Urban park and forest participation and landscape preference: A review of the relevant literature

Blacks and Whites are important users of urban parks and forests, and race continues to be an important factor in urban park and forest participation and landscape preference. African Americans, more than Whites, prefer developed facilities and services; Whites more likely than Blacks prefer undeveloped and more nature-based settings. It is also reasonable to assume that racial discrimination can exist in the landscapes of urban parks and forests and affect decision making and participation. Urban forests and parks can be planned, managed, and maintained to foster diversity of racial and ethnic participation and relationships much in the same way they can foster biological diversity among flora and fauna. Today, it is vital for urban foresters and arborists to understand and respond to differences in the participations and expectations of these diverse users.