How public safety can influence public health

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 26, 2026 - A basketball court, soccer field or playground may help make a park inviting. But a new UC Irvine study suggests that the way public safety is approached can also influence how people use those spaces.

Researchers at the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health found that parks in South Los Angeles participating in a community-led safety program were associated with higher overall levels of physical activity, with the greatest gains among Black park users. Importantly, the type of safety intervention was a stronger predictor of physical activity than the quality of park features and amenities. The findings, published in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health, highlight the importance of viewing public safety as part of a broader strategy to improve community health.

The study examined nearly 4,000 park users across 17 public parks in South Los Angeles using a standardized observational tool that recorded park users' age, sex, race and ethnicity, and levels of physical activity, ranging from sedentary behaviors such as sitting or lying down to moderate activities like walking and vigorous activities such as running or playing basketball.

Eight parks participated in Safe Passages, a community-based violence prevention program staffed by local Community Intervention Workers - trained to identify and de-escalate conflict, violence, and community trauma through unarmed responses - patrol neighborhood spaces to provide a sense of safety and security. Nine parks were part of the Los Angeles Police Department's Community Safety Partnership, which places police officers in neighborhoods to foster community relationships while deterring crime. Researchers also assessed park features, amenities, and signs of disorder to determine whether those factors influenced physical activity.

The type of safety intervention matters

Researchers observed higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among visitors at Safe Passages parks than among those using Community Safety Partnership parks. The difference was most pronounced among Black park users, who represented 53 percent of visitors at Safe Passages parks, compared with 32 percent at Community Safety Partnership parks, and were significantly more physically active.

Even after accounting for differences in age, sex, race and park conditions, the type of safety intervention remained more strongly associated with physical activity than amenities such as basketball courts, soccer fields, restrooms or water fountains.

"Public parks are critical community-level resources for promoting health and well-being. However, access to those resources is shaped by much more than whether a park has a basketball court or a soccer field," says corresponding author Jason Douglas, Ph.D., associate professor of health, society and behavior at Wen Public Health. "Our findings suggest that the way safety is approached, as well as who leads these programs, may influence whether people feel comfortable using that space for physical activity."

Addressing health inequities

The results come as public health experts increasingly recognize physical activity, neighborhood safety and the availability of green space as social determinants of health. These factors influence opportunities to prevent chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity while supporting overall well-being.

But those opportunities have not been distributed equally. Many communities of color have historically had less access to safe, well-maintained parks because of longstanding structural inequities. In South Los Angeles, where there is less park space than in more affluent communities, concerns about crime and violence can discourage park use. These disparities have had especially significant consequences. Homicide remains the leading cause of premature death among Black youth in the area. Between 2016 and 2020, the firearm-related homicide rate among Black residents of Los Angeles was nearly four times higher than the countywide rate.

The researchers say their findings indicate that investments in parks may have a greater impact on health when they also address the conditions that shape how safe residents feel using those spaces.

Different approaches for different communities

The study also found that children were more physically active in parks participating in the Community Safety Partnership program, suggesting that no single public safety strategy benefits every population in the same way.

The UC Irvine team members say that future research should examine how park design, recreational programming and different safety models can work together for diverse communities.

"Investments in public parks should be viewed as investments in public health," Douglas says. "While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to promoting safe and healthy spaces and places, community-led safety strategies may provide a promising approach for addressing health disparities in historically underserved communities. Ultimately, understanding how to tailor safety strategies to meet the needs of different populations is an important area for future research and policy."

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.