Minneapolis Elevated to 3rd Place in the 2023 Trust for Public Land ParkScore Index

Trust for Public Land announced today, May 24, that Saint Paul repeated its second-place finish on the annual ParkScore index. Minneapolis climbed to third, two spots ahead of 2022’s fifth place ranking. Minneapolis’ rise was based largely on improvements to park amenities.

Both cities finished just behind defending ParkScore champion Washington, DC, which retains the ParkScore title for the third consecutive year. The ParkScore index evaluates park systems in the 100 most populous U.S. cities.

Both Minneapolis and Saint Paul received strong marks on all ParkScore rating factors. Ninety-nine percent of Saint Paul residents, and 98 percent of Minneapolis residents, live within a 10-minute walk of a park, far above the national ParkScore city average of 76 percent. Both cities also far exceeded the national average for Park Investment, spending more than twice the national ParkScore average per capita. Both cities also improved their park amenities scores this year, with the addition of dog parks in Saint Paul and new park openings in Minneapolis.

Park equity remains an area for improvement in the Twin Cities. According to The Trust for Public Land, Saint Paul neighborhoods where most residents identify as people of color have access to an average of 32 percent less park space than predominantly white neighborhoods. Residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 34 percent less park space than residents in high-income neighborhoods. In Minneapolis, the differences are 59 percent, and 65 percent, respectively. Among all U.S. ParkScore cities, the average disparity is 43 percent less park space in neighborhoods where most residents identify as people of color, and 42 percent less park space in low-income neighborhoods.

“Minneapolis is honored once again to rank among the very best city park systems in the United States. We are especially proud of our equity-based investments in park improvements and programming, and that more than 98 percent of Minneapolis residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park,” said Al Bangoura, Superintendent of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. “We are committed to increasing access to parks and are actively focusing on low-income neighborhoods and areas where residents identify as people of color.”

Accompanying the annual ratings list, Trust for Public Land published new research reporting that cities with high ParkScore rankings are healthier places to live. Residents of cities rated 1-25 on the ParkScore index are nine percent less likely to report poor mental health than are residents of lower ranking cities. Residents of higher-ranking cities are also 21 percent less likely to be physically inactive. This correlation, based on PLACES data produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, holds true even after controlling for race/ethnicity, income, age, and population density.

The new research, The Power of Parks to Promote Health, also reported an increasing focus on community health solutions at park departments nationwide, with surging interest in mental health and wellness. The research is based on nearly 800 examples of park-based health-focused activities shared with Trust for Public Land researchers, including innovative partnerships with health care providers, such as writing “prescriptions” for spending time in nature and funding fitness classes at parks and community centers. 

Minneapolis and Saint Paul are among the national leaders working to promote community health at local parks. For example, Minneapolis waived youth fees at 17 recreation centers and increased investment in youth programming and services by $2.6 million last year. Saint Paul used funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to waive fees for youth sports programs, doubling participation in popular soccer and basketball leagues.

“Health professionals have long understood that physical play and exercise is essential for childhood development, but we’re just starting to grasp the mental health benefits. Simply being in a quiet natural place promotes stress reduction and attention restoration, and evidence suggests that local green space serves as a gathering point that fosters community cohesion, allowing for people to know their neighbors and form social bonds that promote health and safety,” says Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.

Most cities included in the ParkScore index have launched programs welcoming beginners and other residents who might feel uncomfortable in traditional sports-oriented fitness settings. Park leaders rate these among their most successful health promotion efforts. For example, 39 park systems describe wellness-oriented classes, such as yoga or dance, as “most effective,” and 31 have redesigned parks to support non-competitive physical activity. Design changes include the installation of walking loops, inclusive play equipment for visitors with disabilities, and community garden plots.

“Innovation is the key to future success. Today, parks departments across the country are writing a new playbook to ensure that all residents can enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of their neighborhood park. As an organization dedicated to connecting everyone to the outdoors, Trust for Public Land is excited by what we’ve seen this year and will continue working with city leaders throughout the United States to support park access for all,” says Diane Regas, President and CEO of Trust for Public Land. 

PARKSCORE RANKINGS FOR 2023

Washington, DC, was rated the best big-city park system in the country for the third consecutive year. The city scored well on all ParkScore rating factors. Twenty-four percent of land in the District of Columbia is reserved for parks, among the highest in the United States. The District also outperformed on ParkScore’s park access and park equity metrics. Residents of Washington, DC, who identify as Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American, or Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are equally likely to live within a 10-minute-walk of a park as are residents of neighborhoods where a majority of the population identifies as white. Park space per capita is also distributed nearly equally in Washington.

By contrast, among all ParkScore cities, neighborhoods where most residents identify as people of color have access to an average of 43 percent less park space than predominately white neighborhoods. Residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 42 percent less park space than residents in high-income neighborhoods.

Irvine climbed significantly in the ParkScore rankings, rising from eighth position last year to fourth in 2023. Irvine’s rise was driven by significant increases in publicly accessible park space. The city now offers 94 percent of residents access to a park or open green space within a 10-minute walk of their home. Last year, 89 percent of Irvine residents enjoyed 10-minute access. San Francisco (seventh place) and Boston (tenth) remain the only ParkScore cities to provide 10-minute walk access to 100 percent of local residents. The national average for park access among ParkScore cities is 76 percent.

Other major ParkScore movers this year include Boise, Idaho (+15 to twenty-second), North Las Vegas, Nevada (+17 to thirty-seventh) and Memphis, Tennessee (+14 to seventy-ninth).

Boise defended its title as the best park system for dogs, with a nation-leading 7.5 dog parks per 100,000 residents, outscoring Portland, Oregon, and Norfolk, Virginia. St. Paul received top marks for basketball hoops, Las Vegas scored best for playgrounds, and Boston earned top marks for splashpads and other water features.

PARKSCORE METHODOLOGY AND RANKINGS

The annual ParkScore^® index ranks park systems in the 100 most populous U.S. cities and is widely considered the gold standard for park evaluation. ParkScore rankings are based equally on five factors: 

• Park access measures the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park.
• Park equity compares per capita park space and 10-minute-walk park access in communities of color vs. white communities and in low-income neighborhoods versus high-income neighborhoods. Park systems score higher if disparities are minimal or non-existent.
• Park acreage is based on a city’s median park size and the percentage of city area dedicated to parks.
• Park investment measures park spending per resident.
• Park amenities assesses 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. 

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

Rank	City	ParkScore (Max 100)
1.	Washington, DC	84.9
2.	St. Paul, MN	80.8
3.	Minneapolis, MN	80.4
4.	Irvine, CA	80.0
5.	Arlington, VA	78.9
6.	Cincinnati, OH	76.9
7.	San Francisco, CA	76.4
8.	Seattle, WA	74.7
9.	Portland, OR	73.7
T10.	New York, NY	72.7
T10.	Boston, MA	72.7

The ParkScore index uses advanced GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and spatial analysis to evaluate 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.

Municipal leaders use ParkScore information to guide park improvement efforts, studying park access on a block-by-block basis and pinpointing the areas where new parks are needed most. The ParkScore website, www.tpl.org/parkscore, is free and available to the public, empowering residents to hold their elected leaders accountable for achieving equitable access to quality parks for all.

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,364 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $93 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.4 million people to the outdoors.