Urban Green Spaces: How recreational parks make communities stronger

Discover how urban green spaces like Symons Valley Park in Calgary can enhance mental health, physical activity, and social cohesion and engagement.

When people think of what makes a neighbourhood special, they often picture things like good schools, safe streets, and maybe a coffee shop. But one of the most powerful (and sometimes overlooked) pieces of a strong community is something simple: a park.

Urban recreation parks are designated green spaces within a city that provide areas for various recreational activities and enjoyment for the public. They are crucial for maintaining the quality of life in urban areas, offering spaces for physical activity, relaxation, and social interaction. 

Calgary has an extensive system of recreational parks and open green spaces. And, as part of its ongoing development, the city aims to expand its park systems to ensure it serves the social, recreational and environmental needs of all Calgarians.

Symons Valley Park is a proposed year-round recreational park in northwest Calgary. A place where kids can play, families can gather, friends can meet, and everyone can simply enjoy being outside together. 

In this article, we’ll explore how recreational parks like Symons Valley Park don’t just add beauty to a neighbourhood — they enhance it in ways that truly matter.

Parks Are a Natural Boost for Mental Health

We all need time to pause, breathe, and reset — especially in today’s fast-paced world. Parks offer that quiet relief. They give us a space to slow down, even for just a few minutes, surrounded by trees, sky, and open air.

Spending time in nature has been linked to lower stress levels, reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improved focus. In fact, a large-scale study published in Nature Scientific Reports found that people who spent at least 120 minutes per week in nature reported significantly higher levels of well-being and life satisfaction, no matter their age or background.

Access to nature and green spaces supports positive youth development and well-being. Parks also benefit the wider community by offering places for people to meet, create social ties, and build a sense of community. And the best part? Green spaces are for everyone — free, accessible, and always waiting when you need them most.

Parks Encourage a More Active Lifestyle

Green spaces make movement feel less like a chore and more like fun. Being active doesn’t always mean joining a gym or training for a marathon. It can mean pushing a stroller, skating at the hockey rink, or chasing your dog around the grass. These everyday activities, made easier and natural by great outdoor green spaces, can add up to better heart health, improved mobility, and more energy. 

Parks represent a cost-effective alternative and supplement to conventional health promotion strategies since the benefits provided by them are typically free and publicly accessible. They create environments that support active lifestyles and improve access to exercise opportunities. By encouraging people exercising and using its facilities, parks help mitigating health issues such as high cholesterol levels, hypertension, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle.

Symons Valley Park is designed with this in mind — a place for all ages and abilities to move more, whether in winter or summer, sunshine or snow.

Parks Increase Community Engagement and Are a Space to Learn 

Green spaces are more than the sum of their sports fields and picnic tables — they’re the backdrop for community life. They’re where strangers become neighbours, where conversations happen between generations, and where events help bring people together.

Organic, real-life connections are crucial for mental well-being because they provide essential social support, reduce stress, and foster a sense of belonging and purpose. These connections, unlike virtual interactions, often involve deeper emotional bonds and shared experiences that contribute to overall mental health. 

Outdoor green spaces also naturally encourage people to share knowledge and exchange experiences, which builds relationships. Maybe it's learning a new sport, rehearsing for a play, or exploring the trails. And in the process, friendships are formed.

For Symons Valley Park, we imagine a space where everyday moments of joy and growth happen year-round — on ice, grass, trails, and stages. When people are actively involved in shaping and caring for a place, it creates a feeling of belonging. That’s the kind of relationship we envision: a park that not only invites engagement but also fosters a lasting sense of community. 

A Place to Be

At its heart, Symons Valley Park is about creating a space where people feel welcome to just be. To be active or still. To be alone or with others. To be part of something bigger.

We’re not just working to build a park. We’re working for a place where people will laugh, learn, gather, enjoy, play, and grow. A place where memories will be made.

If you believe in that vision too, we’d love to have you with us on this journey. Whether you donate, volunteer, or simply spread the word, every action helps bring Symons Valley Park closer to reality. 

Because strong communities start with shared spaces. And the best spaces bring us together. Let’s make this happen, together!

Learn more about how you can make Symons Valley Park a reality and get involved!

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Sources:

NC State College of Natural Resources. (2022, April 20). How parks and green spaces can improve your health. NC State CNR News. https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2022/04/parks-green-spaces-improve-health/

Project for Public Spaces. (n.d.). What makes a successful place. https://www.pps.org/article/grplacefeat 

The City of Calgary. (2025, July 14). Connect: Calgary’s Parks Plan. Engage. https://engage.calgary.ca/parksplan

The City of Calgary. (2025, July 14). Parks & open spaces plan and budget. https://www.calgary.ca/service-lines/2023-2026-city-services/parks-open-spaces

McCosh, C. (2024, January 16). Dollars and sense: Economic benefits of community green spaces. The Trust for Public Land. https://www.tpl.org/blog/dollars-and-sense-economic-benefits-of-community-green-spaces

White, M. P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J., Bell, S., Elliott, L. R., Gascon, M., Gualdi, S., Mancini, L., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Sarigiannis, D. A., van den Bosch, M., & Fleming, L. E. (2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Scientific Reports, 9(1), Article 7730. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3

Xian, Z., Nakaya, T., Liu, K., Yang, D., & Wang, F. (2024). The effects of neighbourhood green spaces on mental health of disadvantaged groups: A systematic review. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 488. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02970-1