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The District has the nation’s best big-city park system for the third straight year, according to a new survey.
Trust for Public Land made its annual assessment utilizing its ParkScore index that evaluated parks for the 100 largest cities in the country.
Number two on the list was St. Paul, Minnesota, while Minneapolis was third. Irvine, California, clinched the fourth spot.
Twenty-four percent of the land in the District is reserved for parks, among the highest in the nation. The District also outperformed on ParkScore’s park access and park equity metrics.
Residents of the District’s neighborhoods where most residents 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 park access, as are residents of neighborhoods that are majority-white.
“We know how much our public parks and community spaces mean to Washingtonians,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “Our teams work tirelessly year-round to keep our parks and facilities beautiful, open, and filled with events and programs that engage residents of all ages. D.C. has a little something for everyone, including a recreation center within a mile of every household. Our #1 ranked park system is just another reason why we’re grateful to call D.C. home, and we encourage all Americans to visit and experience our parks too.”