Green Schoolyards for Community Health and Urban Climate Resilience

Urban green space is linked to physical and mental health, particularly in children. Green infrastructure plays a key role in urban climate mitigation and resilience, by supporting physical activity, heat reduction, air and water quality and habitat. Schools provide a unique opportunity to affect children’s environmental health through indoor and outdoor spaces where they learn and play. This pilot study examines the effect of transforming paved school properties into permeable green space as implemented by the Space to Grow program in Chicago. The study will collect baseline environmental and exposure data at schools with and without green schoolyards with input from the school and neighborhood communities and project partners at the Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC). This pilot study will inform a larger longitudinal study of schoolyard greening effects on student well-being and community health, with implications for urban climate planning.

“Schools are vital community anchors and sites for transformative action. The conversion of conventional asphalt schoolyards into vibrant green spaces can improve environmental conditions and support student and community wellbeing. Working with the Healthy Schools Campaign and community partners in Chicago, this project offers a model for how cities can adapt to climate change while investing in children’s health by evaluating how green schoolyards shape environmental exposures and contribute to more resilient neighborhoods.”

Laura McGuinn, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, University of Chicago’s Division of Biological Sciences