Table 5

Highland Park and Marine Park Comparison

Highland Park

Marine Park

Park Construction (Year)

1901

1936

Park Size (Acres)

141

798*

Physical Activity (PA) Sites

Baseball Fields

6

22

Basketball Hoops

8

21

Golf Courses

0

1

Handball Courts

10

22

Playgrounds

2

4

Soccer Fields

1

**

Tennis Courts

13

15

Additional PA Sites

none

bocce courts, cricket fields, hiking trails, skate park, kickball courts, and kayak/canoe launch sites

Capital Projects (money spent since 1995)

Over $6 million

Over $34 million

Sample of Capital Projects

New baseball field and tennis court lighting, added safety measures, synthetic turf soccer/football field (under construction), etc

Landscaping, construction of separate environmental and community centers, golf course irrigation, comfort stations, etc.

Quality of the Park

Good quality overall (see figure 7e): well maintained older play equipment with safety surfaces (see figure 7f), broken chess table (with caution tape), playground safety signs***

Good quality overall (see figure 8c): some graffiti, play equipment with safety surfaces (see figure 8d), "Clean up after yourself" signs, safety signs at every playground ***

Miscellaneous

Public School children maintain various gardens throughout the park (figure 7d)

n/a

*A large part of Marine Park is underwater, and this number includes an 18-hole golf course making Marine Park's usable area closer to the size of Highland Park. ** Baseball Fields double as soccer fields in Marine Park. ***Winter weather and construction projects seem to have temporarily reduced the overall quality of the parks, but this does not appear to be permanent.

Maroko et al. International Journal of Health Geographics 2009 8:34   doi:10.1186/1476-072X-8-34