Jun 17, 2025 - News

Outdoor access is essential for public health, study says

Kale Williams

A wide shot shows a serene reservoir at Mount Tabor Park in Portland, Oregon. — Parks like Mount Tabor could be as important to public health as hospitals and pharmacies, researchers said. Photo: Natalie Behring/Getty Images

Outdoor recreation provides so many benefits it should be treated as essential public health infrastructure and access to green spaces should be prioritized for vulnerable populations, researchers say.

Why it matters: The findings from a recent study out of Oregon State highlight how access to parks, greenways and tree-lined streets — an area where Portland excels — buffered Americans' mental health during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By the numbers: Researchers found that 68% of respondents said "near-home" activities like walking or gardening constituted their most frequent outdoor diversions.

And walking alone accounted for 57% of all outdoor recreation.

Zoom in: That highlights the importance of access to green spaces, of which Portland has many.

A recent analysis from the Trust for Public Land (TPL) found that 89% of Portland residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.

Yes, but: Researchers also found that the pandemic sharply reduced outdoor recreation among adults, particularly among minorities and people worried about their finances.

The TPL analysis also found Portlanders in neighborhoods with the highest concentrations of people of color have access to 62% less park space than residents of white neighborhoods.

What they're saying: "This raises concerns about the persisting effect of structural inequity in people's ability to engage in outdoor recreation as a health behavior," Xiangyou "Sharon" Shen, lead author of the study, said in a written statement.

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Outdoor access is essential for public health, study says

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