322 Elmendorf et al.: Black and White Participation and Preferences Table 3. Standardized regression coefficients relating the covariates of gender, age, education, and income to park participation and attitudes. Beta values Frequency of visits Perceived benefits Park preferences Nature Recreation facilities Maintenance/security Ethnic concerns Activities Group Traditional park landscapes Alone/solitary Willingness to volunteer *Significant .05. **Significant .01. ***Significant .001. Landscape Preference In the two-factor ANOVA, Blacks were significantly less likely than Whites to agree that Nature amenities were important in urban parks and forests, but for all of the other landscape characteristics addressed in this study, Blacks gave higher importance ratings than did Whites. These included Recreational Facilities, Maintenance/Security, Ethnic Concerns, and Traditional Park Landscapes. The difference between the races in the importance given to these park attributes was greatest for Ethnic Concerns, Traditional Park Landscapes, and the presence of Recreational Facilities. These three relationships remained significant when the effects of age, gender, education, and income were controlled in the covariance analysis, although racial differences in regard to the importance given to Nature and Maintenance/Security declined to nonsignificance, with P-values of 0.081 and 0.104, respectively. In the case of Maintenance/Security, the interaction of Race × city reached statistical significance (P = 0.045) when age, gender, education, and income were controlled, with Blacks in Atlanta giving more importance to this park characteristic than did the other three race/city categories. There were significant differences between the two cities in regard to the importance given to Recreational Facilities, even when controlling for the covariates. Residents of Atlanta gave higher importance ratings to Recreational Facilities than did Philadelphians. Persons with higher incomes were less likely than their lower-income counterparts to report that Recreational Facilities, Ethnic Concerns, and Traditional Park Landscapes were important park attributes. Females more than males ©2005 International Society of Arboriculture Gender Age –.051 .010 –.119** .074 .125** .112** .142*** –.033 .075 –.025 –.138** –.002 –.134** –.052 .081 .003 .038 .060 –.216*** –.227*** Education Income .077 .008 .056 .122** .193*** –.138** –.161*** –.067 –.062 .057 .027 –.198*** –.104* –.104* .116 –.071 –.027 .088 .023 –.040 reported that Maintenance/Security, Ethnic Representation/Sensitivity, and Traditional Park Landscapes were important; males were more likely than females to emphasize the impor- tance of Nature amenities. As educational level increased, the importance given to Recre- ational Facilities and Traditional Park Landscapes declined. Older subjects were less likely to report that forests, lakes, and wildlife were important than were younger individuals. Participation Blacks were significantly more likely than Whites to use these urban parks for Group Participation, and this difference persisted even when controls for age, gender, education and income were included in the covariance analysis. However, while Whites in the sample were somewhat more likely than Blacks to report Solitary Participation, this difference was not statistically significant, especially when the effects of age, gender, education, and income were adjusted for. The Race × city interaction was also not statistically significant, suggesting that the racial differences in participation did not vary by study site. Atlanta residents were more likely than residents of Phila- delphia to report that they used parks and urban forests for Group Participation. Gender, age, education, and income were not found to be significantly related to participation in solitary activities; age was negatively correlated with participation in group activities. Willingness to Volunteer Expressed willingness to volunteer in developing and maintaining park areas (planting trees, cleaning up, helping to reduce crime, and working with others to improve park areas) was significantly greater for Blacks than for Whites. This was true both in Atlanta and in Philadelphia, and when adjustments were made for age, gender, education, and income differences between the samples. Moreover, there was a significant difference between the two cities for this variable: residents of Atlanta were more willing to volunteer than Philadelphians. There were no significant differences among subjects in regard to gender, education, or income, although older respondents were less likely than their younger counterparts to express a willingness to volunteer in these areas of park development and maintenance. SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION Congruent with the findings of previous researchers (Dwyer 1993; Edwards 1981), Blacks visited parks less frequently than Whites in the same areas. Moreover, this racial differ- ence persisted even when gender, age, education, and
November 2005
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