The Economic Effect of Parks and Community-Managed Open Spaces on Residential House Prices in Baltimore, MD

Urban greenspaces, such as parks and other public vegetated spaces, provide respite from the built environment for residents and visitors. Lesser-known urban greenspaces are community-managed open spaces (CMOSs), such as play lots, community gardens, and memorial gardens. This study investigated the...

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Main Authors: Sherry Russell, Byoung-Suk Kweon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/483
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author Sherry Russell
Byoung-Suk Kweon
author_facet Sherry Russell
Byoung-Suk Kweon
author_sort Sherry Russell
collection DOAJ
description Urban greenspaces, such as parks and other public vegetated spaces, provide respite from the built environment for residents and visitors. Lesser-known urban greenspaces are community-managed open spaces (CMOSs), such as play lots, community gardens, and memorial gardens. This study investigated the effect of the distance to and size of parks and CMOSs on residential house prices in Baltimore, MD, in 2016–2017 using a hedonic price model. This is the first study of an urban city comparing parks and CMOSs. The study included 21,116 houses sold and revealed that park proximate price premiums ranged from 7.73% to 11.01% for distances of up to a 1/2 mile, and the CMOS proximate price premiums were 8.69% and 8.96% for distances of up to 1/8 and 1/4 miles, respectively. Moreover, both parks and CMOSs revealed a buyer preference of a 1/8 to 1/2 mile distance from these urban greenspaces. Small- to medium-sized parks, less than 9.65 acres, increased house prices by approximately 2.36%, and small CMOSs, less than 0.24 acres, increased house prices by 5.93%. These results confirm that parks and CMOSs provide economic benefits in addition to their social, health, and well-being benefits and suggest that CMOSs are a viable economic development strategy for communities.
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spelling doaj-art-65452dc683d447b3ade99e98efcc83a02025-08-20T01:49:00ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-02-0114348310.3390/land14030483The Economic Effect of Parks and Community-Managed Open Spaces on Residential House Prices in Baltimore, MDSherry Russell0Byoung-Suk Kweon1Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USADepartment of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USAUrban greenspaces, such as parks and other public vegetated spaces, provide respite from the built environment for residents and visitors. Lesser-known urban greenspaces are community-managed open spaces (CMOSs), such as play lots, community gardens, and memorial gardens. This study investigated the effect of the distance to and size of parks and CMOSs on residential house prices in Baltimore, MD, in 2016–2017 using a hedonic price model. This is the first study of an urban city comparing parks and CMOSs. The study included 21,116 houses sold and revealed that park proximate price premiums ranged from 7.73% to 11.01% for distances of up to a 1/2 mile, and the CMOS proximate price premiums were 8.69% and 8.96% for distances of up to 1/8 and 1/4 miles, respectively. Moreover, both parks and CMOSs revealed a buyer preference of a 1/8 to 1/2 mile distance from these urban greenspaces. Small- to medium-sized parks, less than 9.65 acres, increased house prices by approximately 2.36%, and small CMOSs, less than 0.24 acres, increased house prices by 5.93%. These results confirm that parks and CMOSs provide economic benefits in addition to their social, health, and well-being benefits and suggest that CMOSs are a viable economic development strategy for communities.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/483urban greenspacesgreen amenitiescommunity-managed open spacesparkseconomic effectsvacant land
spellingShingle Sherry Russell
Byoung-Suk Kweon
The Economic Effect of Parks and Community-Managed Open Spaces on Residential House Prices in Baltimore, MD
Land
urban greenspaces
green amenities
community-managed open spaces
parks
economic effects
vacant land
title The Economic Effect of Parks and Community-Managed Open Spaces on Residential House Prices in Baltimore, MD
title_full The Economic Effect of Parks and Community-Managed Open Spaces on Residential House Prices in Baltimore, MD
title_fullStr The Economic Effect of Parks and Community-Managed Open Spaces on Residential House Prices in Baltimore, MD
title_full_unstemmed The Economic Effect of Parks and Community-Managed Open Spaces on Residential House Prices in Baltimore, MD
title_short The Economic Effect of Parks and Community-Managed Open Spaces on Residential House Prices in Baltimore, MD
title_sort economic effect of parks and community managed open spaces on residential house prices in baltimore md
topic urban greenspaces
green amenities
community-managed open spaces
parks
economic effects
vacant land
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/483
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