Research shows that walking paths or loops in neighborhood parks not only increase levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity, but also increase the number of users by up to 85 percent (Cohen et al, 2017). In another study, neighborhood parks with paved walking paths showed an increase in the number of users (Kaczynksi et al, 2008). The increase in users also leads to more opportunities for community members to interact with each other. Walking paths and loops might be a gateway to the psychological benefits of getting to know other community members that also regularly use the paths (Cohen et al, 2017). 

Neighborhood parks with facilities for organized sports benefit multiple populations within a community. Children that are involved in local sports with peers their age show signs of positive development of socialization skills (Sun et al, 2022). Sports facilities also create a social fabric for adults in the community. Research shows that when more sports fields are in use, combined with seating that encourages a crowd to gather, the number of conversations between members of the community during sporting activities also increases (Sun et al, 2022).