D.C., Arlington Home To Top-Ranked Public Park Systems In The U.S.: Report

VIRGINIA/DC — A recent report from a nonprofit group that promotes parks as a matter of health, equity and justice ranked Washington, D.C., and Arlington among the top 12 in the country for park systems.

The District of Columbia ranked No. 1 in 2023, maintaining its top position from the previous year in the ParkScore rankings from the San Francisco-based Trust For Public Land, which compared park systems in the 100 largest U.S. cities.

Arlington ranked No. 5 in 2023, dropping two spots from its No. 3 ranking in the 2022 ParkScore rankings.

Here’s a look at how top-ranked D.C. scored in the five areas considered in the report:

• Access: 99 points
• Acreage: 55 points
• Investment: 100 points
• Amenities: 85 points
• Equity: 86 points

Here’s a look at how No. 5 ranked Arlington scored in the five areas considered in the report:

• Access: 99 points
• Acreage: 36 points
• Investment: 100 points
• Amenities: 90 points
• Equity: 70 points

D.C. has 683 parks, compared to 184 in Arlington. Among park amenities, D.C. ranked high among basketball hoops (92 points) and splash pads (100 points), but low in the number of playgrounds (22 points).

Arlington ranked high among all three categories: basketball hoops (100 points), splash pads (100 points) and playgrounds (93 points).

Four other cities in Virginia were included in the top 100 rankings. They are:

No. 39 - Richmond

• Access: 70 points
• Acreage: 36 points
• Investment: 38 points
• Amenities: 51 points
• Equity: 84 points

No. 49 - Virginia Beach

• Access: 51 points
• Acreage: 64 points
• Investment: 59 points
• Amenities: 45 points
• Equity: 43 points

No. 52 - Norfolk

• Access: 66 points
• Acreage: 20 points
• Investment: 15 points
• Amenities: 78 points
• Equity: 79 points

No. 63 - Chesapeake

• Access: 17 points
• Acreage: 83 points
• Investment: 37 points
• Amenities: 61 points
• Equity: 38 points

The acreage score takes into account the median size of parks in the city and what percent of land in the city is dedicated to parks and green spaces, and the investment score measures park spending per resident.

The access score measures what percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, a key goal of the organization. The amenities score reflects the number of basketball hoops, off-leash dog parks, playgrounds, recreation and senior centers, restrooms, and splash pads and spray grounds.

Finally, the equity score looks at the ratio of public park space between neighborhoods of color and white neighborhoods and between low-income and higher-income neighborhoods, as the access those neighborhoods have to parks within a 10-minute walk.

Along with the rankings, the Trust for Public Land published new research that showed cities that ranked in the top 25 were less likely to report poor mental health than residents of lower performing cities and were 21 percent less likely to be physically inactive.

The research, “The Power of Parks to Promote Health,” also found that parks and recreation departments nationwide are focusing on developing or reimagining parks with a focus on health and wellness. The report was based on nearly 800 examples of health-focused park activities, which run the gamut from partnerships with health care providers to “prescriptions” to spend time in nature to funding of fitness classes

“Health professionals have long understood that physical play and exercise is essential for childhood development, but we’re just starting to grasp the mental health benefits,” Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said in a news release.

“Simply being in a quiet natural place promotes stress reduction and attention restoration, and evidence suggests that local green space serves as a gathering point that fosters community cohesion, allowing for people to know their neighbors and form social bonds that promote health and safety,” he said.

The full methodology for the ParkScore rankings is found on the nonprofit’s website.