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<\/p>\nAs some U.S. cities pour record-high investments into green spaces, the future of public parks remains precarious in others \u2014 exposing a growing divide in access to one of America\u2019s most unifying civic resources.<\/p>\n
Despite their clear benefits to physical, mental, and social health, roughly one in three people in the U.S. \u2014 more than 100 million, including 28 million children \u2014 still live without a park within a 10-minute walk of their home.<\/p>\n
In a media briefing on May 23, hosted by American Community Media, a panel of experts discussed the how we can bring a stronger network of urban parks around the country.<\/p>\n
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A new report and national survey from the Trust for Public Land (TPL) highlights parks as \u201cThe Great Unifiers,\u201d valued across political, demographic, and economic lines.<\/p>\n
TPL\u2019s 2025 ParkScore Index, released annually since 2012, ranks park systems in the nation\u2019s 100 most populous cities based on five user-centered factors: acreage, amenities, investment, equity, and access \u2014 defined as the share of residents with a park within a 10-minute walk.<\/p>\n
For the fifth year in a row, Washington, D.C. claimed the top spot, narrowly edging out Irvine, CA; Minneapolis; Cincinnati; and St. Paul, MN.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks to National Park Service lands that were designed when the city was first developed hundreds of years ago,\u201d said Will Klein.<\/p>\n
Nearly 21.5% of Washington\u2019s land is devoted to parks, with 99% of residents living within a short walk of its 699 green spaces.<\/p>\n
For the first time, TPL\u2019s 2025 report includes a national survey of 4,000 demographically and politically diverse park users in major U.S. cities.<\/p>\n
Its findings: Parks may be among the least polarized spaces in America today.<\/p>\n
Two-thirds of respondents \u2014 including 66% of Biden voters and 67% of Trump voters \u2014 said they had struck up a conversation with a stranger at a park, often with someone of a different social or economic background. Nearly 80% said they had a park they felt safe in and visited regularly.<\/p>\n
\u201cResidents, regardless of political affiliation or any other lines of difference throughout the United States, value public parks and use them frequently, suggesting that parks are among the least polarized spaces in this country right now,\u201d said Klein.<\/p>\n
When asked where they wished they had spent more time last year to feel joy, the top answer was clear: \u201cAnywhere outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the index\u2019s launch, the share of big-city residents with walkable access to parks has increased from 68% to 76%.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s millions of people who now have a park within walking distance that didn\u2019t nearly 15 years ago,\u201d said Klein, crediting the progress to opening up public schoolyards after hours and on weekends \u2014 a growing trend in cities like Atlanta.<\/p>\n
In just 18 months, Atlanta has emerged as a national model by turning school playgrounds into shared public spaces.<\/p>\n
Through a coalition called the Atlanta Public Schoolyards Project, the city teamed up with public schools, nonprofits, and TPL to open schoolyards after hours \u2014 while granting schools access to city-run pools, golf courses, and recreation centers for students.<\/p>\n
The results have been transformative. The initiative:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has unlocked additional funding, including grants and nonprofit dollars, because now people across the country see that we have the resources to maintain our parks at a higher level,\u201d said Justin Cutler.<\/p>\n
One in every five dollars Atlanta spends on parks comes from a local nonprofit.<\/p>\n
Some residents initially worried about crime and vandalism. But Cutler says the opposite happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy creating more activity after school, you have more eyes in the park, and you\u2019re improving safety. You\u2019re bringing more awareness to what\u2019s happening in space.\u201d he explained. \u201cYou\u2019re creating more identity and more social cohesion. People don\u2019t want to vandalize the space, because they have a sense of ownership.\u201d<\/p>\n
While overall U.S. investment in urban parks is at an all-time high \u2014 even after adjusting for inflation \u2014 just 5% comes from federal sources. And at the local level, some major cities are losing ground.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles, for example, dropped to 90th out of 100 cities in this year\u2019s ParkScore, down from 88 last year.<\/p>\n
Despite having 559 park sites and 92 miles of trails, 38% of Angelenos \u2014 nearly 1.5 million people \u2014 still lack access to a park within a 10-minute walk.<\/p>\n
The problem is planning, funding, and equity noted Guillermo Rodriguez. The last time LA updated its Park Master Plan was over five decades ago.<\/p>\n
Once above the national average for park funding, LA has now fallen significantly behind as investments stagnate. Meanwhile, systemic inequities persist:<\/p>\n
There is hope for change.<\/p>\n
In February, LA launched a landmark Park Needs Assessment (PNA) initiative to gather citywide data \u2014 including heat islands, tree canopy, pollution, housing burden, unemployment, safety, and more \u2014 to guide future investment.<\/p>\n
The draft PNA will be published online by September, with the final version expected by year\u2019s end.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez said two major goals are:<\/p>\n
\u201cA park isn\u2019t just for recreation. They\u2019re lifelines,\u201d said Yvette Lopez-Ledesma.<\/p>\n
When the wildfires happened, parks became aid distribution centers. They host food banks, offer childcare, and serve as hubs for essential services.<\/p>\n
Her takeaway: \u201cAn investment in parks is an investment in quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n
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All images provided by ACoM.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As some U.S. cities pour record-high investments into green spaces, the future of public parks remains precarious in others \u2014 exposing a growing divide in access to one of America\u2019s most unifying civic resources. Despite their clear benefits to physical, mental, and social health, roughly one in three people in the U.S. \u2014 more than…<\/p>\n