Latest news with #ParkScore
Axios
13-06-2025
- General
- Axios
Indy's new and improved park system
If you haven't hit a local trail or been to a pool in a while, there's a chance your favorite park has gotten a facelift since your last visit. Why it matters: A multiyear, multimillion-dollar plan to strengthen Indy's parks is bearing fruit across the Circle City this summer as new and improved facilities debut. State of play: Last month's grand opening of the Grassy Creek Environmental Community Center on the east side marks the end of the $45 million Circle City Forward initiative announced in 2021 to improve our parks. It also included the Riverside Adventure Park, which opened May 1; the Frederick Douglass Park Family Center, which opened in May 2024; the renovated Krannert Park Family Center, which opened in January 2024; and the Riverside Promenade, which opened in October 2023. Yes, but: Circle City Forward was just one piece of a more than $140 million parks investment puzzle that also includes the city's $16 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and an $80 million Lilly Endowment grant to pay for improvements across 42 parks. Zoom in: The ARPA projects will transform 28 playgrounds in 26 parks by the end of this year. Seventeen of those projects are done. In addition, ARPA funding covered the cost of the Wes Montgomery Basketball Pavilion, which opened late last year. Lilly grant projects currently under construction include Tarkington Park, Holliday Park, Washington Park and Garfield Park. Stunning stat: The funding will allow Indy Parks and Recreation to replace more than 40% of the city's 132 playgrounds, according to Indy Parks spokesperson Alex Cortwright. Flashback: The city's post-pandemic push to make our parks better came years after falling to the bottom of the annual ParkScore Index rankings alongside Fort Wayne in 2017. The two cities have since opted out of participating in ParkScore, according to a spokesman for the Trust for Public Land, a pro-park nonprofit that compiles the rankings. While Indy isn't part of the rankings, the nonprofit's assessment of the city found that just 4% of its land is used for parks and recreation, well below the national median of 15%. Meanwhile, the nonprofit says, 35% of Indianapolis residents live within a 10-minute walk of one of our more than 220 parks. That's a far cry from the national average of 76% among the 100 most populous U.S. cities, and 57% among all urban communities. Between the lines: Cortwright said that scoring is affected in part by our city's history. Many of our parks were established before the " Unigov" legislation that merged city and county governments in 1970, expanding the city's territorial jurisdiction from 82 to 402 square miles. The majority of our parks are within the old city boundaries, he said. What they're saying: "That's where you see a lot of those empty areas, and where we're looking to establish more parks. That's why things like what we're working on in Decatur Township where we acquired some land last year are really so important," Cortwright said.
Axios
10-06-2025
- General
- Axios
2025 ParkScore: San Antonio slips in national ranking
San Antonio's standing in the ParkScore rankings has slipped this year, falling to 57th place — down four spots from last year. Why it matters: City parks serve as community meeting spots and civic spaces, offer room for exercise and fresh air, and can draw in new residents — but they require investment, attention and protection. The big picture: The 2025 ParkScore index, an annual report from the Trust for Public Land (TPL), ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities' park systems relative to one another based on five categories: acreage, access, amenities, investment and equity. What they found: San Antonio earned a total ParkScore of 51, below the national median of 53.6. The city ranks near the bottom in access — 47% of San Antonio residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park — with a score of 26. For comparison, top-ranked Washington, D.C., scored 99 in this category. San Antonio did improve from 2024 in terms of equity and amenities, jumping 4 and 5 points, respectively. Stunning stats: Among the cities analyzed, $12.2 billion was invested in park and recreation systems in 2024, and 76% of residents now live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Time Out
30-05-2025
- General
- Time Out
L.A. was ranked one of the worst cities in the U.S. for public parks
The City of Angels' park score? Let's just say it's no walk in the park. According to a new report by the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit organization that makes it their mission to connect people to the outdoors, Los Angeles plummeted to the 90th spot out of 100 major metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. for its park system. This is as astonishing stat, given that Los Angeles netted the 49th spot on the very same ranking just five years prior. What has changed so much in the city to necessitate such poor marks? Well, firstly, let's get into the report's methodology: Trust for Public Land looks at five important categories in determining which cities come out on top and which fall short: equity, access, investment, amenities, and acreage. The ranking for each city, including Los Angeles, is determined by comparison to all of the other 100 major metropolitan areas, considering the park system's features. This national Park Score index is published each year, hopefully sparking not only dialogue, but also an action plan for leaders to achieve more resources for improving a city's park systems. Washington D.C. earned the number one spot and it's easy to see why—99-percent of residents live near a green space and over 21-percent of public land is used for parks. Other cities earning a top spot in all of the five categories include: Minneapolis, Minnesota; Cincinnati, Ohio; St. Paul, Minnesota; and the nearby Irvine, California. Los Angeles could, in fact, take a page out of San Francisco's play book—its northern sibling earned a sixth-place spot, edging out L.A. in all five categories. (Fun fact: 100-percent of residents in The Golden City live within a ten-minute walk to a park.) While Los Angeles scored above average on acreage (or the city's overall land dedicated to parkland) and average for access to green spaces, the investment score was low. 'In Los Angeles, a total of $111 per capita is spent each year on publicly accessible parks and recreation, below average for this category,' the report says. Los Angeles also scored below average for amenities and equity, which indicates "the fairness in the distribution of parks and park space between neighborhoods by race and income'—in L.A., residents living in lower-income neighborhoods have access to 79-percent less nearby park space than those in higher income neighborhoods, while people of color had 33-percent less park space per person than their white counterparts. Silver lining: The Trust for Public Land report also highlights the areas in Los Angeles that could use the most help. The mapping platform helps leaders determine where to pinpoint their efforts to make the greatest gains because everyone deserves access to the outdoors, regardless of race, income or location.
