If you live within a ten-minute walk of a public park, count yourself lucky. For millions of Americans, urban outdoor recreation spaces are few and far between and usually require a drive. As a result, it鈥檚 often hardest for those living in low-income neighborhoods to access parks. But cities are increasingly making an effort to distribute resources more fairly. 鈥淭he whole issue of equity has become very important within just the last two to three years,鈥 says Adrian Benepe, director of city parks development for the 聽(TPL), which has scored cities annually on their parks since 2012.
To determine if cities are adequately serving their low-income communities, looks at spending, acreage, and household access鈥攚hether there is a park within a ten-minute walk for those who make less than 75 percent of a city鈥檚 median income. Of course, proximity doesn鈥檛 necessarily equate to a high-quality park. 鈥淥ne thing we don鈥檛 measure is: Is it safe? Clean? Beautiful?鈥 says Benepe. But he notes that聽ParkScore is really just a way to begin a conversation about investment in parks. 鈥淲e give them interactive tools that they can use in planning鈥攚here to locate new parks聽and where to optimize existing ones.鈥
In TPL鈥檚 most recent rankings, these five cities stood out for reaching low-income neighborhoods.
#5. Arlington, Virginia
Percentage of low-income residents within 10 minutes of a park: 98
Arlington obtained top marks in parks-related spending, at $229.93 per resident (just ahead of Washington, D.C.), and was rated highly for its number of facilities, from dog parks to basketball hoops to recreation centers and playgrounds. In 2016, the county finished its , setting open-space acquisition as a top priority to maintain its high ranking.
#4. Chicago, Illinois
Percentage of low-income residents within 10 minutes of a park: 98
A study of park spending between 2011 and 2014 found that more than half of the $500 million devoted to Chicago鈥檚 park improvements (most of which were affluent). So, in 2016, volunteers organized in low-income neighborhoods to identify improvements. They sought hundreds of thousands of dollars of private funding and pushed elected officials to split the cost. The result: building a new soccer field and playground in and fixing run-down baseball diamonds鈥攁nd ultimately buoying Chicago to a top spot.
#3. New York, New York
Percentage of low-income residents within 10 minutes of a park: 98
In 2014, the city launched its to improve historically underfunded parks in neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty. The initiative invested $285 million in more than 60 community parks that had gone decades without proper maintenance or upgrades.
#2. Boston, Massachusetts
Percentage of low-income residents within 10 minutes of a park: 99
With a 1,100-acre chain of nine parks linked by parkways and waterways, bordering some of the city鈥檚 poorest neighborhoods (like Fenway), Boston grabs the second spot for low-income access. Though the city received a lower grade for park spending鈥$111.59 per resident鈥攊t ranks near the top when it comes to parkland as a percentage of the聽city鈥檚 total area.
#1. San Francisco, California
Percentage of low-income residents within 10 minutes of a park: 100
San Francisco has done a stellar job across all income levels. The median park size is 1.6 acres, and parkland makes up 20 percent of the city鈥檚 total area. San Francisco also recently completed a review of its park system to assess whether money was being equally invested across all demographics. From there, the city highlighted the areas that were economically stressed and will incorporate those metrics into the parks department鈥檚 strategic plan.