Measuring the accessibility and equity of public parks: a case study using GIS

Geographic information systems (GIS) can provide leisure service agencies with numerous opportunities to enhance the planning and management of their facilities. This paper demonstrates one such application, to the measurement of levels of accessibility and distributional equity offered by a system of public parks. The methods proposed are relatively simple; nevertheless, they do offer substantial improvements upon those previously utilized by leisure service providers. They facilitate identification of poorly served areas and populations, and suggest where new facilities might best be sited so as to maximize access and equity. These methods are illustrated by a case study of the park system in Bryan, Texas. Many other applications of GIS to leisure service provision are available, several of which are briefly discussed. Together, they could enable agencies to function more effectively and, ultimately, to provide better levels of service to the public.