The US Cities With the Largest Park Systems
GettyImages/azndc
Connecting state and local government leaders
Washington, D.C. held the No. 1 spot on the ParkScore index for the second consecutive year. Other top cities are spread across the country.
Washington, D.C., topped the list of big cities with the best park systems in the U.S. for the second consecutive year, according to the Trust For Public Land's 2022 ParkScore index released Wednesday.
About 24% of land in Washington, D.C. is reserved for parks, among the highest in the U.S, the report says. In fact, the the nation's capital lead all cities in terms of park access and park equity.
The city's neighborhoods, where a vast majority of residents identify as Black, Latino, Indigenous/Native American and Asian American/Pacific Islander, are just as likely to live within a 10-minute walk of a park as neighborhoods where most residents are white, the report says.
“We know that Washingtonians in every part of DC want access to parks and outdoor spaces where they can play, relax, exercise and socialize—and that’s what we’re focused on delivering,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement.
San Francisco and Boston are the only other cities on the list where 100% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park or other public space.
The cities following Washington, D.C. with the best park systems are:
| Rank | City |
| 2 | St. Paul |
| 3 | Arlington, Virginia |
| 4 | Cincinnati |
| 5 | Minneapolis |
| 6 | Chicago |
| 7 | San Francisco |
| 8 | Irvine, California |
| 9 | Seattle |
| 10 | New York City |
| 11 | Portland, Oregon |
| 12 | Boston |
Cities that showed the greatest jumps on the ParkScore index this year are: Atlanta (up 22 spots to No. 27); Honolulu (up 14 to No. 43); Baton Rouge, Louisiana (up 11 to No. 67); Des Moines, Iowa (up 10 to No. 25); and San Jose, California (up 10 to No. 26).
The index ranks park systems in the 100 most-populated U.S. cities and is considered the “gold standard” for park evaluation. ParkScore rankings are based on five factors: park equity, access, acreage, investment and amenities.
For more information from the report click here.
Andre Claudio is an assistant editor at Route Fifty.
NEXT STORY: The Looming Battle Between States if Roe Falls