Urban region parks and black minorities: Subculture, marginality, and interracial relations in park use in the Detroit metropolitan area

Abstract

This paper compares participation in Detroit city parks and surrounding regional parks by black and white Detroit residents. Black Detroit residents participate more than whites in Detroit city parks, but less than whites in surrounding region parks. The paper explores a variety of explanations for these findings including “marginality”; (economic barriers), subcultural preferences, and interracial relations. Marginality plays some role in explaining underrepresentation by black Detroit residents in regional parks, primarily through restricted access to automobile transport, rather than income effects directly. Subcultural preferences, as measured in this study, do not seem to explain differences in black and white participation. However, measures of sub‐culture were less robust than measures of other factors. Interracial relations factors do seem to play a role in explaining underrepresentation by minorities in regional parks. Implications for research and urban outdoor recreation policy are explored.