The accessibility of playgrounds in the Montreal Metropolitan Community’s parks
The goal of this paper is to examine the existence of environmental inequities related to the access to playgrounds in the Montreal Metropolitan Community for children, single-parent families, low-income persons and visible minorities. Two spatial accessibility indicators are computed: one measuring proximity (to the closest playground), another measuring availability (based on supply and demand). The mapping of these two indicators show that suburban populations generally live farther from playgrounds (more than 750 metres) that are not saturated (few potential users within one kilometre). Inversely, in the central parts of the island of Montreal, children usually live closer to playgrounds (less than 500 metres) that are more likely to be saturated (many potential users within one kilometre). The regression results show no major inequities for the four population groups. However, the low-income population has a more limited accessibility to playgrounds, while single-parent families have better accessibility.