Have you ever been so immersed in nature that you feel a feeling of total bliss? This feeling is one that people go all over the world to find. Humans have an innate desire to connect with the natural world. Those who live in cities and are able to travel away from their homes tend to find the natural world beyond the city limits. However, despite the popular sentiment that Baltimore City lacks the green space to provide that natural bliss, our city has unique and wide access to parks and recreation that connect us to the environment.
I have lived in Baltimore City my whole life and I feel a strong connection to the city, as many people who live here do. There is beauty in the busy streets and big buildings that fill a city. When you crave the feeling of natural peace, it’s easy to assume you must leave the city to find it. But what if you could find that connection with nature in your very own city? Baltimore has vast opportunities to connect to nature and find natural peace. It is important to look past the stereotypes about the city in order to recognize the work that has been done and celebrate hope for a greener city.
Green spaces such as parks and other public green areas are important to city life. The power and serenity of nature positively impact human physical and mental health. Greenery can remove toxic chemicals, improve air quality and provide spaces to relax and connect with wildlife. Green spaces in cities also reduce the need to travel far distances to connect with nature, which reduces our environmental impact.
It is a common misconception that Baltimore lacks green spaces. Donald Trump famously called Baltimore a “disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess.” While hurtful and untrue, his comments are unfortunately not an uncommon opinion of Baltimore City — many people believe the city is a mess beyond repair. On the contrary, Baltimore offers great opportunities to connect with the natural world through parks and recreation and is constantly working to improve its parks and green spaces. In 2020, the city announced Recreation 2025, a five-year plan to sustain and improve Baltimore City’s parks and recreation, and in 2022, Mayor Brandon Scott invested $41 million into parks and recreation across the city
What makes Baltimore’s parkland unique is the access that is provided to citizens. Eighty-seven percent of Baltimore residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. That’s 32 percentage points higher than the average access for residents in all urban cities and towns in the United States. Another unique characteristic of Baltimore’s parks is equity. An overarching problem in the United States is unequal access to parks. It is a common theme that Black citizens with lower incomes have significantly less access to parks than white citizens and those with higher incomes. Baltimore does not follow this trend. In Baltimore City, neighborhoods with predominantly Black residents have equal access to the same number of acres of parkland as neighborhoods with predominately white residents. Additionally, according to Trust for Public Land, lower-income neighborhoods in Baltimore “have access to 4% less nearby park space than those in higher-income neighborhoods,” which is better than the national average.
It is important to recognize the benefits of Baltimore City and push past the narrative that the city is dirty and unfixable. If we are unable to move past the stereotypes, we lose hope for a better future. Baltimore is fortunate to have the amount of access to green space that it has. The city should take advantage of this and work to build and promote a green city. Appreciating the unique benefits and work that has already been done with Baltimore City’s green areas will bring positive motivation to continue to improve our city and give hope for a better future
Zoe Hiller is a Baltimore resident and student at Dickinson College studying environmental science.
