A report issued by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land ranked Plano tops in Texas in its 2022 ParkScore Index. The city ranked fifteenth nationally.
According to the report, Plano’s median park size is 13.8 acres. Seventy-seven percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Plano also spends $219 per resident on parks.
Washington, DC, was rated the best big city park system in the country for the second 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.
St. Paul, Minn. was rated second, followed by Arlington, Va., Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Chicago, San Francisco, Irvine, Calif., Seattle and New York
Boise, Idaho, defended its title as the best park system for dogs, with a nation-leading 6.7 dog parks per 100,000 residents, narrowly beating Portland, Ore., and Henderson, Nev. Irvine, Calif., received top marks for basketball hoops, Las Vegas scored best for playgrounds, and Boston earned top marks for splash pads and other water features.
Among the North Texas cities ranked were Dallas (53r), Arlington (68), Fort Worth (86), Garland (91) and Irving (98).
Trust for Public Land reported that 85 percent of large U.S. Park systems have taken at least one major action to leverage parks to meet the climate crisis, and more than half have taken three or more. Climate solutions most frequently embraced by cities include planting trees to increase shade and cool air temperatures; replacing asphalt, concrete and other paved surfaces to help control flooding; and installing solar panels on park buildings and taking other steps to increase energy efficiency.
“Investing in natural solutions like trails, shade, and green spaces can cool temperatures by up to six degrees and help prevent flooding. That’s why Trust for Public Land is working with park advocates and municipal leaders across the United States to close the outdoor equity gap and ensure that quality parks are available to everyone,” Trust for Public Land President Diane Regas said. “Parks inspire joy and happiness and help cities meet the climate crisis.”
