Fair Play: Advancing Health Equity through Shared Use

Over the past several years, shared use has emerged as a promising strategy for creating opportunities for physical activity, particularly in places where recreational space is scarce. Too many cities and towns lack the resources residents need to be active, and finding safe, accessible, and affordable spaces to exercise and play is more challenging than it ought to be. Further, because recreational space is not equitably distributed, not everyone has the same opportunities to be active. Low-income communities and communities of color are far less likely to have access to places to be active, and these communities are also less likely to have sufficient resources to create new recreational spaces. Shared use can play a role in helping to address this inequity and the resulting health disparities.