The complexities of measuring access to parks and physical activity sites in New York City: a quantitative and qualitative approach

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.

ISSN: 1476-072X