Urban Schoolyard Greening: A Systematic Review of Child Health and Neighborhood Change

Urban Schoolyard Greening: A Systematic Review of Child Health and Neighborhood Change | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Systematic Review Urban Schoolyard Greening: A Systematic Review of Child Health and Neighborhood Change Mahshid Gorjian This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7232642/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background A significant approach to enhancing children's health and addressing environmental disparities in metropolitan regions of the United States has emerged: schoolyard greening. The advantages of physical activity and well-being are increasingly recognized; nevertheless, the wider ramifications for community dynamics, social equality, and the risks of green gentrification remain poorly comprehended. Purpose This review carefully assesses the evidence about the impact of schoolyard greening efforts on children's health, neighborhood transformation, and the equitable distribution of benefits and risks across diverse urban communities. Methods A comparative literature analysis was performed to synthesize findings from quantitative studies, qualitative research, and case analyses specifically addressing schoolyard greening projects in prominent U.S. cities. Results Evidence consistently indicates that schoolyard greening positively influences children's socioemotional well-being and physical activity levels, while also enhancing the use of outdoor spaces. Increased unstructured play and student engagement correlate with renovation techniques that incorporate varied play areas and natural features. Nonetheless, the allocation of gains is uneven; educational institutions situated in rapidly evolving or affluent communities are more prone to improvements in infrastructure and accessibility. Furthermore, greening projects can act as drivers for neighborhood development, potentially leading to green gentrification processes that threaten the tenure of disadvantaged people and elevate property values. These results underscore the importance of context-sensitive and inclusive planning. Conclusions Schoolyard greening can offer substantial health advantages for children and support the broader goals of urban sustainability. Nonetheless, these initiatives may exacerbate socioeconomic disparities and contribute to displacement patterns without intentional policies and community-driven strategies. To ensure the equitable distribution of schoolyard greening benefits, it is imperative that effective solutions emphasize equity, substantial community involvement, and the safeguarding of at-risk populations. Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7232642","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Systematic Review","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":491887869,"identity":"eecf0f10-1024-41b4-b6d0-8182b7e9831e","order_by":0,"name":"Mahshid Gorjian","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9135-0687","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mahshid","middleName":"","lastName":"Gorjian","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-28 10:14:58","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":true,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true,"humanSubjectConsent":true,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7232642/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7232642/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":87791222,"identity":"26925ccc-284c-4557-8a8e-2be8c892e61f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-29 05:43:49","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":632559,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"PDFPPA6.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7232642/v1_covered_2325c039-66db-4e89-84c1-f0ca04509049.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUrban Schoolyard Greening: A Systematic Review of Child Health and Neighborhood Change\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"University of Colorado Denver","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7232642/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7232642/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground\u003c/strong\u003e A significant approach to enhancing children's health and addressing environmental disparities in metropolitan regions of the United States has emerged: schoolyard greening. The advantages of physical activity and well-being are increasingly recognized; nevertheless, the wider ramifications for community dynamics, social equality, and the risks of green gentrification remain poorly comprehended.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePurpose \u003c/strong\u003eThis review carefully assesses the evidence about the impact of schoolyard greening efforts on children's health, neighborhood transformation, and the equitable distribution of benefits and risks across diverse urban communities.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods \u003c/strong\u003eA comparative literature analysis was performed to synthesize findings from quantitative studies, qualitative research, and case analyses specifically addressing schoolyard greening projects in prominent U.S. cities.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults \u003c/strong\u003eEvidence consistently indicates that schoolyard greening positively influences children's socioemotional well-being and physical activity levels, while also enhancing the use of outdoor spaces. Increased unstructured play and student engagement correlate with renovation techniques that incorporate varied play areas and natural features. Nonetheless, the allocation of gains is uneven; educational institutions situated in rapidly evolving or affluent communities are more prone to improvements in infrastructure and accessibility. Furthermore, greening projects can act as drivers for neighborhood development, potentially leading to green gentrification processes that threaten the tenure of disadvantaged people and elevate property values. These results underscore the importance of context-sensitive and inclusive planning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusions \u003c/strong\u003eSchoolyard greening can offer substantial health advantages for children and support the broader goals of urban sustainability. 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