Introduction

In this chapter, we take from definitions of public open space offered by Montejano-Castillo and Moreno-Villanueva (2016) and Jian et al (2020) to say that public open space, which includes streets, sidewalks, parks, plazas, and playgrounds, and other spaces funded by and for general public use, is fundamental to the production of just cities which promote health and wellness among residents, especially during public health crises.

The availability and quality of public open space correlate with increased physical and mental health, to the vitality of community life, and to the strength and resilience of the social fabric (Krellenberg et al, 2014; Chen et. al, 2016; Jennings et al, 2016). Klinenberg (2015) argues that ‘social infrastructure’, which includes open public spaces, is essential to the survival of more people in times of crisis as it is this infrastructure that creates connections and builds resilience (see also Chapter Twelve, this volume).

The existence of open public spaces is a necessary yet insufficient condition in the advancement of residents’ health. In the authors’ own city of Tacoma, Washington, which has an extensive park system, the disparities between those neighborhoods that enjoy access to parks and those that do not are likewise on display. Disparate access to parks correlates with health inequities to the degree that those without access to parks live shorter lives. These inequities are exacerbated by global health crises as parks that are not designed for mass use see an influx of people trying to take walks while maintaining distance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further revealed what many marginalized people have known: that the modern city has been allowed to develop unjustly. Many modern cities are geared to provide comfort to the already privileged and affluent. This is because cities experiencing a so-called renaissance prior to the pandemic had been made attractive to outside investment and capital at the expense of most residents, making the modern city inaccessible and unattainable. One way we measure this is by how quickly public open space has disappeared in these cities. During a pandemic, scarce public open space creates for a different experience of pandemics for those who cannot spend time in a garden or yard. It is these residents who stand to benefit the most from the little public open space that there is available.