A new study from the University of Florida paired artificial intelligence and citizen science to measure whether parks in Broward County provide access and the same experiences across communities.
Rather than focusing solely on where parks are located, researchers at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) based at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC) examined how residents experience and benefit from those spaces. Scientists call these experiences and benefits cultural ecosystem services, such as recreation, aesthetics and opportunities for social connection.
The findings show that while parks and urban green spaces exist throughout the county, the quality and accessibility of their experiences vary significantly between communities, resulting in inequitable outcomes for taxpayers and residents.
“The purpose of the study aimed to expose environmental injustices by showing how some communities remain underserved at the local level, ultimately driving urban planning,” said Jiangxiao Qiu, associate professor of landscape ecology at FLREC. “The study goes beyond just park distribution; it specifically measures access to cultural ecosystem services derived from online reviews of urban green spaces. So, it’s not just asking, ‘Are parks nearby?’ But can residents access quality experiences from these green spaces?”
Partially funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the study’s insights support broader national efforts to improve access to nature and outdoor recreation, including the Make America Beautiful Again Commission’s mission to promote conservation, restore lands and waters and expand outdoor recreation opportunities for future generations.
“This research provides city planners with a data-driven tool to listen to residents at the scale that matters most: their own neighborhoods,” said Haojie Cao, co-author and a graduate student on Qui’s team. “A close look at the locations of parks countywide show disparities. Our framework uses thousands of real visitor voices to expose these hidden gaps, giving local governments an actionable roadmap for exactly where and what kinds of improvements will make green spaces truly inviting for all.”
To conduct the study, researchers began by collecting 69,084 online reviews posted by park visitors on Google Maps and TripAdvisor. Of those reviews, they analyzed 30,599 public reviews. These reviews covered 454 out of the 639 urban parks and green spaces across Broward County.
These reviews covered 454 urban parks and green spaces across Broward County. Some parks were not included in the analysis because they had no online reviews available at the time.
Using computer-based analysis, the researchers then focused on identifying comments related to the benefits people say they get from visiting parks, such as recreation, relaxation or enjoyment of nature. To do this, they used an AI tool that can scan large amounts of text and recognize recurring themes in people’s written comments.
The tool was trained to look for 10 different types of park benefits based on how people naturally describe their experiences. One potential category related to religious use of parks was dropped because it appeared very rarely in the reviews.
This process allowed researchers to compare how different people experience parks across hundreds of locations, using the public’s own words rather than surveys or interviews that are often limited to dozens or hundreds of participants.
The findings indicate that parks serving higher-income or homogeneous neighborhoods tend to receive more positive reviews regarding park quality and experiences, while parks in other communities may offer fewer perceived cultural benefits. This suggests that access barriers are not just about park location, but about how well parks serve the communities around them.
Some neighborhoods showed strong engagement with green spaces, reflected in frequent posts and positive experiences. Others had far less activity, suggesting that residents may face barriers such as limited access, safety concerns or lack of nearby parks.
Ultimately, the study shows that simply building more parks is not enough. Urban planners and policymakers must consider who can access these spaces, how safe and welcoming they feel and whether they meet the needs of all communities.
Authors stressed that what they found in Broward County is not unique to South Florida. Across the nation, some communities are likely experiencing the same pattern that parks may be physically nearby, but the quality of experiences those green spaces provide is far from equal.
“Until cities start measuring what residents actually gain from their green spaces, rather than simply checking whether a park exists on a map, these hidden issues will persist,” said Cao.
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By Lourdes Mederos, rodriguezl@ufl.edu
ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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