Axios
28-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Axios
Which of Tampa, St. Pete has better parks? New rankings say it's not close
We're kicking off the short week with another Tampa vs. St. Petersburg showdown. State of play: You've voted for the region's best downtown, waterfront attraction and restaurant scene, and we even let ChatGPT weigh in on the cross-Bay rivalry. Today, we're turning to city parks, and since y'all can't be trusted to vote for anything but Tampa, we're letting the experts decide this one. Why it matters: City parks serve as community meeting spots and civic spaces, offer room for exercise and fresh air, and can draw in new residents, but they require investment, attention and protection. Driving the news: St. Pete has the best city park system in Florida — and ranks No. 14 nationwide, per a new analysis. Tampa, meanwhile, comes in at No. 43. Between the lines: That's according to the 2025 ParkScore index, an annual ranking from the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a pro-park nonprofit. The report ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities' park systems relative to one another based on five categories: acreage, access, amenities, investment and equity. St. Pete scored well across the board, starting with access: 78% of its residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. The city outpaced the national average for investment — spending $213 per capita each year on its parks — and for equity, with 81% of its people of color within a 10-minute walk of a park. Tampa got dinged for its acreage, with only 9% of the city's land used for parks. Access is decent: about 64% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Spending is middle-of-the-road, too. Tampa puts about $140 per capita each year into public parks and recreation.
Axios
28-05-2025
- General
- Axios
Detroit's parks rating rises in annual ranking
Detroit's parks system climbed in a national ranking this year, but greater investment in our green spaces and better amenities are needed to compete with higher-ranking cities. Why it matters: Detroit has more than 300 parks that serve as community meetup spots, offer space for exercise, and can attract new residents. The city is investing more into its parks now, but there's still work to do. Driving the news: We're No. 58 on the Trust for Public Land's 2025 ParkScore index of park systems in the 100 most populous cities in the country, up from No. 65 last year. The ranking is based on five categories: acreage, access, amenities, investment and equity. The analysis includes data from public and private organizations that manage or support publicly accessible parks. Zoom in: Detroit received high marks this year for park access, with 84% of Detroiters living within a 10-minute walk of a park. The parks scored well for amenities like basketball courts and sports fields, but a dearth of permanent restrooms and dog parks hurt the ranking. Per person, $118 was spent on the city's parks system — more than last year's $80 average but below the national average of $133. Zoom out: Washington, D.C., had the country's best park system this year, followed by Irvine, California. What they're saying: Detroit's parks have improved significantly in recent years, Sigal Hemy Spiegel, executive director of the Detroit Parks Coalition, tells Axios. "If you go out on a summer day to any of our regional parks, they're slammed with people. It's awesome," Spiegel says. Context: The city has 14 regional parks of at least 50 acres, including Belle Isle, Balduck and Palmer parks. Yes, but: Spiegel says the city's parks could improve with more regular trash pickups at all 300-plus parks. She also suggested starting regular park maintenance well before Memorial Day because many people use the parks in April. The coalition partners with the city, philanthropic organizations and community groups to support the city's parks. Flashback: Detroit's ParkScore ranked 88th in 2018. The city contemplated closing 77 parks in 2010 when it was on a path to bankruptcy. Between the lines: Detroit's sheer size — nearly 140 square miles — hinders its acreage score, which measures the percentage of the city's overall area that's dedicated to parkland.
