PUPs.…”

“…Related studies on the design of pocket parks highlighted the key role of particular design elements in stimulating social interactions and mental restoration, from varying the amount and arrangement of both natural (eg vegetation [including flowers], water) and human-made (eg seating arrangements) elements (Nordh and Ostby 2013;Peschardt et al 2016). Moreover, by examining patterns of PUP use through robust direct observation, Salvo et al (2017) showed that PUPs triggered beneficial changes in time-allocation patterns among users, including a reduction in screen time and an increase in overall time spent outdoors; we believe that this is the first, and thus far only, published work to provide empirical evidence of the social benefits of PUPs.…”

Fostering Social Sustainability through Intergenerational Engagement in Australian Neighborhood Parks

“…In residential areas, neighborhood public parks and leisure spaces can encourage socialization and physical activity [17][18][19]. Such parks are located in accessible, prominent areas which promote active transport and provide for the recreational needs of a local community for informal passive and active recreation and leisure opportunities, they also provide an important focal point for social interaction [20].…”