Urban parks and green spaces are essential community infrastructure that protect public health by providing opportunities for physical activity, time in nature, social connection, and respite. Parks also filter air, remove pollution, buffer noise, cool temperatures, filter stormwater, and replenish groundwater. And parks store carbon, which helps slow climate change. Urban parks and green spaces should serve every community in a fair, just, and safe manner. In this synopsis, we briefly
survey the existing literature and provide findings from new research on park access and life expectancy in Los Angeles County.