Atlanta ranked 42^nd on The Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore Index for 2019, moving up from last year’s 43^rd place finish.

Atop the ParkScore rankings, Washington, DC, placed first, climbing ahead of Saint Paul and three-time defending champion Minneapolis. Nationally, the ParkScore index reported that 72% of residents in the 100 largest U.S. cities live within a 10-minute walk of a park, up from 70% last year.

“Mayors and city park directors across the United States recognize that quality, close-to-home parks are essential to communities. Parks bring neighbors together and help cities fight climate change. Parks are proven to improve physical and mental health and get children and adults to put down their phones and enjoy the outdoors,” says Diane Regas, President and CEO of The Trust for Public Land.

PARKSCORE INDEX DETAILS

ParkScore rankings are based equally on four factors: park access, which measures the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park; park acreage, which is based on a city’s median park size and the percentage of city area dedicated to parks; park investment, which measures park spending per resident; and park amenities, which counts the availability of six popular park features: basketball hoops, off-leash dog parks, playgrounds, “splashpads” and other water play structures, recreation and senior centers, and restrooms.

Atlanta received above-average marks for park amenities. The city park system excels at providing access to cooling “Splashpads, with 2.3 splashpads per 100,000 residents, far above the national average of 1.2. Atlanta’s strong budget allocation of $138 per resident also boosted its ParkScore.  However, Atlanta’s overall placement was hurt by below-average marks for park size. According to ParkScore, the median park size in Atlanta is only 2.9 acres, below the national ParkScore median of 5.0. Also, Atlanta provides only 0.4 park restrooms per 10,000 residents, one of the lowest scores in the nation and far below the national ParkScore average of 1.5.

WHY RANK CITY PARK SYSTEMS?

Today, there are 23,727 parks in the 100 largest U.S. cities, yet 11.2 million people in those cities do not have a park within a 10-minute walk of home, according to The Trust for Public Land.

“As few as 8,300 new parks in places where they are needed most would close the gap in park access in our 100 largest cities. At current rates of investment in park creation, it will take more than 50 years to build enough new parks to fill this gap,” says Breece Robertson, Chief Research and Innovation Officer at The Trust for Public Land. “But because we now know exactly where to site the parks, we know the first 1,500 could solve the problem for nearly 5 million people. That shows us the way forward, and we owe it to our children to rise to the challenge.”

“Solving the problem of park access is exactly why The Trust for Public Land launched the 10-Minute Walk Mayor’s campaign,” says Adrian Benepe, Director of National Programs at The Trust for Public Land. “Decision-makers at every level must rally everyday Americans behind the urgent need for park equity in our communities.”

In an endorsement of the 10-minute walk goal, more than 250 mayors have joined the 10-Minute Walk Mayor’s Campaign, pledging to adopt long-term, system-wide strategies to ensure every resident has a quality park close to home.

Through voter-approved initiatives like Great Outdoors Colorado and California’s Proposition 68, citizens are generating new sources of public funding at the state level to accelerate the pace of improvement for parks and open space in their communities. At the federal level, leaders are considering infrastructure investments in the trillions—a percentage of which could be spent on improving park equity.

“These recent developments demonstrate that the change we need is possible. It is happening now. Civic leaders, elected officials, experts, and activists are coming together behind the power of parks to benefit health, climate, and communities,” adds Diane Regas.

NATIONAL TRENDS: INVESTMENTS IN PLAYGROUNDS AND PICKLEBALL

From a national perspective, investment in parks reached $8.25 billion among the 100 ParkScore cities in 2019. This funding contributed to the increase in park access reported nationwide.

The ParkScore index also reported a “Pickleball” breakout, as the number of ping-pong/tennis hybrid courts soared 38% over last year. Pickleball is popular among all ages and is especially beloved by seniors, because it offers a low-impact and fun opportunity for physical activity. The ParkScore index also reported greater availability of playgrounds and basketball courts, as parks departments invested in new amenities and worked in partnership with local leaders to increase access to school facilities after hours and on weekends.

Boise defended its title as the best park system for dogs, with a nation-leading 5.7 dog parks per 100,000 residents. Norfolk, VA, received top marks for basketball hoops, Madison scored best for playgrounds and Boston and Cleveland tied for Splashpads and other water features.

Oklahoma City settled at the bottom of the ParkScore list, ranking just below Mesa, AZ, and Charlotte, NC. Fort Wayne and Indianapolis declined to participate in ParkScore 2019 and were not ranked. Gilbert, AZ, was not ranked because the necessary data were unavailable.

THE RANKINGS

According to The Trust for Public Land, the 10 highest ranking park systems in the United States are:

   Rank    City             ParkScore (Max: 100)                   

1. Washington, DC         83.8
2. Saint Paul, MN           83.2
3. Minneapolis, MN         81.8
4. Arlington, VA             81.3
5. Portland, OR              79.7
6. Irvine, CA                 79.2
7. San Francisco, CA      79.0
8.  Cincinnati, OH          78.3
9.  New York, NY           76.0
10. Chicago, IL               75.4

The lowest-ranking park systems are:

90. Lubbock, TX 33.2
91. Baton Rouge, LA 33.0
92. Fresno, CA 31.3
93. Hialeah, FL 31.1
94. Laredo, TX 30.1
95. Mesa, AZ 29.5
96. Charlotte, NC 28.9
97. Oklahoma City 28.6

The ParkScore Index uses advanced GIS (Geographic Information Systems) computer mapping technology to create digital maps evaluating park accessibility. Instead of measuring distance to a local park, the rating system’s GIS technology considers the location of park entrances and physical obstacles to access. For example, if residents are separated from a nearby park by a major highway, the ParkScore Index does not count the park as accessible to those residents, unless there is a bridge, underpass, or easy access point across the highway. The Trust for Public Land collaborated with GIS industry leader Esri on GIS design and implementation.

Municipal leaders use ParkScore data to guide park improvement efforts, studying park access on a block-by-block basis and pinpointing the areas where new parks are needed most.