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Baltimore has a health problem. Residents of Baltimore have a higher rate of death than other jurisdictions in Maryland with the leading cause of death being heart disease. Despite these facts, there is a way to help solve this problem – improving residents’ proximity to green space can lower mortality rates.

In 2019, a meta analysis published in the Lancet Planet Health looked at variety of different studies on green space and mortality and found that those that lived in proximity to green space had lower mortality rates. While the meta-analysis was able to reach this broad based conclusion, it did not suggest the actual reason that those that lived in proximity to green spaces, such as parks, had lower rates of death.

A lot of other studies have floated ideas about why green space and parks improve health and mortality. For instance, some studies suggest that those that have easy access to parks and green space are more physically active than those that do not have such access. Another study indicates that improving parks through renovation also increases physical activity levels at parks compared to activity levels prior to renovations. Other studies have concluded that access to green space is associated with improved cardiovascular health. None of these studies, however, are definitive. In fact, there is no current explanation of exactly how green space and parks improve mortality rates. Instead, we just now that such a fact is true, but do not know precisely why.

Intuitively, it makes sense that living in proximity to green space is good for you. If you live near a large park like Patterson Park, you have more opportunity for physical activity such as walking, jogging, gardening, swimming, or playing on any one of the different sports fields at the park. As physical activity is important to maintaining health, it just seems to make sense that if you have access to green space and parks for exercise, you will be healthier. Those that do not live near a park or green space, will have less opportunity for exercise just by way of lack of proximity to an outlet for exercise.

If parks and green space can help improve physical activity and reduce risks of death, cities like Baltimore should consider investment in parks as investments in better health outcomes for its residents. This investment is particularly important as “[t]raditional efforts to improve physical activity, through health education and social marketing have had limited effects.” Proper investment in parks and green space could have a significant impact on the lives of Baltimore residents.

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