What Dog Parks Reveal About Racial Inequality

Wednesday, May 01st, 2019
Dog parks are one of the fastest-growing green spaces in American cities, according to the Trust for Public Land. The demand for sanctioned off-leash spaces is growing, as urban pet owners seek out legal romping grounds for their dogs to socialize, sniff, and even swim. Yes, pool time for Fido is a design element of many new puppy parks; the sleek new Lincoln Yards development in Chicago even has a splash pad that mimics the famous Crown Fountain in Millennium Park. When renderings of the new dog park were published, some noticed a conspicuous lack of people of color enjoying the luxury pet space. Although the 2017 American Housing Survey showed that families who identify as non-Hispanic white are more likely to have a pet, there is no distinction for type of animal, so dog ownership by race can’t be perfectly extrapolated from this data. And in Chicago, many South Side residents are dog owners who chafed at the lack of dog parks in the predominantly minority area of the city. Follow this link to read what dog parks reveal about racial inequality. Sourced from: Data-Smart City Solutions