After packing up bikes, sandwiches, drinks, a picnic blanket, a football, a frisbee, and my kids, I headed out to our neighborhood park over the weekend. While it’s inevitably fun to be outside with family and friends within my own community, I’ve often wondered to myself, “what are other people like me, in other communities, availing themselves of in other parts of the country?” Well, if you’ve ever had that thought – wonder no more!
As part of the “fun” of this weekend’s outing, I brought some reading material, and came across a highly informative survey put together by the National Trust for Public Lands that I found worth sharing. The TPL compiled an interactive list entitled Park Score, in which it rated the nation’s 50 largest cities and their park systems. The survey is so interactive that I was able to directly compare park systems in the cities of my choice, and even explore the geography of each city as it related to parks. I would highly recommend this tool to anyone seeking to build upon their own park system, or of course for those looking to locate to a city with a robust park system.
It was not lost on me that most of our nation’s most popular cities to live, work and play in are also those found on the list, proving once again the link between a healthy park system and a healthy local economy. For those interested in the survey, visit Park Score.
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