New York may be better known for being an urban jungle than for its green spaces, but the city’s park system scored a Top 10 finish in a national report.
The Big Apple came in seventh in this year’s ParkScore report card, set to be released Wednesday, scoring 4.5 park benches out of 5 park benches. The annual report card, released by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, ranks the nation’s park systems using measures such as ease of access, size, and investment in amenities.
The city ranks behind metropolises such as Minneapolis, which ranked first, San Francisco (third) and Portland (fifth). It’s tied with Irvine, California, in the seventh spot.
New York scored well in all three categories as 97% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, 21% of the city’s area is devoted to green space and public investment in green space averages $179 per person, according to the report card.
“New York’s parks are a model for park systems for all major, global cities,” said Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver.
The relatively small median park size — about 1 acre — dragged down the city’s score compared with other cities, according to the Trust for Public Land.
“Parks are proven to improve physical and mental health, increase property values, and bring neighbors together to nurture the personal bonds that make our communities special,” said Charlie McCabe, director of The Trust for Public Land’s Center for City Parks Excellence.
