Trust for Public Land’s 2024 ParkScore® index has been revealed!
This year Chicago is at #10 and my former home of Washington, DC is #1 for a fourth consecutive year. Washington scored well on all park score rating factors, especially park access and park equity. Ninety-nine percent of DC residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, among the best scores in the nation (behind 100 percent for San Francisco and Boston).
The ParkScore index uses advanced GIS and spatial analysis to evaluate park systems, with ratings based on five equally weighted factors: access, acreage, investment, amenities, and equity. This free, data-driven tool provides communities with the information they need to help close the park equity gap.
This year, our research also found that cities that rank higher on the ParkScore index are healthier places to live. Residents of cities rated in the Top 25 are less likely to report poor mental health and are more likely to be physically active than residents of lower-ranking cities. This holds true even after factoring in race/ethnicity, income, age, and population density.
In a year when Americans are seemingly more divided than ever, our research reveals that residents of cities with high ParkScore rankings are, on average, more socially connected and engaged with their neighbors than residents of cities with lower-ranking park systems. You can read our special new report, The Power of Parks to Strengthen Community, highlighting how local park leaders mix creative new ideas with tried-and-true strategies to build community connections. https://lnkd.in/gE2c6_nW
Check out the full list to see how your favorite cities rank: https://lnkd.in/g2QcWQYA
Go here to view our recent Park Bench Chat, wherein a panel of experts discuss the ParkScore results and talk about How Parks Are Vital to Strengthening Community https://lnkd.in/gz9HMeHV
And go here to hear the latest episode of TPL’s podcast “People, Nature, and Big Ideas” to hear even more about ParkScore and a discussion of the impact of an elevated park in Washington, DC https://lnkd.in/gdeCmQ6B
Operating Room Nurse
3moGreat news! But how can we keep the pool capacity at Staten Island’s Lyon’s pool up? The staff is splitting the sessions in half. Keeping guests waiting at start of session to check belongings. And not counting how many guests leave during a session to admit additional guests.Thanks.