The presence of plants, and specifically trees, in cities has many benefits. They provide certain ecosystems services, which benefit both the environment and people. These include, but are not limited to, improvement of air quality, mitigation of urban heat island effect, and shade over buildings to reduce power demand (Perkins, 2015). Green spaces in cities are also beneficial to human health, by providing areas for exercise, stress relief, and interactions with other people (Kabisch, et. al., 2017; Wolch, Bryne & Newell, 2014). The benefits of green space and spending time outside are especially important for childhood development. Playing outside helps develop a child’s sense of curiosity and investigation, appreciation for the natural environment, connection to their community, and enjoyment of physical activity, all of which contribute to both emotional and academic growth (Clements, 2004).
Studies have shown that the distribution of trees and green space in cities is based in underlying processes of privilege and power. The presence of green space in an area and the income level of that area are effectively intertwined. The presence of green space and trees on a property, can increase property value (Perkins, 2015) and further reinforce disparities in property value between areas with or without green space. Areas with less green space can indicate neglect by the municipal government, which could be related to economic factors. Given the benefits of green space in cities on people, and specifically children, it is important to ensure that people have equal access to green space irrespective of other socioeconomic factors.
In this study, we use the term green space equity to refer to the fair access of all urban populations to green space. Our analyses focus on Toronto green space with the goal of understanding who has access and who is lacking access, focusing specifically on people’s income and on children.