How Race and Space Shape Our National Parks
National parks symbolize pristine wilderness and democratic access—yet their history reveals a complex legacy of exclusion. From early U.S. national parks built on dispossessed Indigenous lands to segregated recreation areas during the Jim Crow era, these "natural treasures" reflect the racial hierarchies of their time. Today, geographic research uncovers how systemic inequities persist in park access, ecological priorities, and conservation narratives. As Yellowstone's celebrated wolf reintroduction transforms ecosystems 1 , marginalized communities still fight for meaningful engagement with nature. This article explores how race and space intersect in park landscapes—and how cutting-edge research is charting a more equitable future.
The 19th-century national park movement coincided with settler-colonial expansion. Yellowstone's creation in 1872 required the violent removal of Shoshone and other tribes from ancestral lands. Similarly, early park designs prioritized "wilderness experiences" catering to white elites, while Black, Indigenous, and immigrant communities faced:
A landmark 2025 study of 500 metropolitan areas exposed stark disparities in park access based on income and location.
| Country | Low-Income Walk Time | High-Income Walk Time | % Without 10-Min Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 9 min | 14 min | 50% |
| France | 6 min | 8 min | 33% |
| Mexico | 5 min | 7 min | 25% |
Globally, "fortress conservation" models displaced Indigenous stewards under the guise of environmental protection. Tanzania's Serengeti evicted Maasai communities; U.S. parks suppressed cultural burning practices. This "civilizing nature" approach treated racial minorities as threats rather than partners 4 .
The groundbreaking 2025 npj Urban Sustainability study combined:
Researchers measured two key metrics across 486 cities:
While Southern U.S. cities showed the worst access (e.g., Atlanta: 24-minute median walk), low-income areas in France and America had better physical proximity to parks than affluent ones.
"Proximity ≠equity. Marginalized neighborhoods averaged 40% less green space per capita and fewer ecological amenities like wetlands or native forests."
This highlights how racialized poverty concentrates people in dense urban zones with token green spaces, while wealth enables access to larger, biodiverse parks.
| Tool | Function | Equity Application |
|---|---|---|
| GIS Hot-Spot Analysis | Maps spatial clustering of park deficits | Identifies "nature deserts" in minority neighborhoods |
| iNaturalist | Crowdsourced species observations | Tracks biodiversity gaps in urban parks 2 |
| Oral Histories | Records lived experiences of exclusion | Centers marginalized voices in conservation 9 |
| Crumb Rubber Sensors | Monitors playground toxin exposure | Assesses environmental justice risks 8 |
Rejecting "wilderness" myths to center Indigenous knowledge:
Apps like iNaturalist enable marginalized groups to document biodiversity. Example: Nigerian researchers used it to catalog Hadejia Wetlands species, challenging top-down conservation 2 .
Supporting initiatives like the Sogorea Te' Land Trust, where urban Indigenous groups reclaim ancestral lands for cultural parks.
Parks as climate refuges: Prioritizing cooling corridors in heat-vulnerable neighborhoods (e.g., South Los Angeles) 6 .
Requiring equity impact assessments for all park funding algorithms using tools from the npj study 5 .
Global databases tracking displacement from conservation areas, modeled on the Land Rights Now initiative.
The geographic study of parks is no longer just about ecology—it's about power. From mapping sidewalk gaps in Baltimore to amplifying Quechua water stewardship in the Andes, researchers are exposing how racial hierarchies shape landscapes. As we celebrate wins like Big Bend's wooly devil plant discovery 7 , we must ask: Who benefits? Who decides? The future of parks hinges on dismantling systemic barriers so nature truly belongs to all.
"Parks are not passive backdrops. They are battlegrounds of belonging, archives of memory, and canvases for collective reimagining."