Parks, Trails, and Greenways for Physical Activity: A Community Guide Systematic Economic Review

Abstract

Introduction: This systematic economic review examined the cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness of park, trail, and greenway infrastructure interventions to increase physical activity or infrastructure use.

Methods: The search period covered the date of inception of publications databases through February 2022. Inclusion was limited to studies that reported cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness outcomes and were based in the U.S. and other high-income countries. Analyses were conducted from March 2022 through December 2022. All monetary values reported are in 2021 U.S. dollars.

Results: The search yielded 1 study based in the U.S. and 7 based in other high-income countries, with 1 reporting cost-effectiveness and 7 reporting cost-benefit outcomes. The cost-effectiveness study based in the United Kingdom reported $23,254 per disability-adjusted life year averted. The median benefit-to-cost ratio was 3.1 (interquartile interval=2.9-3.9) on the basis of 7 studies.

Discussion: The evidence shows that economic benefits exceed the intervention cost of park, trail, and greenway infrastructure. Given large differences in the size of infrastructure, intervention costs and economic benefits varied substantially across studies. There was insufficient number of studies to determine the cost-effectiveness of these interventions.

Figure 1.

Analytic Framework: Park, Trail, and Greenway Infrastructure Interventions *Cost or benefit driver QALY, quality-adjusted life year; DALY, disability-adjusted life year

Figure 2.

Search Yield and Included Studies