Analysis of contemporary preference patterns-In terms of data analysis, future studies should consider all sources of parks and open space funding when attempting to assess the extent to which public policy is orchestrated to effectively address the problem of park-poor communities. Such research should also delineate parks and open space by type, especially as park type reflects active or passive uses. Historically, inner-city areas and children of color have been deemed in need of active park venues with organized programs, rather than access to nature and opportunities for spending more time exploring and playing in less-structured open space. This raises the question of who has access to which types of park facilities, and the extent to which the mix of available recreational opportunities coincides with neighborhood preferences. As suggested above, this is not a straightforward question, and deserves empirical research sensitive to issues of historical assumptions about race-specific “needs” as well as racial codings of recreational venues arising from the regional racial formation, as well as analysis of contemporary preference patterns.
