How do community parks affect environmental justice for older adults: Insights from availability, accessibility, and attractiveness

Community parks are essential for fostering physical activity, social engagement, and mental well-being among older adults, particularly in the context of rapid population ageing. These parks significantly enhance the quality of life for older adults by offering equitable recreational areas, thus promoting environmental justice. However, current research has inadequately explored how community parks could achieve environmental justice to fulfill the distinct requirements of older adults. This study constructed an Availability-Accessibility-Attractiveness (AAA) assessment methodology by integrating older adults' subjective perspectives, systematically evaluating environmental justice in Shanghai's community parks, and investigating the impact of urban-rural disparities on the delivery of spatial services for older residents. The results revealed a pronounced urban-suburban disparity, with central urban areas significantly outperforming suburban regions in all three dimensions: availability, accessibility, and attractiveness. Further analysis identified the key factors contributing to this disparity, revealing that older residents in areas with low community park environmental justice indices have access to fewer and less attractive parks. In contrast, central urban areas offer a greater number of parks, which also have higher attractiveness ratings. Nevertheless, inequalities in accessibility are less pronounced. This study constructs the methodology of environmental justice in community parks and provides evidence-based policy recommendations to optimize park design, promote physical activity among older adults, and improve overall service quality. These insights provide crucial guidance for urban planners and policymakers in terms of addressing the challenges posed by population ageing while striving to promote sustainable urban development.