The Trust of Public Land announced in their ParkScore Index that amongst the top 100 park systems in the country San Diego was ranked 24th place and Chula Vista 77th.
As said in a statement sent by TPL, San Diego was able to move 5 spots compared to last year when they ranked 29th, due to the improvement in park investment, “ San Diego spends $157 per person on its park system, up from $143 last year and ahead of the national ParkScore city average of $108 per person,” they said.
In San Diego, park access is excellent with 81% of residents living within a 10-minute distance from parks.
Although the City of Chula Vista scored 73% in park accessibility, its overall score was affected negatively due to the low park investment of only $43 per person.
“The national average for park access among ParkScore cities is 76 percent,” ParkScore said.
Inequality
The study revealed a notable finding that low-income and minority communities in most cities ranked by ParkScore were consistently placed lower in all categories compared to predominantly white and high-income communities.
Neighborhoods where the majority of residents considered themselves people of color/minorities have access to less than 43% of park space than white areas.
Likewise, people from low-income neighborhoods were also ranked with 42% less park space than high-income communities.
Highlights from the Study
For three years in a row, Washington, DC has maintained its position as the top-rated
location.
Unlike the previous section, people of color and minority residents in DC have equal access to parks as those who identify as white.
The City of Irvine had one of the highest jumps from the board landing at 4th place, this is due to their 94% accessibility of parks for all residents.
San Francisco and Boston were the only cities that scored 100% in accessibility, providing a 10-minute park access to all of their residents.
ParkScore ranks the cities on five factors: park access, equity, acreage, investment, and amenities.
Why is ParkScores Important?
New research by TPL demonstrated the importance of parks in dealing with mental health.
Research has found that residents of cities with a ParkScore ranking between 1 and 25 are 9% less likely to report mental health issues. Furthermore, these cities tend to have a higher level of physical activity compared to cities with lower rankings.
“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.
For more information on the study visit https://www.tpl.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Power-of-Parks-to-Promote-Health-A-Trust-for-Public-Land-Special-Report.pdf
