Parks and Recreation Magazine recently published an article that offers insights into the benefits of green spaces. By promoting an active lifestyle and positively effecting human psychology, the Safe Routes to Parks program can transform the lives of the nation’s most vulnerable populations. Green spaces are a viable tool for improving public health and decreasing crime. Benefits of Green Spaces Research published in the Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives reveals that living in proximity to green space lowers the risk of all-cause, non-accidental mortality by 12 percent. Greenery reduces residents’ chances of dying from illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Scott Brown at the University of Miami studied Medicare recipients in Miami-Dade County. Those who lived near green spaces experienced fewer chronic conditions: greenery reduced risk of diabetes by 14 percent, hypertension by 13 percent, and hyperlipidemia by 10 percent. The 2015 Urban Studies report finds that transforming vacant or gray spaces into green spaces reduces property crime and violent crime in the area. Marginalized neighborhoods—particularly urban, low-income communities—suffer in multiple ways from a shortage of green space. These communities are prone to crime, violence, poor air quality, and polluted waterways. Record-high obesity ratings, respiratory ailments, chronic disease and shorter life expectancy plague residents. Green spaces have the power to mitigate such ills in the communities that need them the most. Yet many high-risk neighborhoods lack green spaces. Those with parks face barriers to access. The National Recreation and Park Association’s Safe Routes to Parks Program aims to create parks and remove the barriers to attendance. Safe Routes to Parks Program The program first aims to create parks within a 10-minute walk of underserved communities. Studies reveal that residents within a 10-minute walk of a park have lower rates of obesity and...